Why I Like Twitter and Why Others Don’t
October 7th, 2008 | 35 comments
I’ve written about Twitter a few times. Once shortly after signing up, then once a few months later when I started to actually use it. Now that I’ve been a regular user for several months, I think it’s a great time to tell you why I really like it and why I believe some people really hate it.
But first, I’ll tell you what it is in case you don’t know.
Twitter is a social network, but it’s MUCH simpler than most others and doesn’t take hours, or days to understand. Twitter is often called “micro blogging” and you’ll understand why in a minute. Here’s how it works (very easy.) You sign up, find some people to “follow” and hopefully they’ll follow you back.
You have a little spot when you’re signed in where you can type a “blurb.” This blurb must be 140 characters or less. Those who are following you will see your blurb and that of everyone else they’re following and the same goes for you (you’ll see the recent blurbs of everyone you’re following”
That’s basically it… very simple! You can also send direct messages to users, so only you and them will see the message and you can attach the @ symbol directly before any username and that user will see that in their “replies” example (@Josh_Spaulding)
Below you can see the web interface. Notice the box under “What are you doing?” that’s where your blurb goes. Directly below that are the recent blurbs from people I’m following.
To the right you’ll see how many people I’m following and how many are following me etc.
What’s the Point?
Networking and Outsourcing! Let me give you a few examples:
Example 1. I recently needed some writing done for a new review site I put up. I took about 20 seconds to login to Twitter, post a “tweet” (blurb) letting people know what I was looking for. Within ONE minute, I had 4 people respond telling me they were ready to start writing immediately! I had all of the work completed that day!
Example 2. I recently had 2 different coding issues I needed fixed on two separate blogs of mine. Just as with example 1, I posted a tweet and within minutes had several people offer to help. I had both problems fixed in UNDER 10 MINUTES and the guy who did it didn’t even charge me because I had gotten to know him on twitter and we have developed somewhat of a friendship! Try accomplishing that with ScriptLance, RentaCoder or elsewhere!
Example 3. On MANY occasions, when tweaking the design, adverts etc. of any of my sites, I’ll go to Twitter and ask people how things look from their side. Many times it’s different in other locations, especially with ads (Geotargeting etc.) and other people use different browsers, operating systems etc. Twitter is an excellent way to get a quick opinion on something and people are typically glad to help!
Example 4. I’ve met and established several profitable JV’s via Twitter, which wouldn’t have happened otherwise! Some of the biggest names in Internet Marketing and Technology are on Twitter and it’s an EXCELLENT way to get to know them, and more importantly, for THEM to get to know YOU!
Why Some People Don’t Like It
There are alot of people who really dislike Twitter. Including some smart marketers like Andrew Hansen. Andrew’s a good guy, but I’m going to convince him that he’s wrong, it’s on my list of things to do 
The reason some people don’t like Twitter, I believe, is because they don’t understand the true value. Many people are led to believe Twitter is a good traffic generator and while it can and most likely will drive some traffic, that’s not what makes it so valuable!
They create an account, start posting tweet after tweet about their new blog post, or send people to an affiliate link… they don’t establish any relationships, they simply spam it, then eventually they notice it didn’t make them any money, so they quit and tell everyone it sucks!
I’ve been actively using Twitter for several months now and if it were a waste of time you better believe I’d be writing a much different post right now!
If you’re looking for a traffic generator, there are better ways of doing it. If you’re looking for a way to improve and increase JV’s, Outsourcing and Networking in general, Twitter is where you need to be!!
If you’d like to follow me, I’m at http://www.twitter.com/Josh_Spaulding
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7th October, 2008 at 5:25 pm
I just threw up in my mouth a little bit…
The reason I made the post I did was because my blog is more for niche marketers.
Hey, I freely admit that if you’re in the IM niche – or any B2B niche – yeah you’ll find lots of like minded folk on twitter with which you can build relationships, find outsource stuff and maybe discuss what color your latest nose booger was.
But if you’re not in a niche like that, it’s a waste of valuable time, plain and simple.
There’s no need for convincing, we’re on the same page dude
Take it easy,
Andrew
7th October, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Well, hopefully it all stayed in your mouth and didn’t make it to the floor.
I understand you’re point of view… didn’t consider that view.
OK, my to-do list is shortened
7th October, 2008 at 5:35 pm
It took me a while to warm up to the idea of Twitter, but once I saw the value, I signed up. Since that time, I’ve seen both sides of its usage. On the one hand, you have people who recognize the value that you mentioned.
On the other hand, there are people who simply abuse it without knowing they are. Tweeting about every single step they take is a red flare that tells me I should unfollow someone in a heart beat. It works itself out eventually once you begin to see a pattern and can then determine who should be kept and discarded.
7th October, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Yup, twitter is cool. I was one of Josh’s ghostwriters.
