About a year ago, Howard Lindzon (the StockTwits CEO) appeared on CNBC. The reporter asked him: “Can you learn about someone through their tweets?” Howard responded: “Of course!” The reporter completely disagreed and said: “If a person has no picture, a random Twitter handle (such as @stocktrader####), and is completely anonymous…how can you discover ANYTHING about that person?”
The reporter had clearly never used Twitter. I am going to paraphrase Howard’s response because I completely agree with it. I feel that OVER TIME, people eventually show their true colors on Twitter. It doesn’t matter if they have no picture and are completely anonymous, you will eventually learn a great deal about someone over the course of their tweets.
For example, people will EVENTUALLY show if they are: funny, serious, genuine, a complete A-hole who hates their life, easy going, uptight and easily offended, a good trader, someone new and eager to learn, respectful, male/female, conservative, a flat out hooker, etc. etc.
Since this is a supposed to be a financial blog, let’s stick to the trading aspect. If you are a professional chef and someone tells you they’re a great cook, you can almost tell if there are or not by the way they talk. It’s no different for traders. Some of the most experienced traders I know on the StockTwits stream can tell who is solid, disciplined, a winning trader, a junkie, or simply full of shit…and it’s all without ever meeting the person. It’s simply deciphered by what they say.
One piece of Twitter advice is: Be the person you want to attract. For example, I consider myself someone who genuinely wants to see traders improve and protect their capital. As a result, I’ve had some amazing, genuine people reach out to me and help me in ways I could never imagine. I am blessed that good people picked up on that vibe and have been more than generous to me.
Another thing I’ve learned: People want laughter and inspiration. I’ve been blogging for close to 3 years and my 3 highest read blog posts had NOTHING to do with the stock market. They were all inspirational or made people laugh. What else can I tell you about myself that you haven’t learned through my tweets? I am very passionate about the stock market, but I don’t let it rule my life. My turn-ons include In-N-Out Burger and long walks on the beach. I’m also the father of at least half my children #kidding #sarcasm #DontOverUseHashtags
In conclusion, can you learn about someone through their tweets? My answer is, over time, an emphatic “Yes!”