26 Reasons Why I Love Twitter

26 Reasons Why I Love Twitter - Plus 27 More just in Case

Written on January 24, 2008 – 11:28 pm | by Shana Albert |

A while back I wrote a post about how I just didn’t get Twitter. At that time, It didn’t make sense to me to hear people rave about Twitter. But, I must say….. Twitter is another Social Media Activity that I am really enjoying. As a matter of fact, it is one of my top three favorite Social Networking Sites.

Yes, I’m aware in my last Twitter post that I complained about the 140 Character limit, but I found that for the most part the 140 characters that I am limited to is perfect. It is just enough space to say what I have to say and I’m done.

On Twitter the major players come out to play. They talk to their followers. Not only do they talk to their followers, but many times they ask their followers questions that will appear on future posts.

You can make Twitter as personal or business like as you would like. But, I must say that I am enjoying the personal side of it. And, frankly, I see nothing wrong with Business being Personal anyway. At least for me. I spend the majority of my waking hours working…. Damn right, it is personal for me. And, being personal with people and learning about them makes me happy. Me being happy makes me a better business person. Blah, blah, blah …. Comes full circle. You get it.

Some of the many, many reasons I love Twitter

Eavesdropping on other Twitters conversation is not only allowed, but it is the norm on Twitter.

Tons of fun & plenty to laugh at.

Website Help.

If someone tries to communicate with me on Twitter I can ignore people until later… they don’t have to know I’m there at that moment.

Plenty of Advice from one Twitter to the Next.

Efficient - Gotta love efficiency.

Blogging Ideas.

Travel Destinations - Great Restaurants, Site seeing Ideas & the best hotels.

Vent - If you are feeling a bit irritated about this or that vent on Twitter. Someone is always willing to listen or offer there own opinion.

140 Character Limit - Because I love short & sweet…. Get to the Point!!

The concept in incredibly simple - Did you ever hear of the saying, "Keep it Simple, Stupid?" Well, it just makes sense.

Life & Death - I have read about baby’s being born and people passing away. Reality, people.

Jobs - People find employment and employment finds people on Twitter.. Including myself. I was contacted by someone on twitter looking for help with Social Media Marketing…. and I was ultimately hired by that person.

Discussing Politics.

Met Twitters in my Region.

Found out about events going on in my area.

Who needs Feed Readers anymore?? I can find out most of my favorite Bloggers updates on Twitter. However, I do still use a Feed Reader, but honestly it’s much less often.

Increase in Traffic.

Application Ideas.

New Blog Readers - Even someone that YOU are a fan of.

Have a question…. any question!! Ask your Twitter followers. You are bound to get many different answers.

So much less interrupting than standard IM’s. - People can send me a quick message that is direct and to the point and I’m good.

Know what your friends are doing. It’s really cool to know what the friends you have been networking with are doing every once and a while. Makes their physical distance from you seen a little less far. And, many of the friends I have been networking with on Twitter live very, very far away.

No popular crowd . Even the "Major Players" on my Twitter Following list seem to participate a lot!! They converse with everyone it seems. I do come across a few that seem to keep to keep to themselves or talk amongst a smaller crowd. But, everyone has their own method of using Twitter, so I won’t judge them. Whatever works for them.

Quick Direct Messages to followers. Direct Messages are perfect if the topic is a bit more private and I don’t want it on the Public Timeline.

Time Management Ideas from Many. All of the Time Management advice has been brilliant. And, once I try to apply them to my life…. they probably even work.

A following in no time - There is something very “Rock Star” about that.

Those are just some of my many reasons I am going to stick with Twitter. I adore it and it is going to be part of my daily Social Media activity for a long time.

Still, unsure about Twitter…

…here are 26 links to fabulous articles and posts that explain in many different and unique ways why you should be using Twitter regularly. And, how to use Twitter in the most productive and lucrative ways possible.

Twitter Guides

How to Use Twitter - Tips for Bloggers - Darren of ProBlogger has been writing a lot about Twitter in the last week…. and it is really amazing stuff. This post Darren gets very detailed in this "How to Use Twitter" post.

