Afraid to dip your toe into the Twitterverse, let alone dive right in? There’s really nothing to fear unless you plan on trying to drink in everything that comes at you. Twitter is the online equivalent of the storied water cooler. It’s a virtual place you can stop by, refresh your beverage and fill up on the latest buzz and then move on with your life. You can connect with people and brands around the world and keep it short and sweet.
The best part about tweeting is the speed and immediacy it can offer. Recent examples that impressed this upon me include a fire in Chilliwack, that put the power out for some of my co-workers, and an earthquake, that shook parts of Vancouver Island and that I felt in Maple Ridge. Before Google or Facebook could give me answers, the Twits were on the case. I had photos of the fire and updates when it was out and when power was back on. Before I could get friends on the phone in Victoria I had reports from all over the Island and the Lower Mainland about where the quake had been felt.
It’s all about who you follow. On Facebook, I only “friend” people that I would actually cross the street for if I saw them in real life. I am sharing photos and updates that are personal in nature and I have my privacy levels at maximum. On Twitter, I get great updates on my varied interests and I even have two Twitter accounts to keep the flow of information more organized. As @juliaaustine, I follow people that share common interests and will keep me up to date on Technology, Public Relations, Social Media and my community while I try to return the favour. I have a separate account for my cooking blog that is food, baking, restaurants and more food.
Twitter can be a little intimidating, as there are written and unwritten rules of netiquette that seem to change at a moment’s notice. I’ll try to guide you through the ebbs and flows as I learn them myself, but I encourage you to come on in and test the waters for yourself.
Fuel Becomes You 