Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:32 pm
Can I use this to masturbate my penis/ego?
Beware, this will be wordy.
First, a link - blog post about how musicians can use Twitter from @Pistachio (consultant) as well as a KILLER master list of musicians and industry people on Twitter. http://idek.net/7UN
Now for the words...
I used to work in telecom. Hello boring (no offense, but writing about T-1's and VoIP is only SO exciting). I began using Twitter in Sept during a trip to NYC, and thought it was pretty pointless. "I'm here, ok now I'm here" were the extent of my updates.
THEN I went to Phoenix for a digital marketing conference (for work, thanks telco company!) and HOLY SHIT, Twitter became this new thing!
Thanks to Twitter at the conference I met a LOT of "important social media people", connected with people sitting around me and in the same sessions, and generally had a rockin' good time and built a social network with about 50 of the 300 or so people at this conference, most of whom I wouldn't have spoken to becuase of Twitter. One of these people later recommended me for a job. Simply becuase of Twitter (and it was this recommendation that GOT me the job no less).
Case in point - a guy in Charlotte, NC that I followed also followed a guy from Baltimore, MD. CEO of an email marketing company. The guy in Charlotte figured out that we were both at the conference and sent us messages to say "say hello to each other!". I got this as I walked into a panel that he happened to be moderating, and we keep up regularly now, he's a GREAT business contact to have and I wouldn't have met him if the guy in Charlotte hadn't intro'd us at that conference... from across the country.
I moved to NYC a few months ago and now work "in the industry" (yay social media!). I follow a LOT of social media people on Twitter, but am starting to follow just as many people from the music industry as well.
It's nice to put faces to names when I meet people in person that I've "known" from Twitter, and it's a GREAT learning tool for me... quickly becoming a great free music tool, too (from artists that post downloads to free tracks).
I found that I enjoyed Twitter more when I conversed with people, not just posted "I'm tying my shoelaces". Nobody gave a shit about me tying my shoelaces (duh), but they appreciate when I share information about something that interests them, or engage in conversation with people I wouldn't ordinarily get to speak with that often (or ever).
It's a testament to the power of Twitter that when I got laid off I literally sent 43 (I counted) people my resume before the day ended. 43 people from Twitter alone, about 90% of which I'd never met in person were spreading my resume around and helping me find new work, on top of posting messages of condolences and spreading out to THEIR network that I was looking for a new job. I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the support of, quite literally, random people on the internet.
As far as my personal tips for people trying to "figure out" Twitter... here they are:
1) Post a BIO and include a PHOTO. If people are going to follow you they want to know about you! Also include a link if you have a page (MySpace, Facebook, for me it's LinkedIn, a blog, whatever you have).
2) Follow people that interest you. Hint: search through your email account and add people you know personally that already have Twitter, especially if this is the account you use to conduct business
3) TALK to people! You can "talk" to people one of two ways, an @reply (public), or a DM (direct message.. private). You can only DM people who are following you, and many just use @replies to conduct business as DMs can get overwhelming.
4) Share. Share knowledge, share your opinion on a subject, share cool new shit, just share something.
My opinions are my own and I hope they're helpful.
Oh - and you can follow me on Twitter at @misskatiemo. I generally tweet about social media and music stuff.