Newbie’s guide to Twitter - Rafe Needleman of Webware offers a very basic guide for Newbies on using Twitter.

Mobile Instant Messaging Meets Social Networking: Twitter - A Beginner’s Guide - MasterNewMedia.org puts together a detailed Guide to Twitter for Beginner’s.

Your Guide to Micro-Blogging and Twitter - Mark Glaser at Media Shift writes his guide to Twitter and Micro-Blogging in general.

The 12-Minute Definitive Guide to Twitter - Fred Stutzman of AOL Developer Network writes a general guide to Twitter. The 12-minute part has nothing to do with the Guide’s length or the amount of time to read it. Fred just titled the article using the 12-minute time to coincide with Twitter’s short 140 character limitations… short and sweet. Hence, 12-minute Twitter Guide…. short and sweet.

Advanced Twitter: Don’t Tweet Like A n00b - Brian Oberkirch offers some friendly usage guidelines:

Twitter for Professionals (Marketing, Business)

Twitter: More Than Messaging, It Can Generate Traffic - Neil Patel shows you how Twitter can be used to generate traffic to your site.

Guide to Twitter as a Tool for Marketing and PR - Lee Odden puts together some thoughts on using Twitter as a Marketing Tools. Plus, Lee includes Tips from Twitters themselves.

17 Ways You Can Use Twitter: A Guide for Beginners, Marketers and Business Owner - You can always count on Maki of DoshDosh to put together an amazing Guide…. and here he doesn’t let me down Check out Maki’s Twitter Guide to use Twitter for Marketing.

The Big Juicy Twitter Guide - Caroline Middlebrook put together this amazing Twitter Guide….. This guide is well known all over the Blogosphere for explaining how to use Twitter successfully for Marketing purposes.

Eight Ways Twitter is Useful Professionally - Anne Zelenka of WebWorkerDaily explains 8 ways that you can use Twitter Professionally.

Web Strategy: What the Web Strategist should know about Twitter - Jeremiah Owyang of Web-Strategist.com wrote this amazing post that will serve as a guide to come up with a Web Strategy using Twitter.

A Few Non-boring Ways to Use Twitter For Marketing - Rohit of Influential Marketing Blog comes up with some non-boring ways to use Twitter for Marketing.

7 Ways Marketers Can Use Twitter - Ann Handley writes this post for Marketing Profs Daily Fix in regards to how Twitter has a real use for media companies and social-media-savvy brands.

Using Twitter as a Marketing Tool - Carlos Granier-Phelps explains how you can immediately reach your clients with breaking news at zero cost by using Twitter.

Twitter Tips

Twitter: Use it Productively - Sometimes it can be difficult to see how to use Twitter productively. Here Craig Childs gives you tips how to be productive using Twitter.

The Several Habits of Wildly Successful Twitter Users - Bren from SlackerManager offers some Twitter tips and advice.

The 10 ways I learned to use Twitter in 2007… (aka Why and How I use Twitter) - Dan York of Disruptive Conversations gives 10 of his best tips he learned in 2007…. trust me, they will still work in 2008.

10 Ways Twitter Can Boost Your Social News Profile - Dan Zarrella writes a Guest Post for ReadWriteWeb about the 10 ways you can boost Social Networking Profiles using Twitter.

5 Ways to Use Twitter for Good - Chris Brogran writes this great post on LifeHack.org on different ways to productively use Twitter.

Confessions of a Twitter Convert - Adam C. Engst of TidBits Networking writes a post confessing his feelings on Twittter and tips on how it works.

Twitter is Paying My Rent - Marshall Kirkpatrick writes this post giving you pointers on using Twitter…. keep in mind that Marshall states that Twitter pays his rent. So, I would totally recommend you follow these tips!!

How Twitter Made My Website Better - Guy Kawasaki answer’s Chris Brogan’s Request by writing this post on how Twitter made his Website Better.

Using Twitter to Help Communities - Nate Ritter explains how non-profits could best put Twitter to good use. Very Cool!!

