When I was a child, my mother chastised me after she got fed up with my constant bemoaning “What’s so great about _____?” one too many times. She said it was obnoxious and condescending. Now, whenever I use the phrase intentionally, I chuckle to myself. Thanks, Mom, for all your great lessons growing up.
But really, what is so great about Twitter? What’s all the buzz about? If you had asked me a month ago, I would definitely have been on the side of those who still just don’t get it. Why would I want to send inconsequential “tweets” (yep, that’s what they’re called) throughout the day?
- I just had breakfast
- I just rebooted my @%$&! computer
- I just picked my nose
After all, WHO CARES?!
In recent weeks, though, I have come to realize that Twitter is a growing phenomenon that is here to stay. And, like Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube, it has two types of users: personal and professional.
Personal users of Twitter enjoy following conversations on topics of interest to them, as well as simply keeping in touch with their friends. It’s like instant messaging on steroids. This is a perfectly legitimate use of Twitter, although it is perhaps of limited interest to us professional users.
My focus is on professional users. Twitter is a great way to keep your “followers” apprised of your latest and greatest offerings. It is also perhaps the quickest way to build your list of prospective customers. The trick with Twitter as with other social networking sites is never losing sight of the “social” aspect of networking.
Allow me to illustrate what I mean by “social.” I attend various business networking events here in the Seacoast region, and I have seen it all. At one “Business After Hours” event I met a woman who had just opened up her own therapeutic massage establishment. Naturally, she wanted to spread the word. This was her first time attending this particular networking event, and perhaps any similar social event, judging by what happened next. We were chatting a bit, and then she whipped out a trifold brochure with her business card stapled to it, shoved it into my hand, oozed further information about her business, and before I knew it she was off to bombard the next group of people with her brochures. I shook my head as I watched her alienate her way through the crowd the rest of the evening.
Sadly, this is how some professionals work the online social networking sites, too. They bombard their followers/connections/friends (whatever the term is at that site) with information about their business, which of course is the best business out there. This one-way communication is every bit as obnoxious as the massage therapist throwing her brochures at everyone … and every bit as effective.
Instead, the trick to effectively using social networking sites like Twitter is to start up conversations with people. Two-way communication is key. Show an interest in what others are doing, even if you know what you’re doing is better. 
Be prepared to be surprised, though. As in real-time networking events, it’s not so much what you know as whom you know.
If you’re looking for further guidance on social networking, perhaps the best site out there is BetterNetworker.com. It is intended for network marketers, but anyone can benefit from the fine training videos they have. You’ll learn how to contribute to the conversation first, long before pitching anything to anyone. After all, you’ll want your prospects to know, like, and trust you first. Social networking sites can help you build that trust.
I am putting together a seminar on “Blogging and Social Networking for Professionals,” and Twitter appears prominently in my recommended strategies. Stay tuned. I’ll post updates here from time to time.
Meanwhile, I am always looking for speaking venues, so if you have a group or organization you think might like to learn more about this hot topic, let me know. I’ll be more than happy to help if I can.
So keep an open mind and you’ll be surprised at how many legitimate business uses there are for Twitter and other social networking sites.
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