This is a Guest Post by Aaron Asay. He can be found blogging at AaronAsay.com.
Little did I know in November of 2007, when I signed up for Twitter, that I wouldn’t love it completely until January of 2009! Wish there was some kind of stock I could have purchased back then in the early days… Hmm.
In the last couple of days, I have seen more growth in my Twitterness than ever before. I am really starting to “connect” with others who do the same things that I do. I heard it said once:
“Facebook is for those you used to know, Twitter is for those who you will know.”
So true! I have been asking relevant questions, and getting relevant answers.
To some, this may seem silly, or unneeded – but to me, so valuable! I am that guy who wants to network with other people in town, especially those who are excited to get together and talk about what we’re doing in ministry – meetings like this would only help us sharpen each other with what we already know!
Sounds common right? Not so fast my friend! I’m the only Tech Director in town, at least for a Church, Full-Time – and since we’re sort-of leading the way in new technology, the only time I network with other Churches is when they need something from me… Rarely do I glean much from them – but I try!
That’s the value of Twitter, it’s my way of getting out in the world, and connecting with some very powerful people, who I would have never known otherwise…
Here’s three tips for diving deeper into Twitter so you can make it work for you!
- Start Twittering. Even if you’re on Twitter, that doesn’t mean that you’re really doing your part. See – if you want to get results, you’ve got to be part of the answer for someone else. Simply just sharing what you did for lunch isn’t enough – you’ve got to share what’s going on in your industry, field or profession – this helps relevant people find you!
- Search, Search, Search. Want to find someone who’s having trouble with their Yamaha M7 Digital board? Search it. There’s gotta be a reference out there somewhere. One of my favorites is to do a search on “Church” on Sunday morning – there’s thousands of tweets an hour! I love to read what other churches are doing from the eyes of their attendees!
- Look at your followers followers. Or your “Followings” for that matter. Look to see who’s contributing to the lives of your friends, colleagues etc… a lot can be said from what they’re saying, @replying and what they put in their profile. So easy.
So the next time you’re stuck without an answer, don’t just Google it, Twitter away!
Phillip Gibb says
word!
have not leveraged the search capabilities.
let me try …
Just searched for my dream Camera: Red One, and found two people that will be interesting to follow.
Epic 😉
aaronasay says
Thanks Phillip! I have found SO many great people to follow by searching, it's kinda "little known!"
Adam_S says
I have found twitter support often quicker than regular support for companies especially if you are just asking a question and don't need in depth response. I respond to questions a lot because they are usually quick and fairly simple. But of course you can't really get into the meaning of life on twitter. Or the fine distinctions between the three traditional views of the Eucharist for those Christian questions out there. : )
But it really is good for finding out info.
aaronasay says
Adam – very true… Twitter isn't Magic! We can all make it better by answering more questions for sure!
Jim says
Twitter is not magic ?:(
Ancoti says
A brave new world, that I am learning more about daily. Never going to get this genie back in the bottle, even if the genie morphs every few months.
Jim says
ooh, i want the red camera.
Jim says
I love throwing out questions on Twitter. I've made some solid contacts who have helped me start my business with their expertise.
aaronasay says
Haha! You know, you can't "rub" it and ask it for 3 wishes 🙂
What I mean is, Twitter doesn't answer questions that we submit, we do – so let's all work together to make it that much better.
Graham Brenna says
Hey Man! I'm also a full-time tech director! Our church isn't "paving the way" just yet, but we're getting there. (Look for my guest post on patience here on ChurchCrunch sometime soon). I agree! It's good to bounce ideas and strategy off of others and I've also quickly learned that Twitter is a fantastic tool for that.
aaronasay says
Totally Man! Looking forward to that Post – great to connect with you on Twitter, hope to "bounce" lots of ideas off you in the near future!
aaronasay says
@aaronasay
Connie Reece says
But what's your Twitter name??? (Did I read so fast I overlooked it?)
I'm one of the "old-timers" on Twitter and have used it personally and professionally–it's my favorite social network–since January 2007. As a social media consultant, I spend a lot of time online, with a fair share of it on Twitter.
But I'm also active in my church (my term as elder just expired), and I'm now starting to branch out and connect with people in full-time ministry. If you ever have a question about Twitter, or other social networks (I'm on most of them), please send an @ message and I'll be glad to help.
@conniereece
Ron_Tuffin says
Great post. Loved your quote on the Facebook/Twitter thing
human3rror says
i like your quote about loving a quote about fb and twitter.