I joined Twitter nearly a year ago, put up a nice bio in my profile, and did nothing else. A few months ago, I branded up my Twitter profile and began to attract followers and saw an increase in traffic to my blog from Twitter – even though I tweeted not once.
Doing nothing, I was benefitting from Twitter. Plus, my Twitter profile was landing on page one of Google search results for my name. See my post, Twitter Packs a Powerful Google Juice and Personal Branding Punch. I figured, why not just be a passive participant?
Although I knew, with good strategic planning, Twitter can be a powerful personal branding and business-building tool, I didn’t want to take on another social media commitment. I had to draw the line somewhere.
With an ambitious blogging schedule, regular guest blogging, and all my other web marketing, not to mention a heavy schedule writing career marketing communications for my clients, I’m in front of computer screens way too much.
Even so, I’ve blogged several times over the past year about the value of Twitter, along with my fears about diving in. Take a look at LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc: Fearing the Addictive Pull of Too Many Online Business and Social Networking Sites.
The thing is, I knew I would love Twitter if I got active. After all, writing c-level executive resumes and other career marketing communications for nearly 20 years, I’ve developed a knack and a passion for precision writing. Tweets are precision writing – an opportunity to pack a punch in 140 characters or less.
My resistance finally caught up with me. There’s no denying I really have to be active on Twitter. So I got busy. And I was right. My fears were well-founded. From the second I dipped my toe in and tweeted just once, I was addicted and on fire.
It’s kind of a thrill to watch my followers grow and see if something I tweeted gets mentioned and ripples outward. It’s fun to decide who to follow and see what they’re talking about. Some people merely self-promote endlessly. Some mostly talk about mundane things they’re doing. Some strike just the right balance between offering value and letting followers know a little about their lives and passions.
Aside from the fun factor, my Twitter followers have led me to some interesting and valuable resources, and share great personal branding tips. Since I started tweeting, I’m seeing a significant spike in traffic to my blog and some interest from potential clients. But it’s clear that Twitter can be a major time-waster and distraction if I don’t keep a tight rein on my involvement.
Please follow me on Twitter and let me know how I’m doin’.
