If you are one of the many people who have been using Summify, the social media aggregator that was launched by two Romanian fellows just a few short months ago to streamline your social network messages from blogs, Twitter, and Facebook, then you probably already know that the company was acquired by Twitter in mid-January.
While we certainly assume it is good news for the Romanian duo (who will soon be relocating – goodbye Vancouver, hello San Fran), is it good news for current Summify users and the rest of us? For folks who were about to sign up, unfortunately you’re too late: Summify is not accepting new users. And there is some bad news, too, for those people who have been enjoying the aggregator’s various features: several functions will be deactivated and at some yet-unnamed point in the future, Summify will cease operations altogether.
Summify’s news was announced in an upbeat blog post, “Well, we’re extremely excited to announce that Summify has been acquired by Twitter! I know, right? We can hardly believe it ourselves!” It was followed by hundreds of comments that shared the team’s happiness but expressed disappointment that the service was being dismantled. “I echo other people’s sentiments! I’m happy for you guys, because you built an awesome product, but I’m bummed to hear that you’ll be shutting down some of your best features,“ was one such post. At this point, it is not known how Twitter will integrate Summify, but some believe the microblogging site will take advantage of the startup’s technology to ease the sheer number of overflowing messages that bog down Twitter. What made Summify so popular was precisely that capability: to whittle down all the noise and highlight the most important messages.
So what, really, does this mean for most of us? Summify’s talent was in digesting useable and interesting content, which meant less garbage coming at you – and your players. Without Summify weeding through the junk for you, can you do it by yourself?
Sure you can! For yourself, unfriend and choose wisely who you follow. Make a list of people and organizations whose messages are important, and ignore the rest.
In terms of the stuff you’re sending out, how do you improve your messages? First, be a better tweeter. Create a distinct Twitter page that tells you message in an interesting way. Incorporate photos and colors and logos on your page and carryover those visuals to all your branded pages. There are lots of ways you can maximize your Twitter efforts, but now more than ever, be a thoughtful tweeter. Send timely, important, useful, and entertaining tweets: don’t add more rubbish that your followers will need to sift through.
Second, when you send email to your players, ensure they’re worth reading. You’ve got their time for 30 seconds, use it wisely.
Next, update your web often and provide quality content in readable chunks, say no more than 600 words.
In a word, remember that your players are looking at your tweets and messages for value. Keep the good stuff coming, and you will be known as a resource worth reading. While your players may be inundated with stupidity, if your messages sparkle, your communication – and you – will shine through.