Eight Ways Twitter is Useful Professionally
March 15th, 2007 (3:52pm) Anne Zelenka 94 Comments
Mat Balez is predicting the demise of Twitter in 2007. He’s not the only one who doesn’t see the value in it: many people wonder just what’s the big deal. We already wrote that though Twitter isn’t necessarily a great way to manage your to do list, it does have a place in the web worker’s cache of online tools.
For those of you who still wonder whether it’s anything more than inane stream-of-consciousness, consider these ways in which Twitter can help you professionally.
- Make existing professional relationships stronger and more intimate. I know where Jane’s traveling this week and that Joe’s caught that flu going around. This makes them more human to me and it’s a decent substitute for meeting physically.
- Get questions answered. Say you’re trying to put a plugin in your WordPress blog but it gives you errors. Tell your Twitter friends and someone might be able to help you. Now, you wouldn’t have emailed all those people to ask and you wouldn’t have instant messaged them either… but a broadcast message to those paying attention is a lightweight non-intrusive way to do it.
- Expand your professional network. By paying attention to @ messages, you see who people you’re working with are working with. If the discussion is interesting enough, you might find someone you’d like to follow on Twitter… and eventually work with.
- Promote your blog posts. I don’t tweet every time I post something, but sometimes if it’s one I’m especially proud of or one I want quick feedback on, I’ll post a tinyurl to it.
- See what people are interested in. I just looked at my Twitter page and noticed that one of my friends is already trying out Grand Central. Now I know who to talk to to get an opinion on it.
- Find out when your colleagues are available for a chat. Nobody wants to bother someone when they’re in the middle of an important project, but IM presence indicators aren’t totally reliable. On the other hand, if someone twitters that they’re “searching for something to do” you know it’s a good time to check in with them.
- Create an ad hoc back channel at conferences. Though Twitter’s not ideal for this lacking as it is in temporary groups or any groups at all, I’ve seen it used effectively to bring together conference attendees and conference “watchers” — people who aren’t at the conference but would like to know what’s going on.
- Learn important news. I’m much less dependent on my newsreader now because I hear about cool stuff all day via Twitter. For example: I didn’t know that Starbucks was giving away free coffee today until I read it on Twitter.
Twitter’s not without its problems, of course. It’d be great to have Twitter groups, so you could send messages to just a subset of people who are interested in a particular topic. The performance has sometimes been less than adequate as everyone piles in to try it. I suffer from Twitter addiction occasionally, when I compulsively watch Twitter messages roll by instead of doing real work.
Call me a Twitter fangirl if you must — I am one — but don’t let that stop you from considering Twitter as more than just noise. For the web worker isolated from colleagues and interested in making loose connections into productive working relationships, Twitter might be just the thing you need.
94 Comments Post your own comment
Lee Hopkins: Better Communication Results - business communication, online, blog and podcast consultant says: March 15th, 2007 6:50pm
More on the usefulness of Twitter
Megite has an interesting round-up of key feeds which I often visit. In today’s list when I visited it a few minutes ago was a link to an interesting article on Web Worker Daily about Twitter and eight positive uses to which it can be put. Included i…
Better Communication Results says: March 15th, 2007 6:51pm
[...] today’s list when I visited it a few minutes ago was a link to an interesting article on Web Worker Daily about Twitter and eight positive uses to which it can be [...]
8 Ways Twitter Is Useful says: March 15th, 2007 10:18pm
[...] was looking for an explanation about why Twitter is useful. This isn’t a video, but here is 8 reasons from my friends at Web Worker Daily. And I can say without doubt I’ve benefited from all [...]
» Do zu etwas nütze: Twitter — cne _LOG Archiv says: March 16th, 2007 12:52am
[...] Arbeitsleben zu erleichtern, sozial und beruflich gesehen. 8 Gründe von Anne Zelenka dafür, dass Twitter useful professionally [...]
Rex says: March 16th, 2007 4:56am
No twitter URL so we can follow your tweets?
Rex
Mark says: March 16th, 2007 6:39am
These certainly sound like benefits, but to whom? This is the perspective of a sender/submitter… not a recipient.
