I was sitting by the pool the other day, watching the girls swim and entertaining myself by reading Facebook and Twitter posts. While I was reading the posts, I started to wonder…
I have a Twitter account (obviously)
I send “tweets” daily (most of the time).
I spend (probably too much) time reading tweets and following people.
But I have to admit one thing:
I don’t really get it all.
Being on Twitter, to me, is kinda like being a Mom. You talk, you share things, you speak your innermost thoughts, but you never really know if anyone is actually listening or cares.
I see a lot of people putting tweets out there that are marketing-focused – read my blog post, check out this new product, etc. And then there are the tweets that are more train-of-thought type tweets.
My question is this…
Does it really matter?
I’ve joined the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog challenge over on The Secret is in the Sauce blog. I’m having fun learning ways to improve my blog and blog posts. As a part of that process, everyone is following each other on Twitter.
With all of these extra folks to follow (think 500+ people here) I’m finding it hard to sift through all the noise to find the nuggets of goodness in there. I’m finding I would rather just ignore Twitter than try to figure it out.
I’m torn between wanting to follow the herd and using Twitter to share with folks and just dropping the whole thing altogether. I mean, I have the blog, I have Facebook, I have email and my phone. Do I really need Twitter, too?
So, help me out here:
- What do you think?
- How do you use Twitter? (or do you use it at all?)
- Do you like it?
- What are your secrets?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
Thoughts Along Life's Highway 
I know what you mean! I only go on Twitter to share my blog posts, skim other people’s blog posts, and maybe do a tweet twice. I’ve never really got into it. I would keep it open if I were you because there are people who like to follow you and your blog on Twitter. A lot of my readers come from Twitter. It seems almost necessary if you have a blog doesnt’ it?
That’s a great thought to ponder!
You live in the South? Me too… Alabama. I hope you find ways to stay cool! It is HOT!
(I like your new feature!)
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When I first started on twitter – it was babble. I didn’t get it. I liked facebook better. I did a post about it. I’ll tweet you the link in case I’m not allowed to leave one here and end up in spam bucket. Anyway, there is an ANSWER!!
There are tools you can use to sift through the noise. Remarkable, joyous tools that will make all the difference. They are free. People compare them all the time. I like hootsuite.com because it’s virtual by that I mean, it lives on line like email instead on my computer like Word. Know what I mean? Anyway, try it! Hootie is their phone app.
You can make lists for #31DBB and #sitsgirls and #myspecialpeeps or whatever you like! I still don’t get the thousands of follower thing – I only follow along with a few lists. That way I can concentrate and add value.
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Mandi, we are melting in Georgia right now. Hiding in the house and saying thanks for the air conditioning! I can’t wait for September when things will cool down.
Your points are valid about Twitter for promoting your blogging. Right now, that’s about all I use it for. I think if I had more personal friends who were on there it might be more fun.
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Thank you for asking this question and causing me to go back and look for that post. It’s entitled, “Why is twitter good? I like facebook better!” I published it exactly two days after the birth of my blog called thatgirlisfunny on August 19,2009 – two days after my blog was born. I’m moved by that. Funny how just following along, happily commenting led me to look for that post and now I’m feeling really proud of (myself) my blog today. Mwah!
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Cheryl, Thanks for the information … I will definitely go read your blog post. I have heard about HootSuite and I actually have TweetDeck installed but I’m obviously not using it to it’s full potential because I have no clue how to sort things into groups, etc. Methinks a little tutorial might be in order here…
Thanks for stopping by!!
Linking your post here so others can find it.
http://thatgirlisfunny.com/2009/08/why-is-twitter-good-i-like-facebook-better/
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Wow…first, today is already Wednesday?! WOW! I was still stuck on Tuesday, so now that the day is more than half gone, I’m so glad I came across your thread on Blog Frog, SITS………so that not only could I read a good post & great new feature on a new to me blog, but that you’ve also reset my internal clock..thanks! :>
I’m new to Twitter too (just signed up last month) and so I’m still getting the hang of it. And I’m definitely starting to realize what a great resource it could be, especially if I really tapped into it. (By the way….love what Cheryl posted!) I’ve connected with other Mamas, gluten free peeps, more autism resources, and other creative types too and I’m looking forward to connecting with more people as I learn to navigate it better.
As for everything to keep up with…blog, Facebook, email, communities, and twitter too, I think you just do your best and go from there. As I just told one of my kidlets about ten minutes ago, “I don’t expect perfection, just improvement.” I think its important that I remind myself of that too! :>:>
Hope you are having a wonderful Wednesday! :>
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Oh…twitter. I try to tweet often, but it’s hard to keep up. I’d rather post random tidbits about my life on twitter than facebook!
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I opened a twitter account before I satrted my blog and I used it frequently for a short period of time. I understand and appreciate the value of twitter but at the moment I view it as something that keeps me away from real life. It’s one more thing to distract me from being engaged with the kids, hubby, family and real life friends. It may be something I return to at a later stage when the kids are older – actually, I see more relevance then, but for now it’ll remain dormant.
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Karen,
I agree that Twitter has some great opportunities to connect w/ folks you might never have run across any other way.
Thanks for stopping by!
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Amy,
I’m kindof in the same boat as you – I work from home, so I spend a LARGE portion of my day on the computer for work. I always feel like I am short-changing the kids when I am on there in the evenings, too. Twitter is an even worse time-suck than Facebook.
I’m still fiddling around with it, but my priority is not Twitter for sure.
🙂
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I am still confused by twitter, but then I liked following celebrities that I really respect and like. Then it became popular with my friends, and then a must have for being a blogger.
I am totally lost to be honest…lol.
Glad to have stumbled upon your blog! I am a work at home mom so it is always fun to find others!
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Amanda,
Welcome! I’m glad you stopped by! I’m not sure I’ll ever figure out Twitter, but I’m gonna keep tweetin’ and keep reading others’ tweets. It’s entertaining if nothing else.
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