Everyone needs Twitter! (Well, those that are interested in using it properly)

Todd Defren in his blog post yesterday asked whether PROs should “Get Into Twitter or Get Outta Public Relations”

Todd highlighted how PROs who used Twitter could improve their personal branding, have access to the knowledge of some of the industry’s most brilliant minds and build relationships with their peers.

If you read my blog, you would know about my initial scepticism toward Twitter and how I eventually changed my mind about it. I find myself regularly having to explain to friends and colleagues why I spend time Twittering during the day and in my spare hours after work. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s great Twittering during sporting events or during Twitter favourite, The Apprentice.

I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to get more involved in the social media side of PR – which is not everyone in the PR industry. Some people just don’t get it and never will – nor will every marketing manager (i.e. those who pay our wages).

Although we are seeing a huge change in the PR industry, I still think we are a long way off from the point when everyone needs to know about blogging and Twitter and the social media space (and can Twitter be used effectively as a marketing tool in the first place? I certainly haven’t signed up for the porn / dating sites that keep following me – I prefer the freaky stuff).

One of the criticisms of Twitter is that it still feels very elitist. Those that get it, use it well but it is essentially the same folk we’ve been contacting and communicating through blogs for the last couple of years, meet at the same events and have geeky conversations with – newbies can feel a bit left out. However, whenever I’ve got a new follower I’ve always dropped them a quick message to say ‘Hi’ and others have done the same for me. Those that criticise it on this basis are usually too scared to engage. An excellent example of someone who’s come onto Twitter and just steamed in is Jed Hallam, a Nottingham-based PRO who started following me and politely and apologetically, joining in conversations.

Another criticism is that it is self promotional. In many ways it is, people (ourselves included) have been posting up new blog postings on Twitter. I don’t have a problem with it, as long as they are not posing as someone else (which would be illegal nowadays anyway). It means that I am notified as soon as something interesting comes up. Is it spam? (Niall Cook is not a fan) but I find the ‘self promotional argument’ redundant – don’t follow them if you don’t like them.

I’ve actually started using it more of a chat room to talk to people and arrange to meet up offline, whether to set up a game of football or meet for a coffee. As for whether PROs have to be on Twitter – yes if you are a geek like me, but only if you are interested in it. If you are not joining in on the conversation and just want to criticise because other people are using it better than you then leave.