What Twitter and A Cocktail Party Have In Common
When people are thinking about how social media works for personal use, many can’t seem to wrap their heads around twitter.
“It’s just Facebook status updates, right? What’s the point of that?”
…is something I’ve heard plenty.
But Facebook and Twitter work very differently. Here’s how I like to explain it:
Facebook is like family reunion: You know everyone and don’t want to talk to any of them.
Twitter is like a fancy cocktail party where everyone is a little tipsy. Conversation is often short, but plentiful… and it’s totally cool to join anyone’s conversation and talk to total strangers.
Yes, a little silly… but it make sense, right?
On Facebook, the timeline shows content based on a complex algorithm. Twitter shows updates chronologically. Facebook friend requests are mutual, and on Twitter you can follow people who may never follow you back.
That allows Twitter to be a platform for more informal conversation among strangers. Anyone can tweet anyone. And with hashtags and search, you can find a conversation you want to be be a part of and just jump in.
You might not want to spend the extra time using Twitter if you’re not already. And that’s fine.
But if you want to connect with lots of new people with similar interests, Twitter is worth checking out.
I’ve used it to generate business, meet new people, share interesting information, and learn a lot about events and people.
Give it a try, let me know how it goes!
Got any other questions about Twitter? Leave a comment below and I’ll respond!