Microblog conversation
What does it take to run a microblog that seems to foster conversation with your readers versus one that seems to broadcast only.
We describe the five criteria we use – see also:
organizational microblog
– conversation– you are here
– vibrancy
Below we outline five criteria that help classify organizational microblogs that foster conversation and not boradcasting. All else being equal the following some characteristics or indicators suggesting that a microblog broadcasts information are such as:
a – subscribing or following a few Twitter accounts only, in some cases fewer than 25, and/or
b – those being followed are other corporate Twitter footprints the organization owns, such as 
DellSmBizOffers that is Following other Dell Twitterers only.
c – few tweets are being sent as is the case with 
Greyhound_Oz:
The graph to the right illustrates that tweeting started in October 2008. It sends out few messages per week. Greyhound_Oz tweeted five times during the first 18 days in December.
d – primarily broadcasts corporate information (e.g., special offers, quarterly results) – also links to corporate blog(s).
e – rarely one can find public replies – where the tweet starts with @username (by default, sending out many public replies increases the number of messages)
Using Twitter for broadcasting is neither good nor bad it just does not foster conversation but instead provides interested stakeholders (e.g., customers, investors, volunteers) with the information they need or wish to get as quickly as possible.
There can also be alterations of the above. For instance, 
follows quite a few people on Twitter (i.e. neither meeting criteria a or b above). During the 1st 18 days of December 2008, oxfam tweeted 56 times. However, not one tweet was a public reply using @username to start the tweet. Hence, while Oxfam follows quite a few people, the Twitter account does not appear to encourage conversation between the charity and its followers. Instead, it broadcasts important information.
Here is a definition of what defines a organizational microblog that tries to foster conversation:
Organizational microblogs focusing on conversation have regular postings (e.g., at least once every week) throughout the year, while following more Twitterers than just those from the same firm and, finally, also exhibiting @username public replies (e.g., @Oxfam sent Somalia link Hassan’s story http://is.gd/ciXN thanks & more info http://is.gd/ciER)
Hence, a public reply such as [@crossthebreeze Thanks Kris 
Enjoy your break, bizz ] does foster conversation between sender and receiver. Unfortunately, most followers of a corporate microblog will not understand and perceive such a reply as chatter or chaff. A bit different is the example we used in the definition given above because it allows others to benefit from Oxfam and understand what happened.
Coding in our database – broadcasting and conversation
This variable provides information about the the communication focus of the organization’s Twitterfeed(s). If several of the above 5 criteria apply, we can than classify the Twitter account as either being:
0 = other
1 = conversationalist
2 = broadcaster
Here’s what I’m suggesting for today
Add your comment to this post. Please tell us do you agree, is there a better way to get a handle on this. We welcome your suggestions – provide input please and leave your corporate Twitter footprint (link) behind. Thank you.