Sat 15 Aug 2009
For a long time I’ve been avoiding the Twitter phenomenon. That is, until recently. A fellow associate of mine encouraged me to join and even explored some of the reasons why I hadn’t done so. I simply told him that I didn’t understand the need to Tweet and the real purpose of using Twitter. With some convincing, I signed up for an account.
After learning how to use Twitter directly, and then adopting the use of tools that would allow me to make more out of my Twitter experience, I’m finding a number of different aspects valuable to my everyday activities, hobbies, and social relationships.
On a day-to-day basis, I’m involved with sales, marketing, account management and much more. Having a Twitter account gives me access to some of the leading authorities in my industry and others who have proficiency in the types of situations I deal with. Online social media tools allow me to connect with a variety of experts and others who have already solved many of my most difficult problems. Twitter provides direct access to many people that I otherwise would never communicate with. Celebrities, gurus, and industry experts are all available at the click of a button. Many celebrities will actually respond to you when approached directly. Truthfully I don’t know whether or not its their mom, personal assistant, or some hourly worker who is replying to my questions, but more often than not, they are filled with pearls of wisdom.
When you find a community of individuals who share your interests, concerns, and are willing to have a discussion around them, it enriches your experience. This is especially true as I have built a small following of people within my area of interest. When I have a question or topic that needs discussion, this group is there to share what they know and comment on my messages, also called tweets. When users respond to one of my messages, pushing it out to their followers, it is called re-tweeting.
Twitter allows you to easily filter your network of followers and those you follow. In addition, you can filter the information you receive from others. The good news is that you can respond to individual posts or chose to do nothing. The communication path is in your control. Another great thing about posts from others is that they usually contain links to helpful information on the web. You can follow these links or ignore them. Either way you have access to information you may otherwise never have found.
I was not an early adopter of social media and for good cause. I never saw the point of Tweeting or trying to build a fan base. However, now that I’ve gotten my feet wet and have a good deal more experience with Twitter, I see that it’s not only good for getting information but giving it as well. If you are trying to determine the value of Twitter from the outside then I encourage you to role up your sleeves and give it a try. Unfortunately you can’t appreciate it unless you do.