7th October, 2008 at 5:58 pm
sweet post josh.
i love twitter. it sends me the most traffic outside of google.
more importantly than the traffic or the money i’ve made because of twitter, i love it because it allows us to network & connect with people that we might have not been able to connect with on a forum, through email, phone, or a lot of the other methods people try to use to connect with folks.
twitter put my blog on the map. i love you twitter! hahah
7th October, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I like the article, especially the 4 examples. I didn’t really think of these things, I think I’ve acually been more of what you’d describe as a spammer! But it is something you need to learn how to use, even if it does seem pretty simple.
I wrote an article for my blog at http://www.networkmarketing4today.com about some ways to enhance the twitter experience, for what it’s worth!
7th October, 2008 at 6:11 pm
@Andrew and @Josh: I think you’re still wrong.
I think the smaller a “niche” is, the more valuable Twitter becomes. Your “tribe” members can easily follow you, find out real-time stuff from you as it happens.
Of course, if you’re going to tweet about going to the bathroom and what restaurant you’re eating at, all the time, then of course, people are going to stop “following” you.
There’s a reason why it’s called “following” – and those who are “following” you are your “followers” – in more sense than one.
Think of your followers as a cult or religion – they want to know what interesting stuff you’ve been up to – and they’re VERY much interested in what you have to “share” and “teach”.
- Ravi
7th October, 2008 at 6:20 pm
@ Ravi – In theory you’re right, but Twitter is more popular with techies and Internet Marketers, and not so much with any other market or niche.
How many people looking for dog training tips do you know on twitter? How about people looking for mortgages etc.?
I think Andrew’s point, the one I didn’t realize at first, is that for his primary business model, which is niche marketing, there are better ways to spend your time.
For those of us doing B2B and working with other tech, marketers, it’s a great place.
7th October, 2008 at 7:02 pm
I never got around to joining Twitter because I really never saw the point, it seemed more like a distraction than a way to build my business. You make a good point though and I think I’ll check it out. Thanks
7th October, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Hi Josh,
Thanks for the informative post. I have a Twitter account but have been slow to do much with it. I think I will look at it a bit closer as I didn’t realize there were so many benefits!
Thanks,
Stephanie
7th October, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Great post on Twitter. Very helpful point of view. I still use Twitter at times to drive traffic to my blog but I do also get advice from people by using Twitter.
7th October, 2008 at 7:17 pm
I agree Twitter has been mainly about techies, blogersm creatives and marketers, but I see more and more friends and relatives of these people pop up on Twitter, so perhaps it will be a suitable channel for other niches in the future.
For me Twitter is the right choice as:
a trafiic source, a peer discussion platform and benchmark, alternative newsfeed, networking tool, lead generator and of course water cooler.
7th October, 2008 at 7:19 pm
I never use Twitter before, but i will go to make an account right away.
7th October, 2008 at 7:27 pm
“if you haven’t been bookmarked, blogged and retweeted, you might as well have not existed…”
Watch this entertaining video about Twitter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYP-wBaqQAI
I’m a business coach that trains coaches, speakers and authors to use these addicting social networking tools to build relationships with their marketplace.
Actually, I don’t agree with you Andrew – I think Twitter can be useful even if you’re not an IM geek.
7th October, 2008 at 7:40 pm
I’m using Twitter, because looot of people from my Flash Community is on Twitter, and I get news from that community each time I’ve logged into Twitter. It’s really great if you have right friends in your list
)
And I’m using great AIR application http://www.tweetdeck.com It has really valuable features included.
7th October, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Well…. I’m a techie working my way into niche marketing. So, does that mean Twitter is useful now but not later? Naw, don’t buy it. By the way, my techie skills (pretty considerable) are available. Here’s my twitter: http://twitter.com/Walt_Day
8th October, 2008 at 5:49 am
Great points, Josh. Will have to look at Twitter in a new way. I haven’t been using it optimally. Thanks!
8th October, 2008 at 6:36 am
I just find that twittering doesn’t come naturally to me when I do something.
Like, I seldom stop in the middle of the day and realize that I’m doing something that should be twittered.
More often, I suddenly realize I haven’t tweeted in awhile, and think of something to tweet about, which isn’t really natural.
Do you like, use twhirl and keep it on all the time?
8th October, 2008 at 8:52 am
I just see Twitter as a less pressured form of instant messaging only with less space to write in.
Some of the inane stuff that I see in Twitter makes me cringe and the whole notion of ‘followers’ just gives me the shivers. It’s blogging for the ADD generation, which has become almost a badge of honour for some internet marketers (“Yeah, I can’t spend longer than 3 minutes doing ANYTHING!”).
Josh, you use some very good examples of how it can be useful but it’s like trying to pull the worthwhile 0.1% of decent blogs out of Blogger – more trouble than it’s worth.
