To Twitter or not to Twitter
You can find a million places to tell the good and the bad of Twitter. This post is neither pro or anti Twitter (though I’m increasingly wondering about whether Twitter works for me).
Still, this post is pro-goal.
If you’re thinking about joining Twitter, or you’re 100 followers in and wondering what now, then it’s time to have a goal. Here are some options:
1. Be a better writer. Twitter can help you be concise, and to the point. It’s helped me write ad words copy.
2. Network. This is a somewhat lofty goal, but Twitter is a social network, so network. This could mean following people in your field, or your interest and connecting to them. What’s the end game of this? Perhaps getting a job, or finding a new one.
3. Find a job. (Type “Find a job with Twitter” on Google)
4. Build your brand. It’s almost like #2, but more detailed. If this is your goal, then post smart things on Twitter. Links to smart blog posts, thoughts on smart blog posts, and smart ideas. Add stuff.
5. If your goal is to plug your blog posts, please stop. If your blog posts are any good, they will be found. If they aren’t, they won’t be.
6. Use Twitter as a bookmarking tool. If someone from #2 posts a link, add it to favorites. It comes with their note about it as well.
- Christopher Walken (via last.fm)
7. Follow celebrities. My personal favorite is Christopher Walken (since shut down, disappointingly), but there might be some people out there who will work for you.
8. Follow some brands. Some are experimenting with Twitter, and give away stuff.
9. Use it as a barometer of local events. Get Twitterlocal, and see what people are saying, or tweeting locally.
10. Decide that Twitter is a ridiculous fad that makes absolutely no sense.
I sort of prefer #10. I think Twitter is increasingly filling up with people who are simply listening. That means that more and more pressure is placed on the people who are the so called stars to produce. Yes, we love listening to what Demi Moore or The Real Shaq is up to, but is that really where Twitter is heading? Cwalken wasn’t up to it. And increasingly, I’m not.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Boo: Twitter Full Of Ghostwriters (cbsnews.com)
- The Best Twitter Is Obviously Christopher Walken’s Twitter (jossip.com)
- 8 Follow Friday tips for Twitter (christopherspenn.com)
- Everyone’s Real Fake on Twitter (gawker.com)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](https://i0.wp.com/img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png)
sharemarketing.wordpress.com 
Some interesting points, but I have to disagree with your point #10. It may be viewed as a fad, and very likely could have been. But I believe that the engine is moving at such a pace that the fad will actually change to mainstream communication.
I wonder how many people thought that e-mail was going to be a fad when it started in 1969. E-mail has evolved over the years since it started and I believe that Twitter and other social networking tools will evolve as well. Check out this blog post of mine – http://is.gd/mPq1
I get your point Mike, I sort of pushed the envelope with the whole Fad thing. So I should be clear: while I think the engine of Twitter might be a fad, I don’t think people sharing their status is a fad.
Tweetdeck used to be the first thing I opened. Now, I know there really isn’t a lot there to look at, so it isn’t. My behavior doesn’t equal a trend, but I wonder if more people like me, with followers in the hundreds, are feeling the same way.
I find valuable links on Twitter every day, almost too many to keep track of! I like to share what I find, and in a healthy ratio (at least 10:1) I will share some of my own content, or my company’s content.
Maybe it all depends on who you follow, whether or not you will find useful information on Twitter.
I agree with you, nobody wants to follow someone who only self-promotes…But wait, isn’t that what most of the celebrities do, the ones with thousands of followers?
I am not sure what the next few years hold in store for Twitter, but so far it has fascinated me.
Maybe I just keep coming back for more because it never ceases to surprise me.
“But wait, isn’t that what most of the celebrities do, the ones with thousands of followers?”
Good call. And now that they closed down CWalken, there isn’t a celeb I follow. Except http://twitter.com/hodgman, and he hardly ever says anything.
If some one needs to be updated with newest technologies after that he must be pay a quick visit this web site and be up to date everyday.
I’m gone to inform my little brother, that he should also go to see this web site on regular basis too get updated from latest gossip.