A few weeks ago I blogged about my foray into social media marketing and the experiences have been surprising. One site that I have found particularly interesting is Twitter. Twitter has been described as Instant Messaging on steroids. Each message is limited to 140 characters and unlike IM you are talking to no one and everyone at the same time. The messages are called Tweets and those who Twitter are fondly referred to as Twits.
Each day when I power up and greet my virtual work world, it is Twitter that I most look forward to reading. Throughout the day the stream of messages from across the globe weave together forming a story that is uniquely mine. The conversation threads range from the weather in Scotland, the anniversary in the Bay Area, the job openings in the Silicon Valley to a running commentary on politics, news and the economy.
I love the ability to follow multiple conversations at once. The eclectic mix of topics and global voices freely flowing throughout the day broadens my worldview. Twitter, for me is a like an international coffee shop. You can ease into your chair in the corner, sip your latte and delight in the myriad of conversations and interactions. The only difference is that you are free to join in rather than quietly observe.
Do you twitter? What are your experiences? Iโd love to hear from you. Comment or send a tweet, Iโll be listening. ๐
Karen
twitter.com/karenswim
Ann Rusnak ~The Time Diva says
Hi Karen,
Very insightful… in fact I wouldn’t be here if not for Twitter.
It took a while to figure it out. I’m really enjoying it. When I log on I feel like I’m meeting a bunch friends at our favorite hang out.
Ann Rusnak
“The Time Diva”
Words For Hire says
@amy I agree! I have loved getting to know you and others too and that is the very best part of Twitter! ๐
Karen xx
liveslessordinary says
As you know, Karen, I’m a huge fan of Twitter. I love tuning in to see what the buzz is, and like you say here, it is like your very own personal conversation stream. No two twitterers (tweeters? twits?) will have the followers or following, and that’s what makes it so exciting – the diversity.
I’ve so enjoyed getting to know you and others through Twitter ๐
Amy
xx
Words For Hire says
@Joanna, you are so right. When I’m in focus mode I switch it off too. Today I found myself tweeting away because I didn’t want to work! LOL! So it must be used with a bit of caution. ๐ But like you I’ve loved the interaction with tweeting/blogging friends like you and Amy. I suppose we’ll all get better at settling in to all the new technology. Thanks for the comments!
Karen
Joanna says
This is a thoughtful description of Twitter Karen, thanks for sharing your perspectives.
I like it, mostly, though sometimes I find the noise of everyone chattering too much and I need to switch it off – or stop following those who seem to be tweeting on speed!
What I like best are the quieter times of day when you can have gentle conversations with interesting people all over the world.
I like the early mornings the best – well the mornings in the UK, when there aren’t so many people about, then when the really early birds in the US start to twitter.
I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you and some other blogging / tweeting friends there though, so I’m definitely going to stick with it and just work out how to use it in the way that suits me best.
Joanna