Observing Twitter: 5 things you may not know about this brave new world

To anyone unfamiliar with social media, Twitter might as familiar as Pluto. These five observations show this new world isn't as foreign as you might think.

Written Jan 12, 2009, read 2194 times since then.

To anyone unfamiliar with social media, Twitter might well seem as familiar as Pluto. You kind of know what it is, and where it is, but why it's there or what it does, that's a complete mystery. I'm right there with you. But as a veteran e-zine publisher, blogger and avowed Facebook junkie, I've been brave enough to set up an account. Okay, three accounts. And honestly, it's not as foreign a land as you might think. Here are a few old-fashioned ideas that could make you a bit more brave about visiting this new social media world:

1. Twitter is all about people. Even entrepreneurs, networkers and others there in a professional capacity occasionally talk about stuff that isn't quite professional. Part of Twitter's charm is the eccentric nature of the sharing - what's for lunch, what duties people are shirking, what the weather's like, the kinds of conversations people have over nothing and everything. The same folks who shared trade information about the North American International Auto Show this morning, for instance, might also be part of tonight's popular discussion about the Golden Globes.

2. Twitter facilitates friendliness. Rather than "friend" or "connection" invitations, Twitter allows you to "follow" anyone whose updates aren't protected. (And in my experience, that's just about everyone.) You can search for a particular word or phrase - your geographic location, interests, religion, just about anything - to find people whose posts might interest you. And the really cool part is, the people you follow quite often decide to follow you.

3. Twitter makes you think. Whatever you have to say, you will have to re-think it in order to fit the thought into 140 characters. Twitter does offer some tools that will shorten an entry over that length, but it is a lot more fun to type in your thought, then edit it down to the right size. You can also use URL shortening tools, like www.tinyurl.com or www.shorturl.com to post links to articles or other Web sites.

4. Twitter encourages innovation. Every day, I find somebody talking about a new application or Web site that makes Twitter a little more interesting or useful. TwitterFeed, Outwit, Twittergram, TwitterToo - the list grows every day. There's even a Web site called "Twittergrader," which ranks your Twitter identity based on a list of objective criteria. My favorite is TweetDeck, which allows me to keep up with Twitter from my computer desktop, while surfing other Web sites.

5. Twitter operates on the Golden Rule, and don't you forget it. Twitterers encourage each other to share, they discourage inappropriate conversations and they do not tolerate spamming. I have noticed the people who give the most, who share links to informative articles, who provide unique information, who respond when others are seeking advice, those are usually the people with hundreds or thousands of followers.

When I talk about Twitter, and I find myself doing that more often now, the most common response is, "Hey, it looks cool, but what does it do?". Well, the truth is, Twitter doesn't do anything. You'll get out of it about as much as you put into it. Which really isn't such an alien idea, now, is it?

Learn more about the author, Joni Hubred-Golden.

Comment on this article

Posted by Naomi Pollack, Bellingham, Washington | Jan 12, 2009

Great article! I'm a new Twitter fan also. I've been tweeting about a month now. Recently one of the people I follow, @pistachio, said that twitter is the social network that surrounds the microsharing application that is Twitter. I love this definition! Twitter is the network, not the website or the application (like tweedeck, which I use too!). I think forums like Twitter are the future of interactive social networks online.
Posted by Diana Bourgeois, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina | Jan 12, 2009

Good article. Twitter seems like it requires lots of time.
Posted by Christine Karow, Detroit, Michigan | Jan 12, 2009

Thanks for sharing! I'm always interested in other people's views on Twitter, having just joined a week ago. Like any other form of social interaction, it involves a certain degree of cultivation - therein lies the time investment.
Posted by Rex Beasley, Valley, California | Jan 12, 2009

Very interesting article. I am just getting ready to use twitter and this was very helpful. Thanks!
Posted by Veronica Mayo, Bellevue, Washington | Jan 12, 2009

Thanks for this article. I have been wondering about twitter and if I should participate. I too am wondering about the time spent on this network? Would love to hear more about other experiences with twitter. Thank you.
Posted by Rick Itzkowich, La Jolla, California | Jan 12, 2009

I like your perspective on Twitter. I'm still trying to grasp the value of it - though I've been using it for a few months. The challenge for me is finding a way to add value to others. Articles like yours help see this platform in a different perspective.

For the people who complain about the time requirements, just remember that building relationships takes time.
Posted by Kimberly LeRiche, Cornelius, Oregon | Jan 12, 2009

Twitter does take time in order to build relationships and to connect with other people. It's good to know what your goals are for being on Twitter in order for you to know what to expect to possibly get out of it.

As a Social Media Virtual Assistant, it's an invaluable tool that lets me connect with my market. It's also a means by which I'm able to show that I have the knowledge and expertise in Social Media platforms to be of assistance to others. I also use it to connect with so many other Virtual Assistants and stay in touch with those in my industry who I also consider to be part of my community.

In the past few months, the majority of inquiries about my services as well as new clients have come from my interactions with people on Twitter.

As a Social Media VA, I also help people to manage their Twitter accounts. I do not ghost-tweet for them, but I simply help them with new followers, checking their @replies and Direct messages that might need follow-up. I also provide advice to them for how to get the most of out of Tweeting. This allows them to still be able to interact on Twitter but without as much of a time commitment.

Here is a post form the TwitTip blog that covers how to use Twitter effectively without letting it become a time suck.
Posted by Chrystal Bougon, San Jose, California | Jan 12, 2009

It's so hard to see how Twitter will help my business, but for now I am playing and participating. I do get a little bit of traffic to my online store thanks to Twitter. For now, I just try to follow the rules and re-tweet things that might be helpful for my network and send out succint promotions and tidbits about my network. Time will tell, I guess. Great article.