Twitter Me This: Brainstorming Potential Educational Uses for Twitter - Christopher D. Sessums comes up with uses for Twitter in Educational Settings.

35 Twitter Tips from 35 Twitter Users - Darren asks he Twitter Followers for Twitter tips and he was now let down. Here are 35 Twitter Tips from 35 of his Twitter Followers.

Make sure to follow me on Twitter.

Added after Post was Published:

200+ Internet Marketing Gurus on Twitter - Brian Chappell wrote this post for MarketingPilgrim where he put together a comprehensive list of Internet Marketers that use Twitter.

Technorati Tags:twitter, social media, blogging, social networking, web 2.0, social media marketing, online marketing, internet marketing

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29 Responses to “26 Reasons Why I Love Twitter - Plus 27 More just in Case”
By Steven Bradley on Jan 25, 2008 | Reply

Shana I used to not get Twitter at all. I kept thinking I really don’t care what you’re doing right now.

Something convinced me to join and in a week I’m addicted. Twhirl is one of the first applications I open in the morning and one of the last I close at night.

Every day I find another reason I like Twitter. I think it’s the openness I like the most. So many other communities make you feel like an outsider. Not Twitter.
By Francois Harris on Jan 25, 2008 | Reply

Really cool post! I like it a lot.
By Webdesign den haag on Jan 25, 2008 | Reply

i like twitter also verry cool huh!
By Joy on Jan 25, 2008 | Reply

Same here Shana..^^..I also love Twitter..^^ I really find it easy and efficient to use. I also met lots of wonderful and friendly persons there which also makes me feel welcome.

Thanks for posting the links to different Twitter tips..^^..I really need them..^^

By the way, I found this list of Marketing Gurus in Twitter http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2008/01/internet-marketing-experts-twitter.html

I think you’re also included..^^..http://twitter.com/TheNanny612

I hope you don’t mind if I follow you on Twitter Shana..^^..

This is my Twitter profile..http://twitter.com/yojspew

See you around..^^..Happy Twittering!
By Debby on Jan 25, 2008 | Reply

I found Twitter to be very useful when I attended Blog Orlando. Josh Hallett, the coordinator of Blog Orlando, set up a “Blog Orlando” group on Twitter.

During the “un-conference” as Josh calls it, we could Twitter back and forth to each other. If we had a question about a session or couldn’t find something, we could send out a Tweet and get an answer.

During the opening session, Josh sent out a Tweet saying the first person to show him the Tweet wins a free ipod.

It was a good was to utilize Twitter that just about everyone could access either by phone or laptop at the un-conference.
By ny seo on Jan 25, 2008 | Reply

wow dude, you really made a strong case!
By Joseph Stein on Jan 25, 2008 | Reply

That is some impressive list there Shana.

I’m glad I finally joined recently as I have prolonged that for way too long. I even use twitbin on my secondary monitor so it’s right there when I need it.

…o and on my mobile
By Veronica Romm on Jan 26, 2008 | Reply

I always say i dont get twitter. You saying that seems crazy but then of course not only do you figure it out, but there are like a hundred links to teach you. Does that mean I have to stop whining and learn. Guess so. Thanks Shana
By Mark on Jan 26, 2008 | Reply

GREAT post Shana!
By Mark Dykeman on Jan 26, 2008 | Reply

It seems like each new Twitter post builds on the previous ones.

Great job!
By Shana Albert on Jan 26, 2008 | Reply

@Steven Bradley - I couldn’t agree with you more. Thanks for commenting.

@Francois Harris - Thanks!!

@Webdesign den haag - Indeed.

@Joy - Yes, I’ve seen that list and it is an awesome one!! I should have listed it. I will have it added to my list. Thanks for commenting.

@Debby - Yes, you are absolutely right…. Twitter is very useful!! Thanks for leaving a comment. Come back to read again.

@ny seo - Thanks, Dude!!

@Joseph Stein - Thanks, Joseph. I’m glad you enjoyed my post and that your enjoying Twitter too.

@Veronica Romm - Well, I’m not sure Twitter is for everyone. There are so many social networking sites out there to chose from. But, I would totally give Twitter a try. Just be careful…. it can be addictive.

