How Twitter has hurt and helped my blog

Originally I didn't want to spend my time and energy in yet a new online fad or social network, but after the dozenth person asked me if I was on Twitter yet, I finally signed up and started twittering back in June. As I feared and predicted, I soon became addicted, which previously happened with me and MySpace, then Facebook, etc.

What is Twitter?
  • It's dubbed as micro-blogging and is a cross between blogging and text messaging where – in 140 characters or less, you "tweet" to your group of "followers" about what you're doing, seeing, talking about or hearing right now

I started twittering not only because of the peer pressure I was experiencing among my tech and blogging friends, but because I thought it might be yet another place to market and bring attention to my blog. On that level, it has worked in some respect and also failed. People who normally didn't read my blog are filing in, including perceived "influencers," however, some only read and follow my tweets but do not explore on to my blog. Also, the people that I follow aren't necessarily my typical blog reader who wants to read about my adventures and LA happenings. Plus, my Tweets vary from the personal, local to the professional.

A negative to Twitter for me is that I find myself twittering stuff that at one time I would have expanded upon and turned into a blog post. Twitter is also monopolizing what little free time I have to blog, thus affecting the amount of times I blog in a week. On the other hand, Twitter has helped spark my creativity and a blog post or two by following the different discussions and articles being sent around. Thus, a good research tool that can spark blog posts.

The worst part though is that people will now twitter responses to my blog instead of leaving a traditional comment here, so although I'm glad they are talking about it, it's now on a different medium.

In the end though, Twitter might not have helped my original goal of building my blog, but it has helped me to virtually meet others in my space and has aided my job in PR by understanding the space better. Oh, and if you want to follow me I'm @tarametblog.

10 comments

  1. dYes! I have noticed a few things you have twittered on and I anticipated a blog about it but it was just a tweet in the end. I do agree with everythng you have said in this post though.

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  2. i have totally become a twitterholic too. i can't help it.

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  3. I can't say that Twitter has distracted me from blogging but I can see the problem.

    I almost need to create a private Tweet page where I can jot down blog idea notes. I get the best ideas when I'm nowhere near a computer and/or don't have the time to write on them, and by the time I get there, I've lost my idea and/or thoughtstream and can't get it back. It'd be a much better cure for the block if I had a stream of ideas somewhere.

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  4. twitter does pose a challenge when it comes to managing multiple identities.

    I am a blogger and a PR professional and like most social media mediums, twitter breaks those barriers. Sometimes it is getting my blog out there and other times it is finding out what is relevant to my clients.

    As a PR person I am as interested in what an analyst that researches mobile enterprise applications has to say as I am with a tweet by a travel writer.

    All challenges aside, I am hooked.

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  5. :) i still blog about the random tweets. i sorta consolidate them into entries.

    -@suki :)

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  6. Twitter has done great things for my blog, but my business and message is within the space. I wanted to comment more to just let you know you have gotten new readers because of it. :)

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  7. The posting of responses via Twitter, instead of via a blog-comment, is something I've experienced, except with email being the preferred channel... I realize on the one hand that you should let your readers reply any way they choose, as long as the communication gets through. On the other hand, screw that -- I want that feedback on the blog!

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  8. I've never been able to get into Twitter. On the other hand, Facebook has been my blog's archenemy these days :-P

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  9. Well, I read your post and gave it a go - I'm currently trying to get more traffic for my blog, so maybe it will work! I like the idea of it, though the texting thing online doesnt fully work in the UK. It seems quite cool!

    http://twitter.com/stefaniegrace

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  10. I use Twitter, the little box reminds me of Angel Cards. I have a Twi-post-it on my blog with my latest sprawl, a recent addition. I will follow you now I have found you. I like your blog posts.
    www.sealedwithlove.com

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