Twitter is a great source of knowledge and self-improvement
Used well, Twitter helps you efficiently
- Access information to improve your skills in both work and life. The range of topics that are active on Twitter is huge. The information streams I tap into personally include
o Productivity
o Leadership
o Social Media
o Maths
o Programming
o Parenting
- Gain inspiration to help you move projects forward more creatively
- Keep an eye on competition
- Stay informed of news and events, for example
o Local conferences
o Read your regular newspaper.
Overcoming common objections to getting started on Twitter
1. I’m not interested in Justin Bieber
- No, me neither. Twitter isn’t just about the celebrities.
2. My inbox is full enough already
- Please don’t treat Twitter as an Inbox to be processed. It isn’t important that you read every tweet. It is OK to dip in and out for inspiration.
3. I don’t have time for Twitter
- Perhaps you should view it as an investment? You may be missing out on the opportunity to do things better and more efficiently. Installing a 3rd party client on your smart-phone helps you fit Twitter into a free moment.
4. I am a private person
- It isn’t necessary for you to Tweet or share information about yourself on Twitter to benefit from the information Twitter has to offer.
How do I get started in less than 30 minutes?
a. Pick a username that no-one else has chosen. FirstnameLastname is a good start
b. If you are a member of other networks such as LinkedIn and if you give it permission, then Twitter will suggest some people to follow
2. If you have a smartphone, then download a 3rd party client such as TweetDeck, Seesmic, HootSuite or CoTweet and link it to your Twitter account. Personally I’m a fan of Tweetdeck. Download links
3. Follow people or accounts of interest. For example, you could select some people from my public lists
c. News