Anne Zelenka says: March 16th, 2007 7:10am
Mark, it only works for building professional relationships or relationships of any kind if it’s two way. I learn about other people by getting their twitters. I know when they’re available — and I can avoid bothering them when they’re busy. They know that about me too — if someone’s wanting to ask me something and saw I just twittered from the web, they know I’m near my computer. I get to see which blog posts they want immediate feedback on (and I can provide that feedback). I like being able to help if I know something about what they’re asking about. Conference back channels benefit sender and receiver. And learning important news is all about being a receiver.
Biccio.com » 8 modi per usare Twitter professionalmente says: March 16th, 2007 8:14am
[...] alle critiche di Mat Balez sull’effettivo valore di Twitter, compilando una lista di 8 modi per usarlo professionalmente. Si tratta di una lista assolutamente interessante e non pretestuosa [...]
daveconrey says: March 16th, 2007 8:33am
The one problem I have with this concept is that everytime I post, I have to hit refresh right away because if I wait for it to refresh on it’s own, a whole slew of messages have gone past and if anyone was responding to me specifically, I would have missed it completely. I think the groups idea is a good one.
Social Media Club - » Social Media Now: The Consumer Lesson of Twittermania says: March 16th, 2007 8:49am
[...] plenty of Twitter advice out [...]
MODE - A Vehicle For Change says: March 16th, 2007 9:05am
[...] When Anne Zelenka posted up on WWD on how Twitter is useful professionally, I just had to read it because I haven’t lost that much productivity since I came across [...]
TIM BEE says: March 16th, 2007 9:59am
i loved loved loved twitter when i first discovered it in january but i lost momentum because I couldn’t persuade any of my real-life friends to join up. i don’t think it has much appeal beyond the geeks - and there’s only so much to bantering with virtual buddies.
i like the groups idea in theory but wouldn’t it then just be another form of discussion board? daveconrey is right, replies get lost fast in the public timeline, but i think the only groups that are needed here are individuals’ circles of friends.
Twittering around Second Life « First Person PR says: March 16th, 2007 2:23pm
[...] channel” band wagon, including Steve Rubel (and again here, and here and even here). Web Worker Daily provides eight tips on how to make Twitter useful professionally, including #6: find out when your [...]
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[...] bubble burst giving way to a Twitter renaissance. Web Worker Daily has a couple ideas how to use Twitter professionally, ie in a truly productive [...]
alan p says: March 16th, 2007 3:18pm
Linked to this post in a much longer post of our own on twitterbugs here
In essence all the reasons you have given above have in the past been used for IM, sms, mobile, email, altnet, egroups, and (not all) for blogging. Twitter is just the new new one imho.
BlogWeekend Extravaganza //16marzo// « Guaiquil.Net says: March 16th, 2007 4:32pm
[...] Web Worker Daily » Eight Ways Twitter is Useful Professionally [...]
Blog Bloke says: March 16th, 2007 4:38pm
Cool service or more mindless drivel for the masses. You choose.
Top Posts « WordPress.com says: March 16th, 2007 4:58pm
[...] Eight Ways Twitter is Useful Professionally Mat Balez is predicting the demise of Twitter in 2007. He’s not the only one who doesn’t see the value in […] [...]
Chuck Webb says: March 17th, 2007 6:05am
As a real estate professional, I would be interested in knowing 8 ways that this would help my business. I am blogging everyday, and my traffic is growing. What are some productive ways to incorporate Twittering? Or, does it have its limitations, real estate being one of them?
menti.net » links for 2007-03-17 says: March 17th, 2007 6:18am
[...] Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Eight Ways Twitter is Useful Professionally « (tags: twitter webworker) [...]
lo-fi librarian» Blog Archive » A Twitter Reader says: March 17th, 2007 10:06am
[...] guide to Twitter Webware; 8 easy ways to use Twitter professionally Web Worker Daily; 5 ways to use Twitter for goodLifehack.org; What is Twitter, and is there any [...]
npdigg.org says: March 17th, 2007 12:16pm
Eight Ways Twitter is Useful Professionally
The jury is still way out on whether twitter is useless or useful - here’s another opinion…
Tony Steward:. Blog says: March 17th, 2007 2:05pm
Using Twitter as a Professional (the lasting uses)
adventures of a blogjunkie » Blog Archive » Professional Twitter says: March 17th, 2007 4:10pm
[...] fangirl Anne Zelenka of Web Worker Daily writes about Eight ways Twitter is used professionally. Permalink productivity, [...]
roots.lab » Twitter’s three channels make it manageable says: March 17th, 2007 5:55pm
[...] of my Twitter usage and habits. As I’ve said before I believe it’s a good tool; this Web Worker Daily post sums up many of the basic [...]
droppingoff says: March 17th, 2007 6:59pm
Personally, I love Twitter. I do tend to forget to post to it sometimes, but I love Twitter. I’d hate to see it die.
