Why I Use Twitter

When you start talking about Twitter in the community, it's common to see a controversy start. There are some people who think it's useless and others who claim to be Twitter-addicted. As with all things, there are good and bad signs but I've felt compelled to write about why I Twitter.

I'll admit that I was one who first signed up for Twitter and then left for many months without sending a single Tweet. I'd read about it online and wasn't thrilled to hear of another social networking site making its way up the net-popularity ladder.

When I first tried it, I wasn't really sure what the point was. But then I did come back later and give it a second try and I realized that the key to success with Twitter lies in finding the best way to make it work for you.

For me, Twitter is a way to build a brand name, advertise new books, promote my articles, meet other writers, find article ideas and even book ideas, contact people regarding interviews, be contacted regarding interviews, watch job boards in one single stream, advertise my services, help establish myself as a niche expert and much more.

I have met some friends along the way and the socialization can be fun and interesting but the bottom line is that if Twitter wasn't making me money, I probably wouldn't be using it. The spammers are annoying, I dislike the social networking groups and games (i.e. Join my Mobster family; I'm sending you a gift) but the benefits I get outweigh the downside and it's well worth the time I put into it.

Each person has to make their own decisions about whether or not Twitter is right for them. If you're not getting anything out of it, then obviously you shouldn't waste your time. However, I advise you not to judge until you've at least given it a full-fledged effort to see what it can do for you.

Lisa Mason is a freelance writer with a specialty in Internet content and SEO articles and the author of How to Earn a Living Writing for the Internet as well as two poetry anthologies and a how-to poetry book. She has written thousands of articles, hundreds of ebooks and thousands of website pages and related content