Saturday, October 1, 2011

#Twitter


I find Web-based social networking appealing because of its ability to connect me with others who share interests similar to my own. I want to broaden and enrich those connections, so it makes sense to ramp up my online presence.

Beyond Facebook and LinkedIn (I have accounts with these services with post feeds to both) the next logical step is joining the Twitterverse. Leah Archual, social strategist for My Green Palette, encouraged me to sign up for a Twitter account. Why? Leah believes tweeting will drive readers to my blog (and to My Green Palette) as I develop different kinds of content in different Web formats. According to Leah, Twitter will broaden my reach by engaging a format that is increasingly popular and easy to use.

Despite Leah’s enthusiasm, I think it’s going to take me a while to find my voice on Twitter. I tend to be very careful and deliberate when I write. Tidbits and quips of 140 characters or less don’t come easily to me. The fierce urgency of now(1) operates at a different pace in my blogosphere. Twitter’s immediacy—real-time updates and instantaneous communication—isn’t essential to the delivery of my blog posts.

On the other hand, I’ll be able to offer more timely news via Twitter to readers of SW Oregon Architect than I might have otherwise. For example, I can announce events of shared interest as soon as I am aware of them (Flash mob of #architects now at #Kesey Plaza!). My blog was never the best vehicle for delivering news bulletins.

The bottom line is I want to figure how best to use Twitter in a way that complements and enhances my blogging experience. I expect discovering how to do so will be thoroughly enjoyable.

I’ve added the Twitter “badge” to SW Oregon Architect in the right sidebar between Labels and My Blog List. Follow me on Twitter @sworegonarch.

(1) I hope my use of Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous words do not come across as disrespectful to the spirit of his 1967 sermon Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence.

No comments: