I joined Twitter in 2013, three years after I attended a Twitter workshop where the presenter told us as marketers not to get too excited about Twitter because it was about to die. After I realized that rumors of Twitter’s death were greatly exaggerated, I went ahead and signed up as @ncwordgirl. Go ahead and make fun of my username. I love words and I live in New Castle, Indiana. And if you’ve ever had the privilege of watching the PBS cartoon series, you will find this to be amusing.
Fast forward to today when people still say that Twitter is about to die, yet here it is… hanging around and bringing down governments, embarrassing celebrities, and helping the world in general hashtag its way to common ground. I wouldn’t call myself a super-tweeter and my clients’ tweets aren’t going viral. Twitter is not a focal point of their marketing strategies. Still, it serves a purpose.
Here’s why you might want to consider using Twitter:
Your business requires you to network. Using Twitter, you can connect with a potential client two streets down or a thought leader four states away in a matter of seconds. If you want to build your network, be present on LinkedIn and be active on Twitter.
You want to connect with the media. Reporters seem to LOVE Twitter. If you’re in PR like me, you love reporters and really love it when they tell your stories. That is one of the main reasons I’ve learned to love Twitter. One of my clients has a tiny number of followers, but their tweets are frequently re-tweeted by area media. That means the reach is enormous.
You need to connect with influencers. If you’re familiar with the concept of the maven from Malcom Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, know this: mavens are on Twitter. In other words, if you have an idea that you want to spread, you’ll want to be on Twitter.
You want to be known as a trustworthy guide. Twitter allows you to tweet what you know and re-tweet from other thought leaders, effectively feeding your “tribe,” or people you are influencing. Those folks are then more likely to turn to you when they need help solving a problem associated with your area of expertise.
You have a life. I enjoy connecting with people who are attending a similar event, who like a band that I like, or who share my interests. Twitter can be a lot of fun. Twitter also helped me solve my wi-fi problem when traditional customer service failed. My internet provider was very quick to solve my problem when I shared it on Twitter.
Ok. Now you’ve decided to be on Twitter, where do you start? I offer an individual or group workshop called “Twitter 101” that will help you get started. Shoot me an e-mail at christy@wholeheart.biz for more info.