Why Twitter?

I started using twitter a few months ago and was told at the time it may a take a few months to really understand what the benefits are and why people think it is so great. I was told to "hang in there" and "keep at it" and eventually you will see why people can't live without it. Well, I have passed my 2 month mark and I am now a twitter fan. It has become very clear to me why twitter exists and how easily it fits into your life from both a professional and personal standpoint.

So what have I learned over the past few months? Quite a bit. I started using twitter for my job search--figured it was a good way to get to know what companies are saying, what employees who work there are saying and to network and develop relationships with people who have common interests. Twitter has provided me all of that and more. I have made friends and connections with all types of people all over the globe. I am now following CEO's of companies, thought leaders in the social media world, celebrities, sports stars and companies I have an interest in working for. At times I feel a bit like a stalker, but figure if they are putting the information out there, they want people to read it. From reading their tweets, I am learning about their companies and about social media and how everyone uses it differently. Some use it just for business and others mix business and pleasure (more interesting to me), and others use it to promote a cause that is important to them. It is a cost effective marketing tool--it gets your message out and then it can be "re-tweeted" to more people--viral marketing at its best.

I recently met someone in person that I had been following, and I felt like I met an old friend....I knew what she had done with her business all week, her opinions on recent news stories, and even what her husband made her for dinner a few nights. Kind of strange how much I knew about her without ever meeting her--definitely a benefit of using twitter ---the ability to develop a relationship at a different level much quicker than normal. We had things to talk about and it made it easy to begin conversation. I have also found with twitter, that people want to help and share information and advice. It isn't about self promotion or selling a product, it is much more transparent ---just people networking and developing relationships that will help others.

Twitter has become part of my daily life--not only as a job search tool, but also as a way to keep learning and meeting new people who have the same interests and who want to share their knowledge. As a job seeker, it opens doors that would have taken much longer to get into. I am still looking for a new role, but now after a few months twittering, I have a clearer picture of the type of company I want to work for---one that embraces social media and understands what a big role it plays in a company's future success.