People still ask...Isn't TWITTER a waste of time?

Even after all this time (I've been on Twitter since 2007), I still get asked on a weekly basis:

• Isn't it a waste of time?
• What IS it anyway?

I've weighed in before and recently, Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson, Inc. answered both questions quite well in his post: 12 Reasons You Should Start Twittering.

1. It will enable you to experience social networking first-hand. One of my pet peeves is people who pontificate on new technologies but have never actually used them. This is particularly annoying—but common—among CEOs. 
2. It will make you a better writer. Twitter only allows you to post 140 characters at a time. As a result, you are forced to be concise. In my opinion, this is one of the hallmarks of good writing. Short messages. Short paragraphs. Short sentences.
3. It will help you stay connected to people you care about. This is one of the few technologies I’ve found that actually contributes to community-building. In today’s busy world, it’s difficult to keep up with others.
4. It will help you see a new side of your friends. In an odd sort of way, Twitter “humanizes” people and provides a context for better understanding them. If you follow me on Twitter, for example, you’ll quickly see that I get excited, bored, frustrated, and confused—sometimes all in the same day. You’ll also learn what is important to me and what drives me crazy.
5. It will introduce you to new friends. I have now met several new people via Twitter. These have contributed to my life in small but significant ways. 
6. It is faster than text-messaging. In a sense Twitter is a universal text messaging system. You can broadcast to people who subscribe to your Twitter feed or send a direct message to just one. 
7. It will make you think about your life. You start to see your life through the lens of the people following you. Interestingly, it has made me more intentional and thoughtful about my life.
8. It will help you keep up with what people are talking about. Via Twitter, I have learned about hot books, cool software, breaking news, and even great restaurants. Because the information is coming from real people who care enough to Twitter about it, I have found it more valuable and authentic.
9. It can create traffic for your blog or Website. I have noticed a 30% uptick in my blog traffic in the last 30 days. It may be related to the fact that I have been in the news more or have been writing on more controversial posts. However, I also think it is related to the fact that I am Twittering every time I post a new blog entry. This seems to have a viral effect.
10. It requires a very small investment. Twitter itself is a free service. In terms of my time, I probably invest less than 10 minutes a day. Since “tweets” (i.e., posts) are limited to 140 charters or less, you can scan them in a second or two. Writing them usually takes less than 30 seconds.
11. It can help build your personal “brand.” When people hear your name, what comes to mind? What is your reputation? What is the “brand promise”? Brands are built incrementally, one interaction at a time. Twitter gives you one more way to build your brand, one tweet at a time.
12. Twitter is just plain entertaining. Following your family and friends is kind of like watching reality TV. The difference is that you know the people and actually care about them. In this sense, it is even more fun, because you know more about the people from other contexts.

You see, Twitter is one practical illustration of how we've moved past the industrial age through the information age to the interconnected age. But, naysayers are still calling it silly and dumb. Hello. Anything can be silly and dumb--depending on how it's used.

• "Like most areas of life, the greatest dangers often come out of the strongest positives. And we don't stop using good accounting principles because of the bookkeeping abuses of Enron." Phil Cooke
• "Technology is a neutral medium.  Technology only amplifies what is already inside of me, for good or for bad. Sometimes,I forgot the obvious. It's easier to blame something outside of me versus face up to the internal realities." Rob Wegner

Still wary? Consider this...it might just be a relational responsibility.

Comments

[Brian]

Interesting vid with a contrary view:
http://current.com/items/89891774/supernews_twouble_with_twitters.htm

[Nate Beaird]

Well said, Kem.

I hear it EVERYday, "What IS Twitter anyway!?" haha...

One thing I've enjoyed is getting connected with people who have wisdom and years of experience in ministry. The lighter side of it is fun too, but I'm really enjoying finding blogs with advice that I might not have found otherwise!

[Sam]

Great post Kem.

[Scott Allen]

Twitter is only a fraction of what it will be in days/years to come. I'm sold on the medium - amazing how small the world becomes when you begin to know the people you follow and the ones that follow you.

I'm especially sold on it for churches and ministry opportunity. It's a peek into the future of ministry via web.

Thank for posting this - a great reminder!