I’ve been a Twitter user since February of 2008 and quickly found it as a great tool to meet and network with new people, along with promoting my business and services. Since 2008, Facebook has become the king of social media with more than 800 million users, 50% of which logon every day. On September 8, 2011, Twitter announced that it reached 100 Million Voices, a far cry from Facebook’s following, but still a significant number nonetheless.
New social media sites seem to crop up daily from Google+ to Pinterest to Empire Avenue, and as an early adopter, chances are that I’ve tried them all. Not to mention the old favorites YouTube, Flickr, Foursquare, Gowalla, and others, I have accounts there too. But of all the tools out there, Twitter remains my favorite, and in my opinion, the most effective online tool for business networking, and here’s why:
1.) Connections: You can connect and communicate with people through Twitter that you would be unable to reach otherwise. Politicians, news reporters, celebrities, and authors use Twitter, providing you with the opportunity to reach out to them directly, and occasionally, make a meaningful connection. For me, these types of connections have resulted in more than 10 television news interviews, a feature in the local newspaper, and other opportunities for free promotional opportunities.
Twitter is also a great way to connect with other people from your community. Making those connections and engaging with people, over time, will lead to new business in the same way that attending in-person networking events. Some of my favorite clients and closest friends are a result of Twitter connections.
2.) Less Intrusive: Twitter is less intrusive to me than Facebook. I am more willing to follow and be followed by people I don’t know on Twitter than on Facebook. This allows you to broaden your network and make new connections without sharing too much personal information (my daughter’s photos for instance).
3.) More Conversational: I find it easier to engage in conversations through the use of Twitter than other social media tools. Nothing makes Twitter more fun or rewarding than engaging in a great conversation. By using @ tags to direct messages to individuals, the conversation is more direct and personal than those that may occur in a Facebook stream.
4.) Twitter Forces You to Be Concise: With the 140-character limit (although Twitter also allows for longer tweets now) Twitter forces brevity and efficiency in communication.
5.) Workshops and Seminars: Special events often have their own #hashtag for attendees to use during discussions. This hashtag is a great way to get more out of the event and also to connect with other people who are in attendance. It makes it easy to link to others on Twitter and then stay in touch after the event as well. The use of Twitter at events and afterwards has resulted in many long-term friendships and business connections for me.
As with any tool, it’s all in how you use it. Twitter is a relationship building tool that does take some effort and attention to be effective. Businesses and individuals that put their tweets on autopilot without seeking engagement and communication from their followers are not seeing the same benefits. For those that take the time to develop and implement a Twitter strategy, the benefits will be readily apparent. Twitter may not be the shiny new tool in your social media tool chest, but it can benefit your business when you need it and use it correctly.
What are your thoughts? Do you find Twitter to be a valuable business networking tool or do you prefer other social media tools. Share your feelings in the comment box below.
