To Tweet or not to Tweet?

by Katherine on November 26, 2011

To Tweet or not to Tweet?

“Do you Twitter?…”

“No! – I wouldn’t know what to say.”

“It’s a waste of time.”

“I don’t know how it works.”

“What’s the point?”

To Tweet or not to Tweet? 

That is the question. Some people take to Twitter like a white bird to a blue background. Others are more hesitant citing confusion, disinterest or even a fear of saying or doing the wrong thing. But Twitter doesn’t have to be scary – and it can be a lot of fun/a great source of information/a superb business tool/a lifesaver.

One step at a time

I hear a lot of people complain that they don’t ‘get’ Twitter, that it’s a waste of time, that it’s pointless.

My response?

How do you know unless you try it?

If we all did the same thing every day, day in day out we would never try any thing new, never learn anything new, never meet anyone new. If I stayed at home in front of my computer each day I wouldn’t know that there are curlews and oyster-catchers a mile from my house, I wouldn’t say hello to the three dog walkers that I greet each day and I wouldn’t listen to the old albums on my iPod and realise that I still know all the words to ‘The Beaten Generation’ by The The. Like most things in life sometimes you just need to take a deep breath and do it. Try it. Give it a whirl. Dip your toe in the water.

After all, what have you got to lose?

The Ever-Changing Landscape of Twitter

A beautiful day

Twitter is a resource, a treasure trove, a forum, a help line and a connection to people all over the world 24 hours a day. Got a problem with your computer? Tweet about it and you’ll get a reply. Want to know the best place to stay in Edinburgh this weekend? Tweet and find the answer in 140 characters or less.

When Japan was hit by the devastating earthquake earlier this year it was Twitter that spread the news first, that sent photographs around the world within minutes and that saved lives as doctors used it to coordinate their aid efforts.

Some days I get carried away in a stream the absolute gems that flood my screen – daily photographs by Terry Richardson or Perou, hysterical quips from Caitlin Moran or Grace Dent, news headlines that make it to Twitter before they hit the BBC news pages, downloads, infograms, links to amazing websites, blogs, rants and things that make you go ‘hmmm’ … and it’s all there for the taking. What’s not to love?

And for businesses, well – businesses of all shapes and sizes are just starting to realise the power of Twitter.

Over to you

If you’ve been brave and dipped your toe into the Twittersphere – what’s the best thing you’ve ever found there? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment box below.

 

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Time – and timing – is everything

by Katherine on November 17, 2011

 

I looked at my son who started High School this year today and wondered why I was missing him so much. He’s got a head full of maths and science revision, a uniform that looks like he’s been through a hedge backwards and a shy, almost teenage smile. And I miss him.

I miss the baby that he was and I miss the little boy who I ferried to school in the car or on a wobbly bike ride every day for the last six years.

Why do I miss him so much?

Because it was during these car journeys or during these wobbly bike rides (“I said STOP AT THE KERB”) that we would talk. And I mean really talk. The kind of talking you do when you don’t have to look at the other person, the kind of talking that’s easy to do and that’s when you put your world to rights.

Nowadays my son waits for a knock at the front door, pulls his school bag over his shoulder, grabs his lunch money and  he’s gone – shambling up the street with his mates without so much as a backwards glance. My morning slots have gone. My afternoons of ‘How was your day?’ don’t have the same space, the same solid regularity.

Yes, we still talk – but it’s not the same. Timing is all.

Every day, at around about the same time, a little email pops into my inbox from the mighty Copyblogger. It could be a list of top tips for writing killer headlines, it could something along the lines of the marvellously titled “5 Things Depeche Mode Can Teach You About Effective Content Marketing”, it could be a free WordPress theme to download or a link to their latest podcast. No matter what it is, a large part of the reason that I am such an avid follower of the site is that I always receive their emails at about the same time of day. They’re like clockwork. And I always read them.

A large part of being a writer is making a regular space for your writing. It’s about making yourself open so that ideas and inspiration can flow. It’s the same for reading – and for talking. Making space in your life for communication, whether it’s between yourself and your ideas, yourself and your inbox or yourself and your family, time – and timing – is everything.

How do you make time to communicate in your life?

 

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#NEFollowers – and Less about the Copywriter, More about the Newcastle

November 12, 2011

Oh, I love Twitter. I do, I do. It keeps me company late at night when everyone else has gone to bed, it allows me to stalk my favourite celebrities (although Duran Duran’s John Taylor has yet to acknowledge my existence) and it helps me to write blog posts. Like this one.  Long Tails, Lady [...]

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