The Value of Twitter: Reaching Out
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve entered a conversation over the value of twitter. People mistakingly see it as a medium to air complaints and give a tedious play by play of their day. Yes, some people use twitter this way, but many don’t. So to illustrate one of the many benefits of using twitter I’d like to share an anecdote.
While working in adobe illustrator the other week I ran into a technical error: No matter what I did I couldn’t save my work. I needed help so where did I turn? Twitter of course! I tweeted about my problem and within an hour received a response from @KStohl, a certified adobe instructor at C2 in the third ward. He provided a link to an article with more information and invited me to email or call him with any questions. I got to bottom of my problem quickly and was very grateful for the help.
Unlike Facebook, Twitter breaks down social barriers. As shown above, it’s not uncommon to follow and converse with people you’ve never met. As a consumer, it’s almost flattering when someone reaches out to you. It makes things personal and relaxed. And I can assure you one thing, the next time I have any Adobe issues or training needs I know right where I’m going.
I am totally one of the twitter users who by most professional evaluations are “doing it wrong”. I constantly waste megabytes with my updates on what I had for dinner, what I’m thinking about doing in a few minutes, or complaining to no one in particular. However, I have to agree with you completely when it comes to utilizing Twitter to connect with people who know their stuff. The best example I have is when I reached out to MU alumni to help me pick my classes for senior year. A quick tweet and a RT by @MarquetteU and I had enough helpful suggestions to take several semesters worth of awesome classes. It made me realize the importance of this tool and now I am more willing to help others looking for help via tweets.
However, I still have hang ups about following people I’ve never met. I feel like a creeper…
so…did i really leave a comment or did the internet eat it? cause it was really good.
Everyday, I see more and more how Twitter can positively impact your life is so many ways. As someone who has struggled to keep up with Twitter in the past, I have recently been trying to become more of an active participant. From classes to job searching, I now see the value that Twitter has. Stories like yours provide me with the motivation I need to continue to take part in the twittersphere.