Part 4 – The Point Of Being Online: Twitter

In the past nine months the level of education that I have been experiencing has been simply amazing. I came to the realisation at the start of last year that, in my thinking, I had become extremely dull. My conversations lacked substance and personal growth seemed non-existent. I felt as though I had no direction, no drive, no ambition. And it all came to a head. I wont go into that now, but needless to say I was desperate for a good injection of inspiration. And then it happened. I found Twitter. (Ok, so perhaps that was a little dramatic…) I will not say that Twitter caused my massive shift in consciousness, but I can see that it has played a pivotal role in the massive level of professional and personal growth that I have experienced in such a short space of time.

Twitter is continuously the most misunderstood by those standing on the outside looking in. @mariesharni #Twitter Click To Tweet

Of all the Social Media networks, I think that Twitter is continuously the most misunderstood by those standing on the outside looking in. Kind of like if you are looking over the fence at a rave party mid-motion and all you can see from the outside is a heap of crazy people throwing themselves around in a mess of perspiration and other non-describables. It can be hard to understand the attraction (perhaps not for you…??)

Well, Twitter is perhaps a little similar. From the outside looking in it is difficult to understand what the benefit of using this social network would be – let alone why the 307 million monthly active users would bother. It moves at such a fast pace that surely there is little benefit to be gained.

So what is all the fuss? What is this Tweeting all about?

Amazing Exposure to a World of People

The biggest benefit that I have discovered from being an active Twitter user is the incredible exposure I have on an ongoing basis to a world of outstanding thinkers, both interesting and unique, from all walks of life, sharing their thoughts and findings in various time zones for me to see and absorb on Twitter.

Yes, the Twitter feed does move fast, but think of it like the headlines of a newspaper. You are flicking through the feed until you find something that captures your attention and then you just click the link provided to ‘read more’. It has been described as a “micro-blogging platform”, the best network for sharing content of any kind which connects and invites readers to engage further with what you have to say, or the brand you are promoting. The more regularly you use the platform, the more you will get to know your favourite writers, business thinkers, photographers, and brands. Some of the information that I come across is as good as if not better than what I read in books, or is being taught in universities. That is a big statement perhaps, but the advantage of the content being shared on this platform is that it is all up-to-date information and discoveries being shared in real-time as they come to light. And generally it is in bite-size portions that when mixed into my busy life are often easier to digest and action.

The Twitter feed does move fast, but think of it like the headlines of a newspaper... @mariesharni #Twitter Click To Tweet

Beyond the tweets however is a never-ending dinner party going on where endless opportunities to meet new people and share ideas abound at every moment. Within such a short time frame I have made some excellent and highly valuable connections with people in my own county (had coffee with a couple of them too) and the world. I have Skyped entrepreneurs in San Francisco & business gurus in the UK. I have had LinkedIn recommendation from a Twitter friend and now colleague who is based in Dubai.

You Get Out What You Put In

As with everything in life, this platform is brought to life by investing a bit of time and energy. No other social media network that I use (and being a marketer I use a lot of them) has given me these opportunities or allowed me to so easily interact with random strangers which then lead to developing deeper connections both personally and professionally. People in the “Twitter-club” tend to connect easily in a down-to-earth manner with very little pretentiousness. Its raw and real most of the time. And most users are happy to help, sharing so much priceless information they have gathered on their individual journey about life and business.

There are plenty of “how to’s” on how to make it big on Twitter, just ask Google. But I would like to focus more on valuable connections and brilliant insight. Here’s a few points to set you up for now:

Get Started

Just start! Set yourself up well with a great profile pic, a great photo or graphic on your banner header and an honest bio description. Include a couple of words with a (#) hashtag in front eg. #swimmer #coffeeconnoisseur. This will help likeminded people find you more easily when they are searching the massive network of Twitter users.

To #Hashtag, or Not To Hashtag?