@Mark - Thanks Mark. Come back again.

@Mark Dykeman - Thank you so much, Mark. I’m glad you enjoyed my post. Thanks for commenting.
By Spuds on Jan 27, 2008 | Reply

Excellent article. Twitter can mean all sorts of things to different people. It can be very addictive and it can a great time waster.
By Aruni Gunasegaram on Jan 27, 2008 | Reply

I used to wonder why anyone would use twitter but now I love it. I agree with many of your points. It’s fun and that’s why I keep coming back. And as you said it’s short & sweet…no risk of sending/receiving novel long emails.

I’m @aruni on twitter by the way. I’ll look you up.
By Tanner Christensen on Jan 28, 2008 | Reply

You make Twitter sound fun again Shana. Now I’m finding myself thinking about it more and more… it’s tempting.
By alan jones on Jan 29, 2008 | Reply

I like using Twitter too, but working on privacy issues for mobile social messaging product bluepulse has made me rather concerned about the lack of privacy on Twitter.

Here’s a post I just wrote about it.

In summary, Twitter doesn’t let you undo or delete something you ‘twit’ and then publishes everything you ‘twit’ to a public RSS feed that anyone can use Google to search thru.
By Steve on Jan 30, 2008 | Reply

Twitter is great although there are some that abuse it, the concept and if used properly is the greatest way to get thoughts out without having to write a massive blog post about it!
By Catfish on Jan 30, 2008 | Reply

Thanks for the Sphinn. This is a great article. You have inspired me to check Twitter out. Thanks
By Nicholas Chhan on Jan 31, 2008 | Reply

Up until now, I still don’t get twitter (like many people). It’s like you know the movie is scary, but until you’ve watched it: you wouldn’t exactly know. Your post along with many others are giving me alot of reasons to see what the buzz is all about.

That’s a huge list of twitter on other blogs. Kudos! very nice.
By Jacob Share on Apr 5, 2008 | Reply

Great article on Twitter. I also noticed Darren’s responsiveness to this followers, that alone may be a reason for any serious blogger to get on board.

Stumbled this
By Global Fusion on Apr 13, 2008 | Reply

Thanks for making this post to the point. I’ve exploring Twitter, and like many, I found it cumbersome. However, I just decided to take the time and explore in depth.

Caroline’s guide on Twitter is a great resource to cite.
By Susan Reynolds on Apr 14, 2008 | Reply

What’s for lunch? OK it could get tiresome if you heard the same guy ask it over and over or tell you about his sandwich,

But you’re right - that’s really not what twitter’s about. It’s about the community the interaction - the conversation back and forth. Every single person with whom I am now doing business I met through twitter and developed relationships with them from there! It’s freaking amazing.
By bram bolt on Sep 6, 2008 | Reply

@Webdesign den haag - Indeed.
By Trap on Sep 18, 2008 | Reply

I always brushed it off, thanks to you I will now give it some time
By gMoney on Nov 7, 2008 | Reply

Interesting take on Twitter…I’ve really been struggling with how to effectively use it…nice collection of tips.

Regarding RSS feed readers…I came across Snackr.net the other day, and it’s actually renewed my faith in rss. Maybe worth a try.
By olivier blanchard on Dec 16, 2008 | Reply

Great piece. Retweeting it.
By The Bored Ninja on Feb 3, 2009 | Reply

I just started using Twitter awhile ago and I must say I’m getting addicted to it =]
By Philip Nowak on Apr 6, 2009 | Reply

The best part about Twitter is that most of your followers genuinely find you interesting. If they get annoyed with your tweets, they can just unfollow you and life goes on. Over the years, I sent so many interesting articles to my friends only to find out that they were deleting them because they didn’t share the same interests. Twitter allows me to post the articles that I enjoy without guilt!
By Michael on Apr 13, 2009 | Reply

One of the most comprehensive posts on Twitter I have read. Thanks for doing all the leg work so I can start improving my Twitter profile.

http://twitter.com/simplycast