Twitter is lame… or so I thought

A year and a half ago, after some encouragement from a friend I joined Twitter. I made one post announcing my arrival and that was about it. Since then I have not be an active member of the social media site, maybe it was because I kept forgetting my password. I did not really understand the point of Twitter. Was it necessary for my friends to update me of their activities every minute of every day? As Paul Levinson, the author of the book New New Media, would say, “Would you like everyone in the world to know… a second or so after you had [a] thought or experience and got the impulse to broadcast it to the world?” My point exactly, did I want everyone to know all this information about me? No, not really, that’s probably the real reason I never used my Twitter account. To be honest it was not until this past week that I began to realize how fun and beneficial using Twitter could be.

Recently I read a New York Times article that highlights how Twitter is more than just status updates. The article was about the airliner JetBlue and how they have utilized Twitter to not only connect with customers also how they have saved travelers from being stranded when flights are canceled. Alex Murillo, an online creative director, was stuck at an airport during a December 2010 snowstorm. After a failed attempt to reach JetBlue over the phone to reschedule his flight, Alex took to Twitter to complain. Not long after tweeting JetBlue about the problem, a customer service rep direct messaged (DM) Alex for his flight confirmation number. Alex DM his number and within minuets he was rescheduled for another flight. This happened to Alex about three more times but instead of calling JetBlue each time he used Twitter. Who ever thought you could use Twitter like that?

Since it’s not every day I’m stuck in an airport needing to reschedule my flight, I’ve mainly been using Twitter to connect with a wide array of users. So far, I am following most of my friends, celebrities, businesses, and many professionals related to public relations, which I am currently studying at UW Oshkosh For example, I now follow my journalism professor and the marketing manager for the student union at my university. They are always posting information related to public relations as well as opportunities to further my understanding of the field outside of the classroom.

I’ve also found out that Twitter is a great place to connect with potential employers. Many companies or professionals are on Twitter looking for their next employee. In addition, they may post internship opportunities and job openings. This is where having a good presence on Twitter is important. I don’t claim to be an expert on the subject of Twitter but I still would like to share some tips on who to improve your Twitter presence. So, here are some helpful tips I found from the Public Relations Student Society of America Forum.

Interaction – Be active on Twitter, don’t be like me and make a Twitter account and never use it. Make sure you are connecting with other people who share your interests. Furthermore, post articles you find that are interesting, or share your opinion about topics you read on Twitter

Creation – You want to create content not just re-tweet content; share something that is your own. This could include making a video, writing a blog, or submitting content to a website.

Authenticity – Most importantly be yourself; don’t try to be something you’re not.
Your online self should reflect who you are in person.

By following these tips, you can improve your chances of being noticed, not only by your friends but by professionals.

How have you utilized Twitter? Do you have any suggestions on how I can improve my presence on Twitter or whom I should follow?  Share them here, and make sure to follow me on Twitter  as I work on improving my Twitter presence.