So what about all the hash-tagging that goes on? A hashtag is like a tracking code for your parcel delivery. When you add a hashtag to a word within your Tweet it helps people who are looking for Tweets of a particular topic to find yours. Including hashtags in your profile bio helps people find you when they search topics. A tweet with a hashtag attached produces 2 times more engagement than one without. If you are going to build a community of like minded people on this platform, it helps if they are able to find you and find the content you are sharing. Remember here – the more you give, the more you get out of it all. There is no point just being an observer. To meet people and tap into the depth of insight on this platform being offered by some of the great minds of our generation, you have to jump in the water and splash around a little… so to speak.

...you have to jump in the water and splash around a little… so to speak. @mariesharni #Twitter Click To Tweet

Go Looking

When you are looking for content use the hashtag as a search tool – Do a search using hashtags for things you are interested in and you are sure to find a great pool of Twitter users who share similar interests to your own and who regularly share content that is relevant to you. For example, if you love yoga, use ‘#yoga’ to search. Or perhaps its something more like #businessdevelopement that you want delve into. Check it out, you will find a long list of people who are tweeting about that topic. When the feed produces a stream of yoga or business development posts, you can filter through and find the ones that interest you and then start following the Twitter User who is tweeting them.

Don’t Drown in the Feed

Some “Tweeters” have become like mentors to me and I have added them to my “lists” so that I can quickly find what they are posting rather than looking for it in the home page feed. Twitter lists are essential to filtering the mass of content that pours down the Twitter home feed on a second-by-second basis. For more on this you might like to check out another blog of mine “Drowning In Content”. Ensure that this extensive exposure to knowledge is actually filtering through and becoming skills.

Pass It On

We live in the age of ‘knowledge sharing’ – The Information Age. Twitter is the best platform to do this. For those of you in business, Twitter is an amazing tool for elevating your brand to the world organically without the limits of potential prospects having to like or follow you. It just takes persistence and commitment. Content marketing is now one of the most influential tools available for use to help persuade prospects to engage with your brand. Use it to your advantage.

Content Marketing is now one of the most influential tools to persuade prospects to engage with your brand. #CM @mariesharni Click To Tweet

Everyday that you are trawling the web for articles, information, how to’s, travel plans and so on, you come across little gems of information that become integral to your decision making, your work experience or create ease in your daily living. Share it – in Twitter terms “tweet it”. Pass it on. Chances are, if it has helped you, it is sure to help some of your followers too. Consider this just like recommending a great book you’ve read to a friend. Same deal – it’s just via online “word of mouth” to a large number of people, rather than just one.

Real People in Real Time

To change your perception about Twitter, you need to see the people behind the screen in front of you. Too many people still view technology as a non-human tool for increased productivity. With social technology advancements, that is social media, social behaviourism is just being presented in a slightly different package. Users on the Twitter platform are real people in real time.

The key to unlocking the full potential of Twitter and developing great connections is regular use. You have probably experienced situations such as coming across the same groups of people in the local coffee shop you frequent? Over time you start to recognise their faces, and perhaps eventually find yourself in conversation with them while you wait for your double macchiato (yes pleaseJ).. It would be fascinating to know how many business transactions have been borne out of coffee shop networking. Twitter is the same. The more you log in and scroll through, the more you will start to recognise the people there, the stuff they like to share which then gives you insight into who they are and the lives they live.

Twitter stretches your thinking, broadens your horizons and allows you to rub shoulders with amazing people. @mariesharni Click To Tweet

Boom. Make a connection. Strike up a convo. Collaborate with them on your next project. Develop a fantastic referral system. Tap into the massive flow of inspiration coming down the line.

Twitter is the platform that stretches your thinking, broadens your horizons and allows you to rub shoulders with the amazing people of this world.

Once you are set up, connect with me (I’d be more than happy to be your first connection): @mariesharni

This blog is part of a series. See the following for more about “The Point Of Being Online:

Part 1: Your Website

Part 2: Social Media

Part 3: Facebook

*Image credit: Shawn Campbell via Flickr under the Creative Commons License