Last week, I was challenged by someone on Twitter, to update my blog, with the promise that he/she would drop by to visit once the blog was updated. I waffled back and forth between excitement that someone had taken the time to look at my Twitter profile and website and mild annoyance that someone was coaxing/recommending that I update my blog. As a classic rebel, I don’t always do well with good advice.
So I got to thinking about Twitter and that one small interaction. It was my first person to person interaction. I was happy that I was not just speaking into the Twitter cloud along with all the other Tweets. I was talking to someone and someone was talking to me… it wasn’t a lot of white noise conversation. And it has made me rethink how I will use Twitter…. Here is what I have learned.
• DM’s (direct messages) are better than putting stuff out there – you might get real interaction.
• I was using Twitter to learn from others – now I will not only gather info but will thank people for their tweets when I use their information or find it beneficial. How can you build a relationship with someone if you don’t thank them for what they have given (didn’t my mother teach me that?)
• Ask people to let you know (using DM’s) when your information is useful.
• Be one-on-one with people – at first I put out tweets that were like standing on a soapbox. Now I plan to engage.
So I am grateful for that interaction last week. I will no longer use Twitter as a platform to gather information, but as a platform to engage with people. I know, I know – it was intended to be used that way in the first place. But for some reason I wasn’t using it that way.
So thanks, Twitter friend, for that small interaction. It moved me away from being an onlooker to the place of wanting to engage.
Where are you at on the Twitter spectrum? Are you an onlooker – an outlier? Engaged? Information gatherer? I would love to know where you stand… and while you are at it, tell me what you have learned.
I’d like to be an engaged, information-gathering outlier.
I probably can’t have everything though. I’d just like to be engaged then!
What have I learned:
I have learned that many people talk about connections but rarely put in the time to build genuine ones. I have learned that I’ve made a lot of networking mistakes in the past and that I am blessed to know many people who have the patience to let me learn-on-the-go. I got into an argument with a fellow named Angelo this week. By the end of our conversation, we were friends. We had started off seemingly on opposite sides of an issue and ended realizing that we are different people but really get a kick out each other.
I have learned that I can’t get enough of people. They amuse, infuriate, challenge, and enlighten me.
I have learned that I am a very lucky guy.
Best!
Hey Seth,
Your profile should be known as the “broad spectrum” Twitter profile. The learning you’ve shared has enhanced mine … or reminded me of other things I have also learned – thanks for your insight. One thought – isn’t it great that people can do all those things (amuse, infuriate, challenge, and enlighten) on the web and face-to-face – that’s what makes life rich.
Thanks for the story f2f and posted here. I am grateful to learn about different Twitter possibilities and hear stories about Twitter as a human connection tool.