by Web Designer Debbie Campbell (@redkitedesign) from Red Kite Design.
One of my networking/leads groups got off on a tangent in early December and decided that we needed to learn more about social networking. One Facebook enthusiast volunteered to do a presentation on that, and since I had the most experience with Twitter (all of 5 weeks) I was nominated to do the Twitter talk.
So I’d been using Twitter for just over a month, although I’d had an account for a lot longer. I had never really spent the time to understand what it was about, and frankly wasn’t convinced that it would useful for me as a businessperson.
That may sound odd. I’m a web designer and developer, and for the past six months I’ve been a very busy one. I have a lot of demands for my time – taking online classes, going to meetings, project work, blogging, LinkedIn, and so on. I thought that Twitter looked like a big waste of time.
But, I decided to give it a try. I read a lot of articles on using Twitter for business, and that did help – it gave me a laundry list of things I could be using it for as a creative – but I’m convinced that the only way to figure out if Twitter’s good for you is to try it yourself.
My verdict? For me the answer is ‘yes.’ I’ve met a lot of other professionals that I would never have known otherwise. I get feedback on questions, I get help with problems in my work. I talk to other web designers and developers and get interesting opinions on just about any topic you can imagine from people in wildly different fields.
I like the immediacy of Twitter. What it’s really like for me is a river of ongoing conversation that I can dip into at any time and get caught up in, if I choose. Sometimes I do have to turn it off – it gets distracting. But when I want to be involved, I can be, instantly. It’s kind of nice to have so many to talk to when you’re working on your own.
I’ve also found that it’s much more personal than tools like LinkedIn, where you basically spread out your entire professional life for someone to see on one page. Twitter requires ongoing participation and rewards it by allowing you to get to know people over time – not just as a representative of some company but as a real person with real interests including and beyond their work.
Anyway, my talk was very well received. There were a lot of questions (I take that as a compliment) and it was a good hour of back-and-forth discussion that morning. A few others in our group have taken the first step in getting involved and have actually set up accounts. I couldn’t promise them that they would love Twitter, but I think I gave enough information to make it less intimidating and fueled their curiosity enough to give it a try.
I learned a lot in preparing for my presentation; besides my slideshow (see below), I also have a resource list I put together a handout (PDF).
Slideshow: http://www.slideshare.net/redkitedesign/twitter-010909-presentation
@NateDesmond
This is just what I need! I have been trying to decide if Twitter is useful for bloggers. Thanks so much!
- Nate
@bpearce76
Great post. I am in a similar position of only being 2 months into Twitter but still the “expert” in our office. Now have to convince others of the value, identfy others to participate and train everyone. Your information will be very helpful for me. Thanks.
@amauiblog
Good discussion and presentation. I knew about Tweeter when they first launched it but it’s only late last year that I joined. I am one of the few on Maui that’s active on it (Kuanyin being the most active I guess). I was thinking of making some kind f presentation to the Maui business owners about the benefits of Tweetering in business – this post is very helpful. Thank you.
Liza
Great post. Twitter is good for about everything now.
@hectorhenry17
Twiiter twitter twitter what else will you birng for us, there all al caind of thing in twitter but i guess soon we will see thing we never expect. Good post.
@cutieissa
“I thought that Twitter looked like a big waste of time. But, I decided to give it a try. ” – AMEN! =) This is my primary reason why I held off using Twitter in 2008 when it started to gain momentum. I thought it was an overhyped startup that would just disappear. I also thought it would be addicting, sucking what lil free time I have after work. But I was sooo wrong! Yes, it was addicting but I was learning while I’m on it (unlike Facebook, LOL). I’m following medical doctors and instead of slogging thru 100s of medical blogs & journals everyday, I’m just getting the best of the best medical updates from Twitter! Now that’s a real time-saver! ^_^ Luv yah Twitter!!
@susanweiner
Debbie,
You should put your name and contact information on your handout, so you get credit when people link to it.
@CreativeSales
Ed,
I too have read and read tons of blogs regarding Twitter, and I have used it–not much, but have been trying to really “get it”. This is the best help I have found so far, and I hope you don’t mind me sharing it because I know so many others are in the same boat! Well written, and most helpful!
@mcconnellgrp
I think that people who use twitter do it to enhance their business, for me it’s a method to identify opportunities and to engage clients,
When it comes to twitter you really get what you put in,
Shawn