Friday, October 30, 2009

4 Reasons You'll Never Get Me off Twitter

Let's face it:  Twitter is still an unknown entity to a lot of folks.  They don't see the point of it, don't understand it and don't care to.  But those people who have invested the time to learn how to use Twitter (one common and legitimate complaint is that Twitter is not intuitive) realize the benefits of this popular social medium. 

As a freelance copywriter, I've experienced firsthand the benefits of Twitter, and here are four reasons, you'll never get me off Twitter:

1.  I'm able to have a presence and keep my face, quite literally, in front of the industry professionals with whom I want to work.  My updates, which are a mix of personal and professional, let my contacts know what I'm up to and that I'm a real person with real interests aside from marketing, SEO and even copywriting.  So, the next time they need a copywriter, I'm hopefully fresh in their minds.

2.  By keeping a regular Twitter presence, I'm also able to distinguish myself as an industry leader, as someone who can point others to useful information and offer fresh insights on marketing and Web development issues.  I want to be viewed an an industry expert, and by keeping myself in front of the people who can recommend me, I'm gaining a leg up on my competitors who don't understand the value of Twitter.

3.  I also love the variety of people that I'm connected to on Twitter.  There are people I follow just so I can see what kind of cool information they'll have for me today; I like to stay abreast of what's going on in the copywriting and Web development industries, and it's absolutely fantastic to be pointed towards the latest news by industry leaders in real time.

4.  And finally, I can cross promote my business with others; I work with a lot of local SEOs, so it's great to be connected through them.  Moreover, I can ask for help or suggestions and literally get a response within seconds.  I can even find work on Twitter.  And let's face it:  that alone makes Twitter pretty darned worth it.

What are your reasons for loving Twitter??? Got a success story?

2 comments:

  1. Hello Timina,

    I am in the same boat as you. I dig Twitter simply for the reason it easily puts me in contact with many people. And the ability to share and send, etc. It's terrific. Really you said it far more eloquently in your blog post than I am saying it here in this comment.

    On another note, the Twitter nay-sayers point out lack of or zero ROI from Twitter usage. Do you do have any experience to the contrary?

    Good luck to you and your endeavors,
    Mac Bull

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  2. Thanks for the comments, Mac! The first week I used Twitter, I actually closed work on it. So, that sold me right away on the uses of Twitter. I have heard that same comment about people saying the ROI is nonexistent, but if people use Twitter exclusively as a means of promotion, no one will follow them. People don't want to be "sold to." They want to hear recommendations, get good information, connect with people they might not ordinarily have an opportunity to connect with, etc. I'd be curious to see if those complaining about the ROI ever use Twitter to do posts that might help someone else, instead of just attemping to use it as a sales effort. Thank you again for your insights!

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