Comments on: Is Twitter a “Time Suck”?

By: HeatherO

HeatherO — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:46:52 +0000

Yep, I guess you could say “you can lead a horse to twitter, but you can’t make him tweet!” :)

By: Gabe

Gabe — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:21:41 +0000

Hi Heather,

You raise some great points here, especially about Facebook. In my opinion people should try and eliminate what has been ineffective with their marketing practices and transfer that effort into Twitter. But since having written this post I don’t feel as much of an urge to convert people thanks to the input I have received from others. I too have an innate desire to help but maybe I should focus on helping them after they have decided to try it.

By: HeatherO

HeatherO — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:08:55 +0000

Great post Gabe! I have the same frustration OFTEN! Some days (with sm.biz owners), I can barely resist the urge to say, “oh, what your too busy writing a newsletter 12 people might read?”LOL! Other days I think, maybe I should not try to convince anyone! The true value comes from people who are there to GIVE and LEARN and SHARE (IMHO) and for those who don’t GET that, I wonder if we’re not just better off:)
But, I rarely find myself able to walk away because I really have an innate desire to help people and I see twitter as being so incredibly valuable.
So, my response to the “time issue” is usually something like: “All people have the same amount of time. The avg American watches 6hrs of TV/day and 2hrs in line/waiting somewhere. You could ONLY tweet whenever u r in line at the bank, drive thru, etc & still give/get value!” and for those who “don’t have time because I already waste so much time on facebook!”: I respond “stop having food fights & taking quizzes & other stuff that provides no value to you or anyone else, and you’ll have plenty of time for twitter!”

Tweet on my friend!:)

By: Gabe

Gabe — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:10:13 +0000

Thanks Yona. I think your comment puts things into a nice perspective for people looking to become involved with Twitter.

By: Yona

Yona — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:02:24 +0000

Twitter a time-suck? Yes and no. Twitter can completely consume your time…if you let it. The benefits of connecting with people all over the world, sharing ideas, and LEARNING…it’s too valuable to ignore. Learn how to harness Twitter to meet your business (and personal)needs without letting it take over your life. I think for a lot of people, the novelty or ‘addiction’ of constantly keeping up with Twitter wears off after awhile.

By: Gabe

Gabe — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:07:43 +0000

Thanks for your well thought out comment, Amy. As this post develops I hope to show it to people (and you can too!) who are deciding whether or not Twitter can be valuable to them. I saw an op ed piece in the paper this morning just sluffing it off as a waste of time because the author admittedly had never tried it. This post offers experienced Twitterers a chance to evaluate their experiences honestly with no personal agenda – after all, none of us have any stock in Twitter do we?

By: Amy Moreno

Amy Moreno — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:18:56 +0000

It can be a time suck, but I’ve found recently that it can be one of the best marketing tools, ways of connecting, finding out info fast and developing networks online or offline. Just this week, in a shorter time than I’ve ever had in marketing my work, I received 6 replies within minutes and hours of my tweets, discussing possible collaboration opps. The percentage is astounding. I’ve tried marketing in many different ways as a freelance artist, including paying lots of money to an online service and twitter is showing immediate results.
It can be a terrible time suck, and is very addictive, but the benefits far outweigh the negatives for me.
I am also helping my husband get addicted…oops I mean take advantage of twitter with his newly launched non-profit. It’s already benefiting. He will soon be a convert..haha..

By: Gabe

Gabe — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 11:39:35 +0000

Tess, Angela,

Thanks for the thoughtful comments. You have helped me put together something that can be shown to people trying to decide whether or not they want to jump into the Twitter pool.

By: angela

angela — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 06:02:46 +0000

Like any modern convenience Twitter can be a ‘time suck’. And just like any modern convenience you need to know how to use them effectively to benefit the most. I have learned invaluable information, made great contacts and kept informed on world events. In 15 mins I can be caught up on the days world news, know whats going on in my industry and have a few ‘quick’ but great adult conversations. I think in the world of independent companies and people who work at home its an incredible tool. If I have to choose a ‘yes’ or ‘no to time suck question then I pick ‘no’.

By: tess martin-fox

tess martin-fox — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:08:21 +0000

my experience is that my life is enriched on a dimension that i have not yet felt. since time is relative to what i prioritize in my life, there is no such thing as a suck because i am in choice of each moment. my focus is always centered on connection; the thread that motivates everything i do. twitter is another facet of connecting for me. thanks for the question.