...and every sports fan for that matter. To be quite honest, I think every person that has a passion for something, or wants to utilize social media to enhance their business should be on Twitter. The first question I always get when I start talking about Twitter is, "why should I use that?" and the 1st statement usually is "I don't get Twitter." If you're in that mindset, you're not alone. If you're already a regular Twitter user, you're ahead of the curve, and should probably get a Google+ account, just in case it takes off.
I have more and more friends and colleagues ask me every day what the purpose of Twitter is. For me, it's the fastest possible way to gain and share information. If you're used to Facebook, you need to look at things a different way. With Facebook, you typically put things out there to get comments back, with Twitter, you're getting so much more information, and you're probably not getting as many comments back (at least when you 1st start). It's about engaging people into conversations. Facebook is generally a community for your friends and family to interact with one another, whereas Twitter is a place to disseminate news and information, and facilitate discussion about topics people are passionate about.
The great thing about Twitter is that they're people that have the same interests as you. I have over 1200 friends on Facebook, and I'd say that probably about 15% of them care about the #1 love in my life, Gopher Hoops. Since I am from Wisconsin, and we Sconnies are loyal, I would say that about 50% of them love the Packers…..however, I don't write about the Packers and where that's a crowd I love to engage, but not as much as Gopher fans. When I look at my Twitter following I'm over 1300 followers, and I'd say about 70% of my followers follow me because of a shared interest in the Gophers. What this means is when you lose the last 10 out of your 11 basketball games, and your wife, husband, friends, and family think you're crazy for being down in the dumps, saying the name talking about recruiting in your sleep, and constantly talking about "next year," there are hundreds of people I can console, commiserate with, and sometimes argue with that share the same pain.
Beyond building a community, it's the fastest and easiest way to receive information. I say that because you don't have to be at a computer or a TV or radio, you can get an application on your phone and it's as easy to read as a text….and takes less time to load than if you were browsing the internet on your iPhone. The need for fast information is exactly why www.GopherHole.com has gotten so popular. Media members have to verify their facts and write their stories. While that is happening, someone close to the situation can post the rumor on GopherHole, and a lot of the times, it's correct. I remember the day that Glen Mason got fired, I was in Orlando that day and got a call from my work husband at GopherHole that he was gone. All of my friends doubted me because it wasn't up on the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, ESPN, or any news station yet. Sure enough, it had just made it to GopherHole first. Multiply that times 100, and you've got the speed that information travels at on Twitter. With that speed, you also have to have the common sense to sift out information that may not be true. You can't have it all - but it is the best way to get information wherever you are.
Beyond just information that you learn, people give great advice. I've been able to just put a question out there about how to find a bouncy to how to put a highlight reel together, where to find a waterproof sleeve for a kid in a cast, any recipe you could think of, and that's just from typing out 140 characters. I'm sure my Mom is relieved that it's cut down on my calls to her at dinnertime asking about a recipe, because I can get responses for just about any question I ask in minutes. If you build a big enough network, it can become a great resource to you.
Another thing I love about Twitter is the fact that it's very non-intrusive. If you tweet a comment to someone, they can reply directly back to you - it's not like commenting on a Facebook picture where everyone and their grandma comments on how "cute" a baby is, or "congrats" on an engagement. You get the notification only when they reply to you.
I know what you're thinking – I don't have time for Twitter. That's the thing, you can do as much or as little as you want. I have friends that read every single tweet from every person they follow. I am not one of them. I don't ever "catch up" on tweets, and I think that's when some people feel overwhelmed and on an information overload. I just read when I'm online or have a few minutes to scroll through on my phone. Once you get Twitter set up it really takes as long to do as writing a text, it will become habit.
So, if you're convinced that Twitter is something you'd like to look into, let me share with you the tips I've learned over the past two years of Tweeting. I think that is one of the biggest frustrations with many that I speak to; they sign up for Twitter and don't know how to use it, so they don't ever log back into it after they create their account.
