How Martha Stewart uses multiple media streams to grow and manage her business
Martha Stewart’s seminal text Entertaining was published in 1982. Today she has close to 2 million followers on @marthastewart, her Twitter feed. Interviewed during Twtrcon at the New York Hilton by David Pogue of the New York Times, Stewart’s reply to his initial greeting “How you doing, Martha?” was “Life is very interesting, business is very challenging and the country needs help.”
An intense presence, merely sitting in a chair onstage, Stewart’s voice is low, musical, and her hair is even more blond and fabulous in person than on her magazine covers. Pogue portrayed her as not just a polite host at her own party; rather, deeply interested in knowing all about everyone. The inquisitive Stewart says it’s hard to sleep at night.
Stewart confirmed that yes, she really is Martha Stewart on Twitter, and she doesn’t believe in “ghosts,” that is, someone posting in her name. “To fake it,” she says, “Isn’t really making use of the medium.” If she can’t get a signal or is otherwise indisposed, as happened on her recent trip to Turkey, she’ll phone in her 140 characters and have her tech guy type it in. She frequently apologizes for the typos that are all her own, and blames them on the dark little window in her handheld device. “Now I have my iPad, which gives off so much light. I took a picture of all the iPads illuminated in a darkened room. iPad changes the game,” she said.
Martha Stewart limits herself to five minutes a day on Twitter. Why? Well, she said wryly, it’s a little addictive. At five minutes a day, she amassed nearly two million followers in 5 months, whereas, Stewart pointed out, it took her almost two years to reach 1,000,000 subscribers to her magazine, Living.
Besides her 5 minutes a day on Twitter, Stewart publishes a photo blog every day, with 20 to 70 photos. “Puff Daddy, on the other hand, is up 24 hours a day,” she quipped. “You should check him out.” She also revealed that Twitter-meister Ashton Kutcher is an investor in Twitter.
Stewart noted that there are 75-100 tweets (or as the New York Times insists, “Twitter posts”) a second, worldwide. There are 500 million users on Facebook; by Christmas 2011, Facebook will have 1 billion users, or 1/6 the world’s population (a runaway success Stewart attributes to a “single-minded individual”). In short, Stewart says, “Everybody has learned to use their thumbs. You have to be where your customers need and want you.”
Twitter has distinct business advantages as a medium. Interviewer David Pogue pointed out that it removes barriers, and Martha Stewart added that it also removes the factor of time, providing instant contact and dialogue. “I use it as a communication tool,” Stewart said. “I try to have a dialogue; it’s very important. Our readers, viewers, Internet users are the most important part of our company. Rule #1: The customer is always right. Rule #2: See Rule #1.”
Stewart also uses Twitter as a research tool. “Twitter gets me a lot of interesting facts. I can do a survey instantaneously, and it’s accurate, informative and to the point.” A frequent traveler, Stewart polls her followers to find out what sights and experiences at her destination are not to be missed.
Stewart made the point during her interview that there’s not a lot of overlap between the various media through which she publishes; for example, there’s not much crossover between the millions of Living readers and her millions of Twitter followers. Stewart is becoming adept at cross-pollinating media, recently talking about the July issue of Living on Twitter, and, as a result, pumping newsstand sales and new subscribers on the print side of her business.
Stewart commented that the combination of Twitter and a blog is very useful in developing a business, and cited as a prime example — her dogs. Stewart currently has 8 blogs under her umbrella, one of them being her dogs’ blog. “They post every single day,” she added. Purina took note, and now Stewart is developing a line of pet equipment with Purina for PetSmart.
Based on an informal Twitter survey, Stewart found that people are using Twitter to “touch celebrity,” out of curiosity and for some news. “If there’s a very vibrant community,” Stewart asked, “Why not use it? We’re trying out FourSquare now. If it’s there, try it: that’s my motto.”
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