I've lived in the Twittersphere for about a year now. Currently, I have no plans of relocating or buying a summer home in the Tumblrverse. Now that I've settled in quite nicely--unpacked all my belongings, even hung a few pictures on the wall--friends and family often ask me what Twitter is all about. That question fueled this blog, to be split into two parts. (Twitter is not something you can describe succinctly.)
When it comes to Twitter, I've found most internet-savvy people fall into one of two categories: either you already tweet and love it, or you're so rebellious against Twitter that you cringe each time it's mentioned. (You thought you were talking to someone you respect, and then out pops the T-word. For shame!)
I understand where you're coming from. In fact, I wore the same shoes not too long ago.
But Twitter isn't just a bunch of social medialites micro-blogging about what they're doing at any given moment. It has grown into something infinitely more valuable.
It's sort of like standing on a street corner, gazing up at one of the old, abandoned buildings in Detroit--the Dave Broderick Tower, for example. You've watched your friends and colleagues walk boldly through the front doors like fearless urban spelunkers for a while now. Sure, from the building's exterior, you might be a little intrigued. The thrill-seeker in you may want to try something new, but you heard Urban Exploration can be risky, and you're not sure you want to spend your days reading sob poetry from some guy named Justin, hearing the latest celebrity gossip, stumbling across a burning toilet, or worse, a frozen corpse. (Don't you wish you hadn't clicked on that last one?)
There might be a few gems inside (like this amazing view) but why trudge through the sludge to find them?
The truth is, you're right. There are some doozies in Twitterland. But for many, there is also a community living there that is so beneficial it actually changes lives.
If you've heard this before, you may have tried peeking in through a window, only to find it boarded shut, cracked, smudged, or grafittified. Judging by the cryptic home page, it seems Twitter is just a bunch of Facebook status junkies telling each other what kind of cereal they're noshing on. How could that possibly be beneficial?
Sorry to say, that's just scratching the surface. You're going to have to go through the front door like everyone else to see what's really inside. You may have to do some digging, some experimenting, some exploration, but before long, you'll discover why tweeters, twits, twitterers, and twats never want to leave.
Unlike the Broderick Tower, whose owners promised gorgeous renovation over four years ago with no sign of follow-through, Twitter actually delivers the goods.
No matter what your interests, there is a community waiting for you on Twitter. In a band? Use Twitter to connect with your fans one-on-one, post events and shows, along with photos of your bassist doing a handstand while eating a chili dog. Artist or Crafter? Connect with folks who want to buy your work. Freelancer? Find people in need of your services. Mom? Chat with other mommies dealing with the same issues you are, right at that very moment. Own a business/store? Feature new products, reviews, tips and tricks, and answer questions from your customers. Online Magazine? Post links to your latest articles, reviews, and blogs. If you're a writer like me, you can use Twitter to get your work (and your name) out there and mingle with the cream-of-the-crop publishing world.
Even if you feel like you have nothing to offer, you can follow people who inspire you: your favorite author, news anchor, journalist, politician, blogger, celebrity, critic, etc. Don't forget to follow @Astro_Mike, the astronaut who tweets from space. (Admit it, that's pretty cool!)
So now, after all of that, you might be thinking about opening the Twitter door and taking a step inside. If so, I can give you some tips to make the transition easier. My next post? The Twitter Glossary: what it means to @ someone, what hashtags are for, the dos and don'ts of direct messaging, why you never ever ever ever ever use the Twitter website to actually tweet (unless you're in a pinch), and more. I'll also post a list of great folks to follow to get you started. Sounds exciting, huh?
'Till next week, share this post with your anti-Twitter friends and enjoy this short animation, Twouble with Twitters. Remember, it doesn't have to be like this!
All Urban Exploration photos from www.ForgottenMichigan.com. Check it out for further UE photos!
That's a great explanation! What I still don't get is that if Twitter was started to give people the endless ability at status updates, why is that you never ever want to use Twitter for tweets if that's what it was designed for?
ReplyDeleteOh, I was talking about using the website to send your tweets. It's good for just starting out, but very limited. There are so many great Twitter clients that handle tweeting more efficiently: Tweetie, HootSuite, TweetDeck, Seesmic, etc. By using the clients, you're constantly connected, your feed is always refreshing, and you can even schedule tweets for later in the day. You can have the client open in the background on your desktop, so it doesn't interfere with everything else you're doing. Make sense?
ReplyDeleteGReat to see you mention Astro-Mike - how COOL is he!
ReplyDeleteTwitter has what other parts of the web don't - it's got immediate interactivity with a whole virtual world of people. As such, if you have a static site there's no better way of getting people interested in you so they come and look. Most of all, though, it's a way to build relationships and engage your peers.
Totally agree, Shoes. I drive traffic to all my websites via different Twitter accounts. Excellent resource.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to share a comment sent to me via Twitter about my post. Peg366 had trouble posting her comment on my blog:
"I argee wholehertedly. I love to tweet. I love getting tweets. I am finding tweets about articles that I might never have found otherwise. I can check the articles out and retweet the tweet or use it to motivate me to write or use it in my blog. Tweets fill me in on things like #kidlitchat on Twitter.com or the #kidlitchat that can be reached by another means."
Thanks, Peg!