You’ve heard that Twitter is a great marketing tool, but you still don’t get it, right? As Steven Berlin Johnson wrote in his Time Magazine story on Twitter, “The one thing you can say for certain about Twitter is that it makes a terrible first impression. The service allows you to send 140-character updates to your followers,” he writes, “and you think, why does the world need this, exactly?” Hopefully the Q&A below will demystify the value of Twitter.

What is Twitter?
Twitter is a free social-messaging tool for staying connected in real-time. It is a “micro-blogging service” that enables its users to send and read other users’ short (140-character) updates, known as “tweets.”

Why does everyone talk about what they ate for lunch?
Sometimes Twitter makes for inane comments. When tweeting, it’s best to provide content that is important to your followers. Remember, social media is meant to be a two-way conversation. When using Twitter, it’s important to engage in conversations, and ask and answer questions.

Why aren’t people following my Twitter account?
You could start by asking yourself a few questions. Are you talking more than listening? Are you providing valuable content? Are you following a lot of new people each day? If you’ve answered no to any of the above questions, you probably aren’t engaging at a level the community expects.

I don’t get it… What’s the value?
The power from Twitter lies in following other users and having them follow you. Twitter becomes a rich platform when you are connected to people you know or want to know. Creating a loyal following allows you to get to know your current and potential customers, leading to engagement, trust, loyalty and brand equity.

What’s next?
There is a LOT more to learn about Twitter, but for the sake of time, I’ll cut it off here. To learn more about social networking, keep a close eye on my posts and tweets. I look forward to reading your comments. Happy tweeting!