The Social Networking Frontier: My Initial Thoughts on Twitter
I want to talk about social networking. Yes, I know, everyone is talking about social networking—my interest is a little late in the game. But with platforms like Facebook and Twitter arguably in adolescent stages (neither have been around that long, when you think about it), it is difficult to say that these tools are fully understood, or that their potential has been optimized.
To start my investigation, I have a confession: I don’t Tweet. I don’t use Twitter! Maybe it’s because I’m more of a ‘conventional’ networking platform kinda girl, like Facebook. Or because I’m worried that no one will follow me? I don’t think I’m alone on this—comparing Twitter with Facebook, the resounding popularity of the latter is hard to ignore. Not many people automatically think “Twitter†when they think about social networking. I think, though, that we non-Tweeting cyber surfers are missing out on something huge.
Twitter, as a platform, is an epitome of the pace of 21st century lifestyle. Especially for those of us working in communications, marketing and technology—and who really isn’t these days? Marketing yourself properly is a vital aspect to any professional, and staying in touch via technology has quickly become the easiest way to build strong networks. Twitter plays on this simple fact, along with the idea that people love to stay connected with likeminded friends and peers. Twitter unites strangers in fascinating ways, allowing them to get to know each other one micro-blog at a time. And its beauty rests in its simplicity: you can Tweet on the go, from your cell, at your desk, whenever you have a moment. No more cumbersome networking to establish connections. What could be better?
Wow, this spoken from someone who doesn’t Tweet, yet. I’m signing up today.
Next week I want to talk about some of the finer points of Twitter, once I’ve had some time to play around on it. Do you have any suggestions for me?
(By the way, my twitter is “stephaniedixon” – follow me!)
In the meantime though, for you Twitterites out there who are more savvy than myself, check out this incredible blog post by Brian Solis about improving your Tweets to foster new relationships. Its called: Make Tweet Love – Top Tips for Building Twitter relationships.
I’d be interested in hearing any strategies you come up with to deal with the vast amount of tweets that scroll across your screen after you follow more than 20 people.
You can use TweetDeck to segment your incoming tweets – hope that helps.