I joined because everyone is doing it.
And when I say “everyone” I mean over 600,000,000 people have signed on to Twitter. On average, 58 million tweets are sent each day – that’s about 9,100/second. (Data Source)
That means about 8% of the world’s population is on Twitter and they’re very, very busy tweeting.
I was still a doubter. 140 characters to get a message across, counting spaces, is a recipe for confusion or at least bad grammar. I’m more of a long form communication kind of girl. I couldn’t imagine what I’d tweet or how I’d fit tweeting into my day. But it was time. My job demands some social media ability. And, as you all know, I am a world-famous margarita drinker with lots of things to say and 600,000,000 people can’t have it all wrong….
My Twitter take-off was rough.
Sometimes I’d come up with what seemed to me, an award-winning tweet and it would fall flat. Or, better yet, I’d simply forget to tweet it. Maybe I’d get one good tweet out and then forget to log on for a month. I quickly figured out that you have to either Tweet something that people wish they’d said or give them information they need but I couldn’t seem to do either.
And then I made a few Twitter friends.
@WarrenBobrow1, @Create_Daily, @MacCocktail were kind enough to follow me, chat with me and throw in a few favorites and retweets. And slowly I gave a little more energy to Twitter and Twitter gave a little more back … and the magic emerged!
22 reasons why Twitter is awesome:
1. Trending in Twitter at the same time on the same day was #CleavageAppreciationDay and #WaysToGetSlapped
2. My job revolves around marketing to consumers and social media is the hot topic in the industry so I don’t have to hide my computer screen when I tweet at work.
3. I am now the social media expert at my company.
4. I get to make up words.
5. Bunches of other people have already made up words like “Narcissitwit” or “Tweep” and I can use these words or not.
6. Twitter is a good model for real life relationships, minus the “real life” part. Concepts suggesting you treat people as you’d like to be treated play out quickly on Twitter – pay attention, be polite, be supportive and it will come back to you.
7. I get to chat with people I’ve never met and who in the normal path of my day, I never would meet.
8. I root for the people I’ve come to know and they root for me. When @foodista tweeted my blog post about Anticuchos to their entire following, @WarrenBobrow1 wrote to congratulate me. @MacCocktail told his twitterverse I’m funny enough to follow and many have participated in my Twitter polls, sharing opinions on what Big Bird was drinking when the was the subject of a political hit to what Congress was drinking when they decided to shut down.
9. When someone favorites one of my tweets, retweets or replies to me, I feel special and amazed that in all the noise, they found me. It’s sort of like finding the people who want to sit with you in the cafeteria on your first day in a new school.
10. And things take off! I have no idea why, but this week, my January 29th “THANK YOU” to @HolidayBakerMan for sharing that chocolate is just like salad caught on and was retweeted and favorited over and over and over. It was like watching the cherries line up on a slot machine and I was rewarded for recognizing @HolidayBakerMan’s humor.
11. Shrinking a long thought into 140 characters is like doing a puzzle so by tweeting, I’m warding off Alzheimer’s.
12. I know that #hashtag jokes have #JumpedTheShark but it still makes me #LOL
13. Chris Christie and other scandals, on Twitter, are gifts that keeps on giving. Twitter is where I first saw the New Yorker cover of Chris Christie playing in traffic. It’s where I read the feelings of rabid supporters and detractors. And generally put me in the know about all things Bridgegate … or Beibergate … and I know Twitter will come through on the next scandal.
14. Twitter (and social media) helped breathe life into the Arab Spring. Even if you never tweet ever in your life, you must think that’s pretty cool.
15. When I post a blog on Twitter, people actually click and read (Thank you!)
16. Twitter is a great equalizer. Anyone can influence anyone.
17. My Klout score is 47, putting me in the top 30% of all social media users. I’m an influencer (as I should be) in “Beer, Spirits, Entertainment, Cocktails and Wine.” I have no idea how Klout works but I’m inclined to believe them since these stats make it seem like I know what I’m doing
18. My Twitter persona has an excellent life, is carefree and often very drunk.
19. Every time I get a follower, I’m thrilled. Really. I consider it a compliment and an achievement. (So here’s where I say, “Follow me!” @margagogo)
20. The downside of taking my following personally is that I’m bummed when someone unfollows me but that just makes me try harder.
21. There is no ad stalking on Twitter so when I log in, I’m not met with a banner offering “fun and flirty plus size fashions” or a picture of the area rug I clicked on six months ago.
22. I learned, on Twitter, about the first frozen margarita maker! (Thank you @TrueBlueNectar)
And here is where my Ode to Twitter ends. To all my readers, followers, clickers and tweeters and friends, THANK YOU!
margagogo 