I don’t have a Twitter Account.
There I said it. The big secret
is out there. I don’t have a personal one, one for the blog or even a work one.
I just don’t feel the need. I’ve managed my blog so far without one and I’m
happy.
However, the world is changing
and in this day and age am I missing out...?
Now, before everyone on Twitter
rushes to tell me how great it is and how I’m missing out in the latest news
from authors and what sort of contacts at publisher’s Twitter will help with.
Yes, I’m sure there is a lot that I can get out of Twitter, especially being a
blogger. But I already spend a lot of
time online both at work (don’t tell my boss!) and my personal time. I read other peoples blogs, surf authors
websites for latest book news, cruise Facebook for the latest publishers news.
And that’s not counting the time spent thinking and writing my own reviews.
After spending 9-10 hours a day in the office looking at a computer screen,
what’s the first thing I do when I get home...? Switch on the computer to read
any comments on the days post and start thinking about the next post that is
needed. With so much of my time already dedicated to blogging, reading and
books in general, I’m not sure I want Twitter to take up any additional time. I
want some time for me! I want some time to read occasionally, watch some TV,
talk to friends and see my family and I just can’t help thinking that Twitter
will eat into that.
That’s not to say I’ve not been
tempted! Most giveaways have an additional entry for re-tweets, and as I said
the chance to interact with authors, bloggers and publishers is like a siren
calling at times.
So I thought I would open the
floor up and see what you guys think are the pros and cons of Twitter... what
makes it worth while? Or do you have an account you never use? Or perhaps you
are like me and haven’t fallen for its charms yet? Lets see if there is anyone
out there who can persuade me that Twitter is worth it! Although I warn you
now, I’m not easily persuaded! :-)
I love Twitter but I use it mostly for fun. I know many bloggers who use it simply to tweet about blog posts and such but for me it's not just about that. Sure, it lets me keep in touch with publishers and authors too, which is amazing, but I've been on Twitter since 2009 - a little bit more than two years before I actually started my blog. It's such a great way to meet people, make friends and have fun :)
ReplyDeleteI'll be honest, I use Twitter more for self-promotion and networking than to actually read the news feeds. I find it's a quick, easy way to get book review links out there, and if you tag the author or publisher, there's always a chance you'll get retweeted and suddenly find yourself before a whole new audience. It's been great to generating traffic, and for making introductions - several of the books I've had come in for review lately only came about because the authors connected with me on Twitter.
ReplyDeletePros - Increased visibility for your blog, increased chance of finding other awesome blogs, ability to chat quickly with favourite authors or other bloggers, a quick reference for how many people are interested in what you're saying
ReplyDeleteCons - Holy crap, so many people post on Twitter that it's hard to keep up with, and I miss about a hundred potentially cool messages if I so much as step away from the computer for half an hour. Also spammers.
So long as you don't get too caught up in it, it can be a fun thing and a useful tool. I use it. I don't use it as much as some people do, but I've found it pretty useful and a good way to interact and network with others. Not essential, but it definitely has its perks.
I don't send out tweets, I just follow some of my favorite authors and I definitely use it to get extra entries for giveaways.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I don't follow bloggers. Most of them are friends with each other and use twitter as their personal instant message system which "spams" up my newsfeed and drives me crazy.
Well...oh to be honest, I never read my whole stream, I check one page and then let it be. Still twitter is cool
ReplyDeleteEven if you don't do a twitter, put the icons on your post. That way others can tweet your posts and giveaways. I've found good giveaways that way and it's another way to advert them. Twitter isn't necessary tho...
ReplyDeleteI was a bit like you at first- I never saw the point of it either- but then about a year ago I signed up for an account (just to get extra entries into contests and to promote my blog really), but I'm so glad I did.
ReplyDeleteI now love it as a means of spreading my blog posts, stalking my favourite authors, and it's definitely the fastest way of catching up to bookish/ blogging news. I also use it to find new blogs, discussion posts and reviews to read, and it's a great way to find more bookish competitions to enter as well.
Just sign up for an account- you don't need to let it rule your life or become an extra chore, use it as much or as little as you like, but at least you won't wonder if you are missing out.
Mel, believe me I'm just like you. I only got dragged on Twitter kicking and screaming last year. It can eat your time if you allow it, otherwise I can only see PROS of you using it as a blogger. 1. talking to authors is much more straightforward. 2.Easy to ask something your blogger friends and have a quick conversation about a book you all read. 3. You can set up Twitterfeed to automatically post your tweets on twitter when they are published. 4. It's great to include twitting option in your giveaways and connect to readers who otherwise would not comment on your blog. I say go for it! :)
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's a necessity - although like someone else said, you can set it up so you can automatically tweet your blog post - like the millions of other people out there, and chat every once in a while when you feel like it. Honestly, I'd rather spend the time commenting on blogs, which for ME brings in way more traffic. But maybe that's because I'm not using Twitter much these days. Oh - but I've discovered a few Twitter chats, and those are pretty cool - set amount of time, and more personal intereaction.
ReplyDeleteTanya Patrice
Girlxoxo.com
I'm not glued to my Twitter account either, I have it linked to my blog posts and use it for competitions but that's about it. I agree that as a blogger we already spend enough time in front of the computer and I actually want to have time to read, relax, play with my kids and catch up with my pals etc life's too short to be obsessed with twitter and Facebook.
ReplyDelete