Networking with Twitter

Posted on | April 11, 2008 | Comments Off

A lot of people classify Twitter as microblogging because this social networking service allows users to send updates called tweets to the Twitter web site. These tweets can be up to 140 characters long and you can send them using your cell phone, instant messenger or third-party applications like Facebook. While it may just sound like a lot of fun, Twitter is also a good way to network with both clients and people in your field.

When you use twitter updates are displayed on your profile page as well as delivered to any users that signed up to receive them. So, if you wrote a blog post you could twitter about it and everyone in your twitter network would be updated that you’ve just posted something. Which works well if you have a lot of followers on twitter.

If you don’t have many twitter followers don’t fret. Everyone starts with zero. A great way to meet new people interested in what you have to say is to send a message to track a specific keyword. You’ll receive posts on that keyword which will introduce you to some of the people in your field, people who may be interested in what you’re talking about.

Twitter also allows you to “nudge” people. A nudge in Twitter-speak is a friendly reminder to update a twitter account. You can also set up an auto-nudge to remind yourself to update your Twitter account every so often. Sending out nudges to your social contacts will likely make them feel special because you are taking the time to notice what’s happening in their lives. Auto-nudge is helpful because it allows you to continuously update your account with the important things you’re doing.

A final way to successful network on Twitter is to share your friends with others. If some of the people you follow are a good match for those following you can share their bookmarks to their Twitter feeds. Another option is to showcase some of your favorite Twitter members in a blog. Perhaps the people you showcase will return the favor.

The key thing to remember in social networking is the social aspect. Humans have a tendency to be curious and occasionally a bit voyeuristic. Twitter allows us to indulge that side of our personalities while meeting potential colleagues in our fields.

Category: Web 2.0 Tools
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