I just learned of this little feature yesterday. I musta missed the official announcement (or maybe one has not yet been made) ... but now, thanks to Shannon Gilmore, I know that I can automatically broadcast Active Rain posts on Twitter.
Here's what a Tweet announcing an AR post looks like:
Talking points:
1. I feel like I'm copping out .... Just broadcasting an announcement of a new post instead of participating in a conversation.
2. But then, if folks want to converse, they can follow the link to the blog post, and converse there.
3. Without the back and forth of live conversation, it seems to me that Twitter just becomes a great big collection of feeds.
4. See 2. above.
5. @MoInColumbusOH wonders about including Localism-type posts in the feed to Twitter.
6. I have a few local people following me on Twitter, and they may actually like the Localism stuff better than the industry stuff.
7. I really need to get back to haiku-mode.
Chris Brogan had a great "don't cop out" post... but I can't find it.
I am afraid if I use the generic "Just posted to ActiveRain" or whatever it says... people who would normally visit MY blog will start seeing the words ActiveRain and avoid like the plague because of the utter mediocrity over all. I think my Localism stuff is soooooo boring and so I seldom would tweet that.. but maybe I am wrong, maybe it is all as equally boring. I have a number of local followers....
Cheryl - I hope twitter doesn't just become a post bulletin board - I had followed some local media outlets on twitter and stopped it's just one line after another on their stories with NO CONVERSATION - I think that's what makes twitter special...it will be interesting to see what happens.
Maureen -- Hey maybe you should make a poll? To use the AR/Twitter function ..or not... The results should be interesting.
Cyndee -- I always enjoyed the real time conversations on Twitter, too, but haven't particpated lately because I've just got too many spinning platters in the air....
Decisions, choices, priorities. Sigh. I need to learn how to sleep faster.
Cheryl- I'm torn. I'm big on Twitter (duh), and big on ActiveRain (double duh), but I'm not a fan of the instant broadcast. ActiveRich had a great post on how to engage the twitter reader correctly. One of his suggestions was to pose a question on Twitter with the link back here.
"Should ActiveRain broadcast all my posts to Twitter?" http://tinyurl.com/4m5ama
That can't be automated - has to be human.
I love the fact Twitter is becoming more mainstream and we even have a button here on AR for it.
Twitter: @MikeMueller
Mike -- Since the AR/Twitter tool includes the full AR post title in the tweet, one could actually just make the post title whatever question you wanted to pose ... and Voila! Automation! :-)
A thought for the AR guys: Make the Twitter option available on each post individually .... a member could pick and choose with posts get announced on Twitter.
Cheryl- That's true but then all my post titles will be questions?
Good point on the selected posts. My other request is have the twitter available in the "Contact me" section right under phone and email me.
Twitter: @MikeMueller
Cheryl: I would agree with you that this tool needs to be on the blog publsher drop down, rather than here on your My Settings page. We need to have the ability to select this option for whatever channel we're sending our content too....Localism, AR, or Outside Blog. I'll check to see if that's possible.
Personally, I like this option. It should not preclude you from personally engaging your sphere on Twitter, but simplify distribution.
I guess I need to be more involved with Twitter to discuss it but if you just want to be visible on Twitter it could be a good idea.
I think it is great for new people because twitter does cause a surge in traffic.... I bet you can get members to use twitter if it brings traffic to their blog posts.
My test today did not work. Never came through.
For me I think I will do it the way I have been doing it... doing it the way Chris Brogan suggested... conversationally rather than feeding it with the standard "Just posted on ActiveRain"
That helps because although I'm on Twitter, I didn't have a clue why. lol. Now at least I have some direction.
Featured @ Club Chaos
Cher, I've been away for most of the day so I'm just getting wind of this myself. I follow less than 100 people so I can keep up rather easily with the conversations. People who follow 500+ will probably start to melt down (ROTFL).
I was going to try sneak in a HELP then I read Carolyn's comment and got distracted. I can't imagine keeping up with 500+ people on a regular basis. How many times can you read that someone is fine, the spouse is fine, the kids are fine, the job is fine, the traffic is fine, the weather is fine etc... It is always the same (just change the word "fine" for anything else- see- nothing new.
OK so how do you want your baked goods? cw
COOL Cheryl! I've never even been to the Twitter website, heard about it...but that's about it. I definitely need to get with it and check out the latest internet craze. Thanks for sharing your new find.
I tried Twitter out for about a month. Just couldn't get into it and deleted my account. I guess I'm not a twit or maybe I am a twit... it's hard to say.
Cheryl W, too funny! That's why I only follow people I care about or find very interesting and want to know what's cooking with them to get to know them better. Twitter is awesome if you don't go too crazy with signing up a bunch of people.
Cheryl P, you should take a crack at it. :-)
Maureen, hmm... I love irony! :-D
I thought I'd give it a Twhirl and see. But in one of your comments you said it publishes the full post? That seems like a bit much... I'll have to see how it plays out.
A while back, I went into Twitter and drastically reduced the number of people I followed. Then I created a second Twitter account, and refollowed some of them in the new account. I don't tweet at all in the second account. So no one replies to me there.
But I haven't really had the time or energy to be active in either account lately.
Following 500 people can be like being in a room with 500 radios turned on, each radio tuned to a different channel.
Well, I just went back to my settings, and turned off the automatic updates.
I did too.
I am still not sold on the idea.It is networking and I am sure some are successful with it.I would have to try it more to be objective.Has anyone sold a listing with it? Probably.
Cheryl- That makes 3 of us :)