Today's post is brought to you by the amazing Twin Turbo charged team from 5 Minutes For Mom! Janice and Susan are the duo dynamo behind th fabulous phenomenon known as The Ultimate Blog Party. Have you SEEN it? THOUSANDS of participants!
Written by Janice:
I ADORE Twitter. I should be a Twitter Evangelist!
It is one of my favorite social media tools. Through 140-character-or-less masterpieces, which are fast and fun to write and get instantaneous responses, I can develop my social media footprint, drive traffic to my sites, and, most importantly, connect with an ocean of people, many of whom I might never otherwise get the chance to meet. I can talk to Darren Rowse. (@problogger) And you never know – he might just talk back! THEN a whole lot of people would see him talking to little old me!
But even if Darren Rowse doesn’t follow me back or even answer my tweet, there are thousands of other wonderful tweets that are waiting for me. There is a vast world of twitter friends and I am on my way to finding each one of them, one tweet and follow at a time. Yes, that kind of interaction and opportunity is just plain exciting.
But there is More...
Twitter is a networking party, a chance to mingle and connect. We chat, catch up and even introduce one another. We laugh and have fun. We cheer each other up and cheer each other on. And sometimes, in the middle of it all, we drop in some self promoting links.
But, I have found the most valuable rewards of Twitter come when my Twitter friends and I leave TweetDeck or TweetGrid and delve into deeper relationships. Through visiting their blogs and websites, commenting and engaging in these different forums, I get to know my Twitter friends better. We develop stronger bonds and a better understanding of each other. Through events like Tweet Ups, conferences, and parties, we are able to establish “In Real Life” connections that solidify our online connections taking us to the next level of friendship and loyalty.
What are YOU doing with your Twitter Love? A reply comes in from a stranger. Wow – a new friend! Someone heard my tweet and cared enough to tweet back. It is a magical feeling really. It makes the world cosier and certainly more fun. It is connection – the nature of Twitter. We tweet back and forth. We follow each other. We are Twitter friends. And that Twitter friend might just become one of my best friends and my most loyal ally. But I will never know if I don’t take that connection to the next level. So what do you need to do to ensure you get the most out of Twitter?
Take a minute and take a chance. Jump over to your new followers’ blogs, leave comments on posts, and get to know them beyond the 140 character format. Chances are, if you like them in short form, long form will be a great fit too! Get out to Tweet Ups and other IRL events. As wonderful as technology is, nothing can replace meeting in person. It is a wonderful feeling when an online friend becomes a real life friend. Support each other. Promote each other. On Twitter and off, there are so many ways to help each other. Just like at Christmas, it is better to give than to receive. (But don’t worry - you will probably have your share of receiving too!)
Yes, following up on Twitter friendships takes time. And you probably don’t have time to invest in every Twitter reply or follow you have. But it will serve you well to take all that love you have found on Twitter and let it grow both on and off your Twitter app.
Photos from flickr and flickr. 
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