I’m Twittering, soon to be Tweeting

I recently decided it was time for me to start using Twitter. Most people have heard of Twitter, but in case that’s as far as your knowledge takes you, Twitter is a free service that allows you to send short messages of 140 characters or less to whoever wants to read them. As a  Twitter user, you follow people and they follow you.

 

In case you are wondering why I want to use Twitter, there are two main reasons:

1. To learn from others. If Lady Gaga has 9,654,217 followers (@LadyGaga), that means there are over 9 million people using  Twitter. With that many Tweeters, there are bound to be a few that have something useful to say to me. After spending a few weeks learning about Twitter and following the advice of @Pistachio of OneForty.com, I have been listening. I have been listening to thought leaders in my field, and people tweeting about personal interests of mine. In a very short period of time, I’ve learned new things, and found new sources of information. 

2. To provide useful information to my clients. Back in the day, people would ask me which books I recommended. I still pick up an occasional book on technology (Twitter for Dummies is my most current read), but mostly I get my technical information online, through blogs, product & technical websites and webinars. Using Twitter, I will be able to conveniently send quick tips to my clients along with links to more lengthy information. I will also be Retweeting posts that I’ve found useful. Used this way, I think of Twitter as a stream of headlines, pointing
out interesting articles. If someone likes the headline, they can click into the longer article.

I am learning how to filter and prioritize the glut of information I’m encountering. I’ll share those strategies and more as I go. For now, if you too want to get started, follow @Pistachio’s advice, go to Twitter.com and listen. Oh, and follow me. I’m @TrainerLAS.

How and why do you Tweet? Do you have any tips for managing the glut of information?