I resisted Twitter for a long time. I voiced the usual criticism: “Why should I care what you had for lunch?” Then I started reading articles on why it was a great social networking tool for writers. So, I’ve been a Tweeter for about a month (as cassidylewis) and I follow several fellow writers (some big names) and agents, editors, and publishers.
Twitter is fairly user friendly; just join and follow a few people for a day or two and I think you’ll pick it up quickly. I use an app called Tweetdeck so I can follow my Twitter and Facebook accounts at the same time. You can spend all day following the Tweets, or just an hour or two when it’s convenient for you. You’ll catch the latest news, see links to great articles, websites, and blogs you might have otherwise missed, and if you’re like me …unagented … you can get to know a little about the agents you follow to learn which might be the best ones to query for your book. 
Of course, along the way, you’ll see funny photos and humorous quips … and yes, you’ll occasionally find out what so-and-so had for lunch, or how hot, cold, rainy it is in someone’s hometown, but that’s just part of the fun.
I know a lot of you bloggers also Twitter, so my question to you is: Has Twitter use increased traffic to your blog? (And if you found this blog through Twitter, would you please leave a comment to let me know that?)
Yes, twitter has added traffic to my blog. Like you I also resisted twitter at first, but I have found it to be a really good source of news, information and useful links for me as a blogger and writer.
Thanks for your input, Juliet. So far, I’m not seeing an increase … although you apparently clicked through from Twitter.
Too early to tell, I think, if the benefits outweigh the time spent. It’s definitely a great resource for articles on writing and blogging. And recently I’ve been getting a good many click-throughs.
You may already know this but one thing to keep in mind is that if you use a tinyurl, the clicks you get on that don’t show up on the wordpress stats. You have to monitor those stats through tinyurl at the time you set up the tinyurl. So perhaps more people than you know are visiting your blog from twitter.
No, Cynthia, I didn’t know that about tinyurl. I’m not even sure if my shortened urls are tinyurls!
I’ll have to check this out. Thanks for enlightening me.
This is interesting for me, as I’ve been thinking about twitter but with just the blog running I feel so time crunched! Linda, when you said one to two hours I cringed. I do not have that time. Cynthia adds in how it’s useful tool – do you think it can be done with a lot less time dedication? Are you finding it useful, Linda?
Jennifer, when I’m going to be at the computer reading email, blogs, browsing anyway, I open Twitter, too. Like I said, I use Tweetdeck which makes a little sound whenever any of the people I follow post a “tweet” and I can click over to see it or not. Some of the people I follow tweet rarely, some occasionally, some a dozen times a day. If I’m seriously writing, I don’t turn on Twitter at all.
But I, like Cynthia, have seen links to valuable info and enjoyable websites and blogs. You can tweet a link to your own blog postings, as well as to friends’ blogs. So it’s a way to make new connections and support fellow writers.
It’s free to try and if you don’t like it, just don’t Twitter.
oh, sigh. Like Jennifer – one to two hours?? But I guess I should at least give it a try before I say absolutely not, even though I said absolutely not twice in the past 5 days.
LOL Just a week before I signed up for a Twitter account, I was quite adamant that I would never do it!
I was a reluctant Tweeter too. For the longest time, instead of “follow me” my blog said, “I’m trying out Twitter” reflecting my reluctance to commit. I do think it’s increased my traffic, though as Cynthia points out, that’s harder to track in WordPress.
Maybe more importantly, I’ve found some great blogs and interesting people. I frequently hear news first on Twitter – Farrah and Michael, for instance. AND I won Augusten Burrough’s latest book on Twitter. How cool is that?
It really is only as much of a time sink as you let it be. I’m thinking it doesn’t hurt to try, right? (You don’t have to admit right away.)
Judy, I guess I haven’t been on Twitter long enough to judge whether it’s increasing my blog traffic, but it has been a benefit in other ways. And yes, it’s fun.
Linda, I’ve had this same experience. I get very few blog hits from it, but have learned some interesting things and follow some extraordinarily witty people.
So the small amount of time it takes is worthwhile.
I agree, Pamela. And those 140 character messages don’t take much time to read … or write, if you’re so inclined.
I resisted too, long and hard. Now that I do Twitter, it does bring _some_ traffic to my site/blog but it’s still very time consuming. Just one more layer. I’d like to spend more time outside
Also, someone recommended your “17 Reasons book manuscripts are rejected” @cassidylewis
I can’t find it at all and it would be something worth passing on to a lady I’m mentoring right now. How/where could I find it?
Diane, thanks for weighing in on the Twitter question. As for the article, I didn’t write that, I just tweeted a link to it. You can find it here: 17 Reasons Book Manuscripts Are Rejected