I love Twitter, I really do. Today
Twitter pal, Chris Brogan, posted on
his blog about how different people use Twitter and what value it creates for them. After reading the post I was trying to decide which category I fall into and, after much thought, I think I am a Twitter "conversationalist". I use Twitter to reach out to those that are either in social media, live in the northeast, have an interesting blog or post interesting and informative tweets. Being an active participant in the Twitter community is a way for me to be known, but more importantly, to get to know others and feel I am part of what they do all day long.
I use the @ function frequently. It makes me feel connected and lets others know someone (me) is
really listening. I rarely tweet "what I am doing" because, quite frankly, I know most of the time nobody cares what I am doing. Steve Rubel, Robert Scoble, Chris Penn, Chris Brogan and the like are another story, I care about what they are doing at any given moment and I know others do to.
Twitter allows me to easily connect and build off the activities and thoughts of others more influential than myself and, of course, spread some link love. Isn't that a big part of what this social media thing is all about-- connecting and building two-way conversations?
(with that said I don't know how Chris Twitters so much and gets anything done; I would Twitter every second of everyday if it didn't distract me so much.)
Deeper Twitter- Tuning Twitter for Value
Announcers vs. Conversationalists This is a current hammer-target for Eric Rice. He’s railed out about people (including me) using Twitter as a promotion engine. I understand this, insofar as some people do nothing but twitter links to their blog posts, their flickr pictures, and whatever else turns them on. (Note: I will Twitter that I posted this article when I’m done writing it). But conversationalists know to use a mix. They talk with other Twitter users, using the @ function to make sure people see the threaded conversation. They engage with the flow of people twittering around them, building a social sculpture, and engaging in what Jeff Pulver calls amorphic communications. Conversationalists reach into Twitter and move people back and forth.
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