Why Use Twitter? Part I – Personal Use
March 23rd, 2011 § 1 Comment
There are still tons of folks that don’t ‘get’ Twitter. It’s strange to me that some view it as difficult, since I use it daily, and see the many benefits of it. But, I do understand. Even my best friends don’t use ‘the Twitter.’ I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been met with, “I don’t care what you eat for lunch,” when I ask if someone uses Twitter. I then go into my rant about why Twitter is so much more than sharing what I’ve eaten for lunch, or dinner, for that matter. If you’ve never used the social media network, and still don’t really understand it, I’m here to give you a brief overview and possible uses list, and reasons to use it – other than sharing what you’ve eaten for lunch.
I’ve decided to break “Why Use Twitter?” into a few different parts: Personal, Professional, and Brand use. Throughout the series, you’ll get a general idea of why people and companies are using Twitter, and what can be achieved through its use.
So, what is Twitter? (I won’t get into all the details, however, if you’d like that, check out Mashable’s great Twitter overview.) I generally say Twitter is, “a real-time stream of 140-character-or-less posts from people sharing all kind of information.” As a Twitter user, you can ‘follow’ anyone you’re interested in hearing what they have to say. For example, Starbucks has a Twitter account. If you want to hear what Starbucks is talking about, you’ll want to follow them. They may share special offers, deals and discounts, coffee facts, etc. If someone wants to hear what you have to say, they will follow you.
Here is a list of possible uses, or reasons, why people may utilize Twitter:
1. Share news - where are most Twitter users getting their news? Most likely from other users on Twitter. Sadly, Elizabeth Taylor passed away today. How did I first hear? From people tweeting about it. When the earthquake in Japan occurred, the first place I learned about it was on Twitter. More often than not, important news is posted on Twitter before it’s even posted on the Internet and showing up in a Google search.
2. Learn & Teach – On Twitter, you can follow whomever you want. Celebrities, companies, CEOs, chefs, experts in various fields, etc. use Twitter. There are Twitter accounts for all kinds of interests. If you’re a Seinfeld lover, you would maybe want to follow @SeinfeldQuotes_ for daily quotes from the TV show. If you want recipes, you’d probably want to follow @FoodNetwork. You can learn whatever you want from experts on Twitter; and if you’re an expert, consider sharing your knowledge. That’s huge on the social network. Post tips of the day, or interact with people who have questions about your expertise. Share information!
3. Meet people – Whether you think it’s “dorky” or not, Twitter is a great place to meet new people and new friends. Welcome to the 21st century, where more and more people are meeting others off of the Internet. No longer are our social interactions dependent on those within our vicinity. We have the whole world to explore from behind our computers, and Twitter is a great place to share ideas with others from around the world.
4. Explore new ideas and places – By using Twitter, not only can you share what you’ve eaten, but you can also share other ideas and things you like. Shocking, I know. Most of the restaurants I try, or new things I venture out to try, are from people in my Twitter stream recommending them. Going on vacation somewhere? Ask your Twitter community, and someone in that area may be able to make a few suggestions. For example, while planning a trip to Italy, I asked my Twitter followers if they had any hotel recommendation for Venice. Within minutes, I had numerous responses, not only from my followers, but also a few hotels IN VENICE!
5. Participate in contests – Many companies use Twitter as a way to have giveaways. Sometimes they involve skill, and sometimes they’re just luck. With Twitter being relatively new, the odds of winning are good!
There are obviously other reasons to use Twitter, and everyone has their own reason, but these should help you understand the gist of it. For those of you who are already familiar with Twitter, why do you use it?
[...] up my series, “Why Use Twitter?” (See Part I and Part II), I’m presenting why brands should be and could be utilizing [...]