I was asked by a Facebook friend why he should bother with Twitter.

Right away, I could tell he was in Stage 1.. so I wrote back:

I’d only recommend using Twitter if networking is important to you business. If you need to meet new people, build closer relationships with your network or keep in touch with a lot of people Twitter is the tool for you.

Most people go through 3 stages getting into Twitter.

1. It looks like a complete waste of time and “why would anyone want to know what people had for breakfast”
2. Friends say “use Twitter” and you get an account to secure your name while you can and still think it’s a waste of time
3. You get into a conversation with someone, pick up a new recruit, learn about some news and start saying “how did I live without this?”

Stage 1 is most of the world right now. I’ve seen people in stage 2 for over a year.

FYI, these same three stage occurred in other technologies. For instance, when telephones came out, most executives assigned someone to make calls (if they had a phone at all). The same thing happened with email, Facebook, etc.

If you don’t use Twitter, that’s ok too. Most of my friends are also in Stage 1. I even know a few that refuse to use a phone. No sense worrying about getting everybody to do things the same way.

As we say.. NO RULES in today’s marketing. Just give people what they want, whenever, wherever, and in whatever format they desire. We all demand that today.Technorati Tags: need twitter, twitter book, facebook twitter, social media networking

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I get asked about the future of Twitter all the time. It’s a fun question, and I can see how people might think I have an opinion on this.

But the truth is.. I don’t know what will happen to Twitter

More important to me.. the Twitter Revolution will continue regardless of what happens to the company. We are all making meaningful connections with people and building the relationships we have with people.. through Twitter, social media, and the old technologies.

To me, the revolution is all of us using any technology we can to connect with people.

Thanks to a feed on filtrbox.com, I got an email today about mentions of “Twitter Revolution” and read it in my gmail account. On the side were sponsored links from Google, including a link to a NYtimes article on Twitter by @SarahM.

I wondered “who is this person, and why would she write about Twitter?” and clicked on her Twitter Profile link where I found a link to her blog.

I was surprised to find Blawg & Order and Sarah’s passion for watching a TV show that I know (a 2nd connection). Still not knowng much about her, I did think it was worth tweeting and shared it with my twitter friends.

This led to several other conversations about my former addicition to a show that always talks about murder, the TV viewing habits of my friends, a further discussion of our need for meaningul connections and another question from @SashaKane about the future of Twitter.

Finally, I got an idea for this blog post.

Chaotic? yes

Wasted some of that time? maybe

But, I made some new connections, build relationships with people that I’ve met a conferences, had two request for interviews about Twitter Revolution, and had side conversation about Amazon, book marketing and promotion, the kindle and social media strategy.

Not a bad outcome for the time I was “just messing around”

What about you? Do you have a story about a chaotic path to meaningful connection through Twitter and social media?

Share a comment below. Make sure we have your @ handle somewhere in the comment so others can follow up with you… this may be the chaos that brings just what you were looking for.

I’ll be talking about chaos on my very chaotic radio show. We’ll share some of these stories and invite others to share there on the chat.

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Oct 27th Coach Deb will be on stage in front of a LIVE studio audience talking about Twitter & Tribal Marketing. Mari Smith will be presenting about Facebook, and Denise Wakeman from the BlogSquad will be talking about blogging for business.

Will you join us as VIP or guest and be in LIVE studio audience that will be in the next hottest social media learning DVD set in the world?

Social Media Simplified is the LIVE event held in Ventura this Monday, with an optional VIP dinner at a local winery where you’ll be able to strategize with Coach Deb, Mari Smith and Denise Wakeman plus two other special guests in a casual setting.

Simon Leung (Google Insider) will be our special guest panelist along with Nancy Marmolejo when we take questions from the LIVE studio audience.

Join us by registering directly at: Social Media Simplified and leave a comment below if you’re able to make it to this rare event where 5 of the Top 50 Influential Social Media experts will reveal secrets not shared anywhere else!

PS: For those of you who know Coach Deb, Mari Smith, Denise Wakeman (BlogSquad) Simon Leung and Nancy Marmolejo, you may be shocked to see how affordable this event is compared to their usual speaking gigs where you pay $2,000 to get in the door. That’s because the Technology Development Center is underwriting the costs of the live studio production and creating a DVD set that they’ll be using in order to train their students.

This is the speakers way of giving back to the community while at the same time giving YOU a rare opportunity to learn everything you can about the hottest social network, and how to market your business or non-profit online using the free advertising channels available to you.

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Our Twitter Radio show this week will focus on using social media to promote you book or business.

Many in our network are authors, many others want to become a best selling author at some point. Twitter and Social Media are great tools for any author or business wishing to build meaningful relationships to attract new customers and readers, sell book and products, and form strong bonds with your market.

Special Guest @BBSpress

Alan Bechtold has been using high tech solutions to build information products and businesses for since the mid 80’s. Alan (@BBSpress on Twitter) will be on the TwitCast to tell us how anyone with any passion can turn their knowledge into info-products.

Get Results Before, During and After the TwitCast

Before the show: Signup and login to http://TwitCastRadio.com. While there, look for the bookmark button to share the show with your network. Tweet about it.

During the show: Login to chat, and say hello to those you know (and the host). We have an active group and love to follow like minded tweeps. You will have more followers after the show, and they will be people that are on a similar path. Tweet that you are on http://TwitCastRadio.com

After the show: Post a comment on the show’s page and rate it. If you make the show a FAVORITE, we’ll grow in influence and reach more new people for future shows. More tweeps to add to your network, build into friends and connect for more publicity for your business or cause and more influence in everything you do

Do you want to become a famous best selling author?

We take questions live, and from COMMENTS here.  When you post a comment below, you have a chance to create a link to your web site (in the form) and include your @ handle so that anyone that identifies with you can connect on Twitter.

Make sure you follow others that comment if you like what they are saying. It’s the highest of compliments when people see a tweet that you liked their comments and build more meaningful connections in our group.

Twitter Revolution, the handbook, the radio show and this blog are here to help us all grow our networks in social media. We know that by helping you grow, we ALL have more influence and power to spread important memes to make the world a better place.

Tweet me at @WarrenWhitlock and let me know how you are using comments on blogs, the TwitCast Chat, and social media to help other spread good causes. I want to know about the best ideas and memes and help you build your network.

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We’re just getting started..

One word

Twitter Revolution, Digital Revolution, HP

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I just read a piece on Slate’s The Big Money by Chadwick Matli that sought to address the issue that “Everybody wants to know how Twitter will make millions”

Really.. Everybody?

The article suggests that Twitter is suffering from Peter Pan Syndrome and does not want to grow up. It’s way beyond me to question whether that is true. I never was much for psycho-analysis of corporations. Supposedly, a reporter at The Slate, where they have a history of trying every monetization plan ever on readers, would know all about this.

I won’t bring up all the ways Twitter might choose to make money someday. In my own outsider opinion, many are credible, few are likely and they all really don’t matter to us.

The fact is. Twitter has become a lot more stable over the last several months, gained a lot more mainstream users and continues to grow its’ base with very little chance that this will change soon.

I think what “everybody wants to know” would more like be How Can I Build My Own Revenues With Twitter and Social Media?

Moreover, regardless of Twitter.com’s future, the Twitter Revolution in the way we communicate, meet and build meaningful relationships will continue.

If you’ve been using Twitter for more than a very short time, I ask you

===> “Can you imagine going back to a world without micro-blogging?”

I’m looking to add more Twitter Success Stories, Twinterviews and inputs here on the Twitter handbook blog. Please share your answer to this question here, and remember to add you Twitter @ name to the post so we can follow you.

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