Here is a
link to out Cheesehead TV Twitter Account.
I think
this article by a Mr. Randy and video are very useful for Understanding why Twitter matters. For Everyone- not just bloggers and people who have something to say...what I have found that kicks ass is the people (subject matter) you can follow.
This is my favorite part of the article - and it REALLY applies to people who don't understand the Amazing Utility it can be.
But really, you don't need to post anything if you're not a blogger, an expert in a particular field wanting to build a reputation, or whatever. While Twitter can help you establish and build the "brand" that is you, there's still great utility in Twitter even if you have no interest in doing that.
The Key is Who You Follow
Don't have anything to say? Then don't say anything! But you can still get information or entertainment by having a Twitter account. Because once you have an account, you choose who you want to follow.
Let's say you're interested in environmental issues in the hotel industry. Then you'd follow my wife, Kit, since she happens to be a leader in that field. Want the latest in computer kinks and tips? Follow Ask Leo or Chris Pirillo. The latest trends in online video? Check out Steve Rosenbaum. Trends in online marketing and PR? Try Don Crowther. Home improvement? Tim Carter. You get the idea.
Celebrities, too, from Star Trek's "Geordie Laforge" Levar Burton to bicycle racer Lance Armstrong to that creepy "Puppet Master" on NBC's Heroes -- my old buddy David Lawrence.
And then there are the current events, like the inauguration, as I mentioned: searching for their "hash tags" (like #inaug09) brings the latest updates to you. For instance, the recent plane crash into New York's Hudson River was reported first on Twitter, and eyewitnesses posted updates much faster than the news media could.
No matter what the subject, someone on Twitter is covering it, and you can follow them and keep up to date.
And here's where the magic begins: for everyone you check out on Twitter, you can see who they are following too, and choose to follow those people directly. For instance, you can see who I'm currently following here.
And there's still room for a bit of personality, as long as it's not the only thing, and has a bit of relevance. That'll make Rohit Bhargava smile for sure.
And to get all the stuff that you chose from, you can check in from time to time on one page to see what the people you choose to follow have to say: your Twitter home page.
The pic is from the
Five Stages of Twitter Acceptancealso VERY USEFUL.
Here are my favorite quotes from
Rohit Bargova's article on 9 THINGS to do with Twitter 1. Listen to conversations real time. This is the easiest thing to do. Just go to
http://search.twitter.com and type in your brand or company name, a subject area, or even your own name. Within seconds you'll start to get an idea of people's perceptions, trending discussions and who some influencers are.
2. Track emotion moments. At any given time, you may need to email someone to ask for something or tell them about something. Sometimes, it's a journalist or blogger you want to talk about you. Other times it's a colleague. Looking at their latest status on Twitter can give you a wealth of insight about timing your message. If they're on holiday in Jamaica, you might want to wait till next week. If they just talked about how much they hate sales emails - maybe you should think about calling. If they happen to be travelling to your city, invite them to coffee. The uses are almost endless.
4. Reach unreachable people. Sure, you could use Twitter to send a message to Robert Scoble and he would likely see it, but in recent news, now even Shaq has his own Twitter account, as does Lance Armstrong. Do you think either of those guys picks up their own phone or reads their own emails? Probably not, but as more high influence unreachable people start to use Twitter, this alone might create it's ultimate usefulness.
7. Get quick answers. People on Twitter love to share answers to questions and things they have learned. When I wanted to know how to get a new logo designed for my blog, I got an answer on Twitter. The community there has also helped me find apps for my Blackberry, solve issues with Typepad, find examples of companies with personality, decide whether joining a particular social network or organization is worth it, and translate pieces of content in languages I don't speak. All usually within minutes of posting a request.