8th October, 2008 at 1:36 pm
@Kang: I’m the same way. It just doesn’t occur to me to go and tweet something. I guess you have to train your mind to be thinking about it and make it part of your day.
8th October, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Josh,
I love the 4 examples. Thanks for those, they are great and I will try them.
I have been a Twitter user and have Twitterific open on my desktop all the time.
I have started making connections with other web designers, so I will try these uses you suggest.
I know one friend that Tweets every single eBay auction she lists and that’s all she uses it for as far as I can tell.
That to me is not the way to use Twitter.
9th October, 2008 at 1:48 am
I find it interesting to see what people are saying there, but I’m not seeing this instant flood of replies (or real networking, for that matter). In fact I’m usually surprised to get any reply to a general question except when I send it to a specific person.
Here’s one that got no reply: “Does anyone using Windows Vista like it, or would you go with XP if given the choice on a new PC?” – certainly there must be people out there with an opinion on that, and this is not some obscure topic.
9th October, 2008 at 11:39 am
I have no beef with Twitter, per se. I just think it’s a significant investment of time (posting and following) for the potential return. And I would still argue that it is (to some degree) a generational thing. Also, there are plenty of places to find quick labor resources (like the DP forums), where you can get several responses within a half hour or so.
If one was so inclined (to share a bunch about their life and work, and to develop an interested audience), and if one had the requisite self-discipline to actually use it (I never would), then I can certainly see the potential value. It’s not for me…but I’m glad it working for you.
9th October, 2008 at 11:53 am
You might as well twitter. At least, you get to meet people you wouldn’t otherwise have, plus exposure to your website is always welcomed.
10th October, 2008 at 7:54 am
For the reasons you just mentioned Josh, I like it too.
Just that there’s no way to deny access to some people in your network, or am I wrong?
I’m seeing that folks from my country join my updates, but I assume most have nothing to do with IM (at least not in plain English!), so it’s not really like we’re building a database of targeted prospects.
It’s more like “friends” and “contacts” from all walks of life… I expect this to be more focused!
twitter just for marketers
twitter just for friends
twitter just for bloggers
etc… I think creating separate accounts could help, not sure about Twitter’s TOS. Yet, some competitors might implement these wants and release their service!
Who knows… lol
10th October, 2008 at 9:16 am
Twitter is cool, even better with the Twitter WP plug-in that posts blog updates automatically.
10th October, 2008 at 9:34 pm
[...] If you’re like me and want to know more about this fascinating phenomenon, chekc out “Why I Like Twitter and Others Don’t” over at Internet Marketing with Josh [...]
11th October, 2008 at 1:50 am
I like Twitter very much, because we do microblogging from this. And It’s really help my blogging activity
11th October, 2008 at 10:22 am
Josh, I only recently got into Twitter and until now didn’t really understand how to gain anything from it or offer anything to anyone else via it. Now I get it, thanks!
Oh one funny thing, I did get a rather dubious follower straight up but I managed to get rid of them.lol!
Great post, I can see how Twitter can be useful afterall.
11th October, 2008 at 10:29 pm
I really need to get on the stick. i have 40-50 followers and haven’t tweeted yet! LOL
22nd October, 2008 at 2:04 pm
@ Kang – Well, in a way I see your point, but does anything Internet Business related seem “natural?” I mean, do you stop in the middle of the day and realize you’re doing something that should be blogged or emailed etc.?
I use TwitterFox and yes, it’s on all day.
@ Chris – OK, nothing wrong with that. I’ll be using it and benefiting from it myself though
@ Chris – Well, I suppose you can say the same thing about a blog, social network or Web 2.0 site in general. If there aren’t many followers there, there won’t be many replies. That’s certainly not a “bash” on your Twitter profile, but do you think that could be due to the number of followers? Maybe you should give your profile some time to mature?
@ Chuck – Why wait a half hour when I can find multiple people in a half-minute? I see where you’re getting at to a point… I see value there, nothing wrong with passing though.
@ Codrut – You’re right, there isn’t… but people can’t send or receive Direct Messages to/from you unless you’re both following one another. Separate accounts would be ideal I think if you want a personal and business Twitter.
25th October, 2008 at 2:27 pm
I have 260 followers and haven’t tweeted yet!
1st November, 2008 at 1:02 pm
I love twitter. I used it as a lunching pad for my blog.
Worked wonders.
17th November, 2008 at 12:41 am
I have often wondered how and where followers come from when I get a bunch all of a sudden on Twitter.
Since one of my tweets happened to be on the screen when you took that screen shot I wonder if that was one of those days I got a bunch of followers all of a sudden?
4th January, 2009 at 12:06 pm
[...] know how addictive and fun it can be. It is also used by many internet marketers, people such as Josh Spaulding, Bob Jenkins (Bob The Teacher), Michael Campbell, Lewis [...]