I’m not sure it’s as clear-cut as tool vs. toy, at least not on Twitter. If you use it as a tool only you’ll come across as a self-promoter, where it’s one-sided and well, frankly, boring. I’m learning that Twitter is not really a place to reel in business, but it’s useful for creating visibility and yes, of course, let your posts get a higher readership. I also find that there are lots of interesting links being bandied around so it’s like an ongoing, fast-speed education and a way to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s going on.

But the real value is in “meeting” people you’d never otherwise meet, the exposure your name/brand gets just by taking part, and in the very give and take. Your fame/expertise is certainly an advantage, but you’ll only attract a large following if you put something into it. And quite ordinary people can, and do, attract a large following by doing the same and being open to their readers. You can also get instant feedback and answers to questions.

It’s quite a wacky, unique environment. I didn’t think I’d enjoy Twitter, but I do in a way that I don’t enjoy forums and classic social media sites, and it’s (with care) much less time-consuming.

Good stuff! Hadn’t thought of that angle (not surprisingly, since, up till now, I haven’t given a lot of thought to social media in general, though, yes, a blog is social media…). But, obviously many (like me) are coming to realize is that social media can have wildly different applications depending on one’s circumstances. For someone like me, who might be able to attract a decent following, using Twitter to be able to send out notices of blog posts, new book/product releases, upcoming events, etc., makes it infinitely more useful. It then becomes a tool which, in fact, bears almost no resemblance to the random-neural-firings-stream-of-consciousness vibe Twitter seems to have originated as… The Tool vs. The Toy.

PB

One tool that I appreciate is the ability to automatically post a link to my blog posts. I’d certainly like to see that from you. I don’t enjoy feed readers but when the links are delivered to my Twitter stream I often come look. I’ve found that as I interact more with the Twitter community I get more readers. This is a Good Thing. I’d certainly like to receive your blog posts that way.

http://toughsledding.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/linkedin-and-lame-begin-with-l-coincidence/#more-2164

I can attribute the social media sites to over 50% of my income last year…and an even higher percentage this year.

My phone (for outgoing marketing calls) is starting to gather dust.

I equate the social media to attending a giant seminar…where you can actually control the audience in attendance, and depending on what sites you decide to use, develop VERY profitable relationships.

Business is about people, it always has been, it always will be. The social media allows you to tap the Internet for all it’s worth in that respect.

An instant way to reach your market without hype…group together with like-minded individuals…and capitalize on a mutually beneficial level.

I love it.

Joseph Ratliff

As a “baby writer,” social media is very attractive to me for one important reason: all it costs is time, which I have in abundance.

Does it make sense for others? Only one way to find out – try it, measure it, and make a data-driven decision. You know, like all the other marketing methods one might choose to employ.

I’m having fun, I’ve made some interesting connections, I’ve followed some forwarded links that have generated more connections. As far as cash — well, I think I’ve been on it about two weeks, so I haven’t seen cash in connection to the freelancing — but it’s certainly helped me think of some things in new ways, and I created some proposals/pitches based on information gleaned via Twitter that I might not have otherwise stumbled across, so we’ll see.

It bumped up the fiction sales. That’s a definite. That cash will show up in the next round of royalty statements. And increased the blog traffic for Ink in My Coffee.

I found if I spend a few minutes on it several times a day, it’s not a time suck, and I’m careful who to follow — dropped a few because I got too many tweets that were, in my opinion, the equivalent of spam email, so buh-bye. If I wait to long and there are too many tweets to read, it becomes a time suck, so short check-ins wind up utilizing the time better (I actually tracked this over a 3 day period because I was curious).

I respond to tweets if I have something to say, and I tweet if I have something to say, not with just daily details unless there’s a (short) amusing/satirical comment on it.

I only do it as part of my workday at the desk, not via my mobile phone.

I don’t use LinkedIn — had joined ages ago, don’t remember my password, didn’t like it, should probably try it again, but haven’t.

I don’t do FaceBook at all. Since I publish under multiple names and have a strict “no photographs” policy, and I can’t use the pseudonyms, it’s useless for me.

I have a couple of MySpace pages — a main Devon Ellington page, one for the Jain Lazarus Adventures, and I’m designing one for the pseudonym under which the YA horse racing mystery will release this summer. Again, I’ve found it more helpful in the fiction sales/promotion/interviews/reviews than in the commercial writing.

Just my experience thus far.

I assumed I’d hate Twitter and quit in two days, but I’m actually finding it useful.

Speaking as someone from a fairly small town with a very limited network, these sites are all useful for me. To keep the Time Suck Factor under control, I just set limits for myself. I only check Twitter when taking a short break or eating lunch, FB is for non-work hours and then in about 10-15 minute intervals, Linkedin once per week for 10-15 minutes, and MySpace maybe once a month.

One thing about Twitter that is really cool is that you can “follow” people you admire. Fro instance I follow Mike Stelzner, and when he has a new blog post, I usually access it through the link he posts on Twitter. And, Mike returned the follow which both gave me a little ego-boost and access to an experienced writer who would likely answer a question if I asked him one.

No doubt you can be successful without ever using any sort of social media but it is here to stay, so why not use it for whatever its worth and “meet” some people along the way? But again, that is the perspective of someone very new to this business who doesn’t have much of a network of live people I can pick up the phone and call for advice.