Christian says: March 17th, 2007 9:39pm
When I went to http://www.twitter.com it didn’t seem like a professional site at all.
jetteroheller says: March 17th, 2007 11:16pm
Thanks so much for writing this up. This was precisely what I was looking for when I first found out about Twitter off of Scoble’s blog. I’m always trying to find out the actual real-life value of a lot of these Web 2.0 apps, as honestly Web 2.0 could go the exact same direction as Web 1.0 went in 1999 if the useless garbage can’t be sorted from the real valuable stuff. I posted on my blog a list of ways one can actually, with a real business case, utilize Web2 apps for driving business - but Twitter was one I didn’t figure out.
Thanks a lot for posting this.
Yong Hwee says: March 17th, 2007 11:49pm
Twitter’s my favourite web-app now! The tough part is getting your friends on it..
veltis says: March 18th, 2007 1:56am
My problem with it in a professional context is that it IS intrusive. I don’t need the distraction of someone asking for help on a wordpress plugin while I’m trying to figure out something complicated, or even writing an email. I know I don’t have to answer the question, but I have to read it, and it’s a kind of insistent 5-year-old in your computer, breaking up your line of thought. I’m the sort of person who gets distracted by flickering TV screens in bars too though…
wrs says: March 18th, 2007 4:56am
I wonder, what might be the difference between twitter and simple internet relay chat.
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[...] trovato molto interessante, ad esempio, un post di Webworker Daily, segnalato da Lifehacker, in merito agli utilizzi di Twitter in ambito professionale. Ottimi gli [...]
keshuvko says: March 18th, 2007 12:37pm
Just checked Twitter’s! I found it amazing. I will read it regularly now on!
keshuvko.blogspot.com
RIP Twitter (2007-2007) « web1979 « Social Orb says: March 18th, 2007 1:02pm
[...] Another bloggers opinion… Eight Ways Twitter is Useful Professionally [...]
la-res-publica.com.ar » Archivo » El YouTube de 2007 says: March 18th, 2007 1:08pm
[...] haciendo. No me parece particularmente útil ni interesante por ahora, pero puede servir para algo. Web Worker Daily publicó un post sobre como utilizar Twitter productivamente. Me parece un poco forzado, pero en [...]
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[...] how much buzz these services have created. There are people predicting the death of twitter while yet others defend its usefulness and claim that it improves their social lives. Others like Mike Butcher, [...]
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[...] also looking for ways to apply Twitter to my professional life. This post, from Web Worker Daily is a great start. [...]
Twitter, twitter, twitter... « Relaxed Parents says: March 19th, 2007 2:26pm
[...] at about 5:35 pm. Finding a use for it at work is a little more challenging, though there are proponents. Do I have any friends of my own on twitter? No. I just enjoy the passing scene, now and [...]
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[...] Eight Ways Twitter is Useful Professionally – Web Worker Daily has eight tips on putting Twitter to work turning loose connections into professional relationships. [...]
Sanjoli says: March 20th, 2007 1:19am
I felt twitter was just a way to exhibit yourself in the public, giving instant updates about your currents activites, but now I realize it can be used for more intriguing stuff too. Thanks to you.
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[...] 20th, 2007 by UberTech Do you Twitter @ work? If so Web Worker Daily has some tips that will help promote the delusion that you can so in a professional manner… [...]
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Sanjoli says: March 20th, 2007 4:46am
Yes I do work at Twitter, and used to wonder why people fancy twitter so much. But as I said, your blog made me realize it.
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J.Uma Shankar Ladha links for 2007-03-21 « says: March 20th, 2007 7:17pm
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[...] Eight Ways Twitter is Useful Professionally – Web Worker Daily has eight tips on putting Twitter to work turning loose connections into professional relationships. [...]
