links.
Links:
My Photography Shutterfly Photo Album
My Regular Shutterly Photo Album
My Photo Myspace
My Regular Myspace
the entry.
http://michaelhyatt.com/2008/05/12-reasons-to-start-twittering.html
12 Reasons to Start Twittering
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Hello fellow Twitter user! Don't forget to Twit this post if you like it, or follow me on Twitter if you find me interesting.
I
originally committed to using Twitter for 30 days. So far, I have
enjoyed the service and intend to keep using it. My wife, Gail, and
four of my five daughters are active. I have sure this is one of the
reasons I am still using it.
my twitter profile page
Don’t
know what Twittering is? Read my original post on this topic. If you
want to know how to get started, read my Beginner’s Guide to Twitter.
>
If you are wondering why in the world you should consider it, here are twelve reasons:
1. It will enable you to experience social networking first-hand. One
of my pet peeves is people who pontificate on new technologies but have
never actually used them. This is particularly annoying—but
common—among CEOs. Real users can always tell the difference. There is
no substitute for personal experience.
2. It will make you a better writer. Twitter only allows you to post
140 characters at a time. As a result, you are forced to be concise. In
my opinion, this is one of the hallmarks of good writing. Short
messages. Short paragraphs. Short sentences.
3. It will help you stay connected to people you care about. This is
one of the few technologies I’ve found that actually contributes to
community-building. In today’s busy world, it’s difficult to keep up with others. Twitter makes it easy—and fun.
4. It will help you see a new side of your friends. In an odd sort of
way, Twitter “humanizes” people and provides a context for better
understanding them. If you follow me on Twitter, for example, you’ll
quickly see that I get excited, bored, frustrated, and confused—sometimes all in the same day. You’ll also learn what is important to me and what drives me crazy.
5. It will introduce you to new friends. I have now met several new
people via Twitter. These have contributed to my life in small but
significant ways. Gail and I have even had dinner with a couple that we
met via Twitter.
6. It is faster than text-messaging.
In a sense Twitter is a universal text messaging system. You can
broadcast to all of your “followers” (i.e., people who subscribe to
your Twitter feed) or send a direct message to just one. As a result, I
have almost completely stopped text messaging. The only time I use it
is to reply to someone who messages me outside of Twitter.
7. It will make you think about your life. As you answer the question,
“What am I doing?” you start to see your life through the lens of the
people following you. Interestingly, it has made me more intentional
and thoughtful about my life.
8.
It will help you keep up with what people are talking about. Via
Twitter, I have learned about hot books, cool software, breaking news,
and even great restaurants. Because the information is coming from real
people who care enough to Twitter about it, I have found it more
valuable and authentic.
9. It can create traffic for your blog or Website. I have noticed a 30%
uptick in my blog traffic in the last 30 days. It may be related to the
fact that I have been in the news more or have been writing on more
controversial posts. However, I also think it is related to the fact
that I am Twittering every time I post a new blog entry. This seems to
have a viral effect.
10.
It requires a very small investment. Twitter itself is a free service.
In terms of my time, I probably invest less than 10 minutes a day.
Since “tweets” (i.e., posts) are limited to 140 charters or less, you
can scan them in a second or two. Writing them usually takes less than
30 seconds.
11. It can help build your personal “brand.” When people hear your
name, what comes to mind? What is your reputation? What is the “brand
promise”? Brands are built incrementally, one interaction at a time.
Twitter gives you one more way to build your brand, one tweet at a time.
12. It is fun! Twitter is just plain entertaining. Following your
family and friends is kind of like watching reality TV. The difference
is that you know the people and actually care about them. In this
sense, it is even more fun, because you know more about the people from
other contexts. Don’t believe me? Give it a try.
I’m
sure there are some downsides to Twitter that I am either ignoring or
don’t recognize. But I would rather jump into the fray and shape the
future of social networks rather than sit on the sidelines and throw
stones.
Question: How about you?
the end.
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