Chrystal, www.BlissConnection.com
Posted by Elizabeth Rightor MA MEd, Seattle, Washington | Jan 12, 2009

Joni, I am a big fan of social media, but twitter really does confound me. I appreciated your perspective and especially the end of your article--you get out of it what you put into it. I can't say I'm ready to jump in quite yet, but your article made me think about the advantages of using it. Thank you.

Elizabeth
Posted by Sukie Baxter, Seattle, Washington | Jan 13, 2009

Thank you! Like Elizabeth, I'm good with a lot of web apps, but Twitter is just now becoming more friend than foe. Thanks for the links to the URL shortening tools and also for the names of some helpful apps you can download to accompany a Twitter account.
Posted by Sue Cartwright, Launceston, Cornwall United Kingdom | Jan 14, 2009

Hi Elizabeth,

What a great article! I am a Twitter fanatic (according to Mr Tweet, my personal networking assistant http://www.mrtweet.net) and your assessment of this amazing networking tool is excellent. I would like to add that once you get involved and learn how to play by the unspoken 'rules' of the game that you mention so succinctly, you realise that it does DO something, if not several things. For me this includes:

1) Finding my voice on the world wide web, 2) Sharing my passion for the work I do and getting great feedback and encouragement, 3) Connecting with like minded people who are also passionate about what they do (and therefore passionate about quality values, helping others and caring for the future), 4) Finding out about new ideas, technology and all manner of business (and other) related subjects, 5) Having a bit of a giggle in and amongst and helping to spread an upbeat and positive vibe during these difficult times.

All in all, for me, well worth every moment invested - I've even started my working day earlier to make sure I make a good contribution.

Thanks again for your insights, I have duly 'tweeted' the link to all my followers using a Tiny URL :)

The Unisey Hub blog and free newsletter.
Posted by Carol Skolnick, Santa Cruz, California | Jan 15, 2009

Great overview! Hadn't heard of most of those apps.
Posted by Alma Gray, Akron, Ohio | Jan 15, 2009

Good article. This is the best definition of twitter I've come across. I am an avowed Tweeter, even joined twitters anonymous! :) (yes it does exist) I started for personal reasons, but in process came across business deals. I love the honesty and the insights into other people's life/business-- a big help before doing business with them.
Posted by Danielle LaPorte, Vancouver, British Columbia Canada | Jan 15, 2009

you do a great job of putting Twitter into perspective.
Posted by Meg Critchley, North Vancouver, British Columbia Canada | Jan 15, 2009

I just heard about Twitter this morning at a network meeting. I am definitely going to look into it and see if I become a Twitter fanatic. Thanks for writing the article it just confirmed everything I heard this morning.
Posted by Katy Tafoya, Los Angeles, California | Jan 15, 2009

Good job explaining Twitter. So many get bogged down by what they don't understand that they can't seem to see how it's good for business. And let's face it, it can also be fun.

I like to tell my clients that if they're a solopreneur, then guess what, they are the only sales & marketing team that they have. Word simpler, not harder.

@kat_taf
Posted by Eric Basir, Evanston, Illinois | Jan 16, 2009

ping.fm will automatically shorten your status updates in Twitter and any other services you're using.
Posted by Joni Hubred-Golden, Farmington, Michigan | Jan 17, 2009

Thanks for all the great comments - I learned from reading them and appreciate the feedback. Thanks Eric for the ping.fm note, I'll give it a try!

Alma... Twitters anonymous? Sign me up!

Sue... thanks so much for sharing your insights and the tweet out! I agree, it is all about making a good contribution - and I also enjoy the humor.

Kimberly... thanks for the link to the Twitip article, loved it and will share!
Posted by Kate Phillips, Carnation, Washington | Jan 19, 2009

Thanks Joni. I joined a couple months ago (MsKatePhillips) and though I couldn't "remember" to tweet at first, I'm enjoying it more now. I don't find it a big time suck, but I could see how it could be with many hundreds of followers/followees. I think the key is determining how much time you'll spend (10 min a day? 15?) and then stick to it. (Set a timer if you have trouble sticking to it!)

People ask how to use it - I have found it an effective way to send new folks to articles or blog posts, and a way to expand the network of who I know. I'm too new on it to tell if it will be a source of clients for me.

I'm curious about your three accounts. Since I have different businesses I've thought about different accounts. Or having a personal account and one for each business.... I'd love to hear why you have three and how you use them!

I also like ping.fm; I can update Twitter, Facebook, Linked In and MySpace in 20 seconds flat.

Thanks for the article!

Professional Speaker Secrets (with Patrick Snow)
Posted by Susie Cheng, Sydney, New South Wales Australia | Mar 22, 2009

Great article. I am new twitter fan, hopefully I will see more of your article in the future. I would like to learn more about twitter.

Thanks for sharing and best regards,

Susie Cheng http://www.thedigitaltalentagency.com
Posted by Laura Crest, Bellingham, Washington | Feb 03, 2010

Hi Joni!

Farmington Hills, MI? I grew up in the East Lansing, MI, area. Nice to meet you! Great article, and personally, very timely, as I've been hesitant about setting up a Twitter account, for some reason. (Worried about social media overload, I guess.) But many of my copywriting colleagues have urged me to join and tweet with them...so, with yet another comforting piece on Twitter, I will finally do it. Thanks for your candid and informative article!

Laura