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[...] great article by Anne Zelenka on ways to use Twitter professionally here. Explore posts in the same categories: Web 2.0, Social [...]
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[...] Natürlich gib es auch weitsichtigere Zeitgenossen als mich, die den Mehrwert des Twitterns schnell erkannt [...]
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Kim M. Bayne says: March 26th, 2007 8:55am
What was once a social toy transforms fast into a useful business tool. You’ll be amazed at all the ways users will find for Twitter. It’s only just begun.
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[...] Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Eight Ways Twitter is Useful Professionally « For those of you who still wonder whether it’s anything more than inane stream-of-consciousness, consider these ways in which Twitter can help you professionally. (tags: twitter productivity web2.0 communication community social blogging tips) [...]
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[...] can reach mobile phones…) or how people can connect and be in touch in a natural disaster or ways twitter is used for productivity or how student teams from 5 schools around the world use it to update each other on their project [...]
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[...] puzzling trainwreck kind of a way, but that was about it. Now this blogger comes along and claims good uses by smart people for this thing. [...]
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[...] beauty of something like Twitter is that it has just enough practical application to be useful, yet no one will have their work come to a grinding halt if it disappeared tomorrow. [...]
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[...] Meinung ist Anne Zelenka. Sie gibt 8 Tipps, wie man mit Twitter professionell nutzen [...]
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[...] Why? Because it’s useful. [...]
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[...] pueda saber lo que está haciendo) se puede encontrar en varios artículos, como uno que explica posibles usos profesionales y otro que explica cómo utilizar twitter para anunciar las actualizaciones de un blog (yo creía [...]
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[...] Besides, for every argument rebuking its asininity, there’s one that praises its merits. [...]
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sohbet says: August 30th, 2007 3:29am
I think , İt’ s good..
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[...] right. Back in March (and long before I got the Twitter bug), Anne Zelenka came up with 8 ways Twitter is useful professionally. I see that Monster - you know the jobs folk - have a Twitter account and reckon it can enhance [...]
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trademark registration says: November 23rd, 2007 12:25am
I just discovered twittering. It’s not bad. But it’s not as revolutionary as people are making it out to be. Blah.
Sean McGoldrick says: November 23rd, 2007 3:10pm
I can’t say if it’s useful yet. I’ve only just discovered it as well. But it is fun!
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php script indir says: January 9th, 2008 3:54am
thans for this post
php indir says: January 9th, 2008 3:55am
So I broke down and tried it. Yes, it’s true, I twitter.
Tech Lite « Out Here Hope Remains says: January 20th, 2008 9:33pm
[...] Twitter. I promise that I thought I saw somewhere on his blog that Trey Morgan is using Twitter. So I thought I’d be cool and get a Twitter account. Then I couldn’t find Trey anywhere on there. Anyway, my Twitter ID is johndobbs1130 if you want to ‘follow’ me. I have no idea what that will do or accomplish, but it’s there. But I’m not alone in wanting to find ways to use this little device. Eight Ways Twitter is Useful Professionally. [...]
Online Muzik Dinleme says: January 21st, 2008 12:09pm
thanks for all
26 Reasons Why I Love Twitter | Social Desire says: January 24th, 2008 8:29pm
[...] Eight Ways Twitter is Useful Professionally - Anne Zelenka of WebWorkerDaily explains 8 ways that you can use Twitter Professionally. [...]
tej kohli says: February 7th, 2008 2:12pm
It looks amazing! Thanks for working on it.
I hope to help improve and advocate it even more.
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[...] microblogging application Twitter have legitimate business uses? Maggie, Ann and Andy haven’t settled it. Let’s prove it. Right here, right [...]
andrew mcardle says: March 31st, 2008 11:17am
I was wondering if you could create a twitter mashup to allow people to ask for help. For example you dont know how to say “i need the toilet” in german. You twitter this with a direct message to the help account. The twitter API is used to get all the help requests into a html page. People then answer the request and it is twittered back at the person who wanted help, so they know the answer. The beauty of this would be it would work over sms texts as twitter handles sms. Just wondering if anyone had heard of a similar system, or had a similar idea?
Mike Gunderloy says: March 31st, 2008 12:28pm
Andrew, it already exists: http://www.hoosgot.com/
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