What's the Twitter with Twitter

Are you ready to join in the conversation on social networking site Twitter?

We live in an intensely connected world – one that allows us the opportunity to share our thoughts and ideas with hundreds of people through the click of the mouse. The old-fashioned art of conversation has not disappeared (thankfully), but new methods of communicating virtually and being “in” the conversation are introduced all the time.

One that has the attention of many is TWITTER.

Don’t know what Twitter is? Here’s how it describes itself:
Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

What they’ve left out is how it’s evolved to be a favored method of keeping connected with colleagues, other like-minded people and even prospective clients. The methodology of Twitter is simple: You post “what you are doing or thinking” right now and others who “follow” you get the update. They can take it, or leave it. Maybe they’ll find the information you’ve shared to be funny, helpful, intriguing or even irritating. Whatever it is, it’s out there. They can continue to follow you, or choose to stop, and you can do the same.

The magic is that it’s short and sweet – posts are limited to140 characters. While there are some rules on how you can and can’t use Twitter (no impersonations, violence, threats, unlawful use or phishing) the application allows a lot of room for creativity and sharing of whatever matters to YOU! Think about it, you have to interestingly condense your thoughts into 140 characters (not words, characters). It takes some practice, but it’s fun and addicting!

What I’ve noticed from a business perspective is that there is a wealth of information to be shared, and via Twitter, I get simple and direct access to it. I twitter at laurelcootepmb and I follow a variety of individuals who share information in which I am interested. That includes small business success, how to use social media more effectively, trends in sustainability and corporate social responsibility, the meeting and events industry, music and other topics. I also have shared my knowledge about these topics, as well as other things that might seem random, but might actually be intriguing to someone who hasn’t heard of them (things like walking a Labyrinth or why one should donate homegrown fruit to a food bank).

Strategically, I use Twitter to direct followers to my website when I’ve posted a new product or blog, to notify them of my upcoming speaking engagements or to let them know when I think something significant is going on in the world of small business, event management or CSR. Twitter is a great opportunity to give kudos to others who have made a difference in your life or to share another’s blog or knowledge with the world. It allows the opportunity to be a contribution to others, as well as to gather knowledge you might not otherwise have.

A great article targeted to event planners, but completely relevant to anyone in who wants to grow and develop their business can be found on the Event Solutions website at:
 http://www.event-solutions.com/breaking_news/19_ways_event_planners_can_use_twitter

Want to get started? Go to www.twitter.com and sign up for an account. Search for me at laurelcootepmb and click to follow me. Then check out the people I follow and see if anyone is of interest to you. Or, search for your friends, colleagues or associates and start communicating!