Understanding Twitter: A Tell All Guide

A number of weeks ago, a good friend turned me on to the social media phenomenon called Twitter. I have to say that I’m not a heavy user of social media and quite honestly don’t see the purpose. At least that’s what I thought prior to my experience. Three weeks later my thoughts and feeling have changed rather significantly.

After learning how to use Twitter by opening an account, and then adopting the use of tools that would allow me to make more out of my Twitter experience, I’m finding a number of different aspects valuable to my everyday activities, hobbies, and social relationships.

On a day-to-day basis, I’m involved with sales, marketing, account management and much more. Using Twitter gives me access to some of the leading authorities in my industry and others who have proficiency in the types of situations I deal with. Online social media tools allow me to connect with a variety of experts and others who have already solved many of my most difficult problems. Twitter provides direct access to many people that I otherwise would never communicate with. Celebrities, gurus, and industry experts are all available at the click of a button. Many celebrities will actually respond to you when approached directly. Truthfully I don’t know whether or not its their mom, personal assistant, or some hourly worker who is replying to my questions, but more often than not, they are filled with pearls of wisdom.

Twitter is absolutely fantastic for discovering others who are learning about an area of interest you might have. These individuals often share really good ideas that can help you succeed. This save tons of both your time and energy. In addition to finding others with similar interests, these people also find you. These followers have become a great resource for me as I have questions or want to get a quick pulse on what others are thinking.

The greatest benefit of connecting with other with whom you chose is that you can filter the information and respond when the mood strikes. By using applications that allow you to prioritize Tweets or search for specific conversations, you can quickly see benefit in the information that’s being shared. Often times, individuals include links to valuable content and information that they have come across on the web. This is both useful and time consuming when related to a particular need you may have.

The truth is that I was not an early adopter of social media for a number of reasons. Now that I’ve gotten some experience with Twitter and other social media tools, I better understand my initial reluctance to jump on board. I avoided social media because I simply didn’t understand it. What I didn’t realize at the time was that I’d never be able to fully appreciate it until I actually used it. Now that I have, I clearly see the value.

Michael Fleischner is a marketing expert with more than- years of marketing experience. He is also the creator and founder of MarketingScoop.com which offers helpful marketing resources and SEO training.