Twitter keeps me in check.  I  see comments on posts about Twitter like,

• "What is a tweet",
• "I should go and figure it out...someday soon"
• "I'm not sure I see a value"

I'm not gonna tell you what Twitter should mean to you.  I'm gonna tell you what Twitter means for me and for my business.

Twitter makes me...

A better blogger.  It forces me to make a point in 140 characters or less.  I am a wordy kinda gal.  I am still working out the kinks of mastering the brevity in my posts.  Twitter is an exercise of brevity without the sweat and breathlessness.

Twitter makes me a better blogger.

A better reader.  My google reader is clogged up with posts waiting to be read.  My Active Rain home page is growing as I add new bloggers to the mix.  I will never have enough time to read everyone.  EVER.  Twitter alerts me to posts I would've normally missed.

Twitter makes me a better reader.

A better conversationalist.  Conversation is a 2-3-4- or even 5 way street.  On twitter I can engage in conversation with more than one person.  If I talk and listen I am rewarded with more "followers".  If I self promote and don't listen I am unfollowed and left behind.  If I rehash someone else's thoughts repeatedly and don't add original content my impact diminishes significantly.

Twitter makes me a better conversationalist

A transparent marketer.  What better way to build your brand by having spontaneous conversations.  Twitter gives everyone the opportunity to stand out and shine.  It makes you give up the self promotion and show your character.  It makes you break down your walls and tell people who you really are.

Twitter makes me a transparent marketer.

A localism star.  I searched for local folks to connect with on Twitter, knowing that here in my small town right away that would give us something in common.  Yesterday I found out about Twitter local from a Twitter's tweet.  Now with Twitter Local I'm able to search, reach out, converse and develop relationships with local folks.  Today I am heads above marketers in my local area 'cause I am visible where the majority are not.

Twitter makes me a localism star.

A fierce competitor.  Although Twitter's popularity is growing, the majority of people actively using Twitter isn't huge.  Many have an oversight for the huge tool it can be to their business.  They sign up, tweet)converse) a little, then drop it and forget about it.  This puts me in the driver's seat because I am still a mid-early adopter and I actively use the free tool that Twitter is to my business advantage. 

Twitter makes me a fierce competitor.

Microblogging on Twitter is like any other social media tool.  Useful if you have a marketing strategy.  Useful is you set a time frame.

Useful if you you use the tool.

Twitter Keeps Me In Check.  It's Like That and That's The Way It Is.