Most people don't understand the value of Twitter. They often wrongly believe that Twitter is just a place where people send out Tweets on what they had for lunch and question why anybody would care. Truthfully it's easy to understand this belief. There is a fair amount of useless updating going on. However, hidden in the endless stream of updates there are some real gems of activity.
Provided below are three examples of organizations/individuals adding value through Twitter without letting everyone know what they had for lunch:
1. Canadian Light Source @clsfc
The Canadian Light Source is one of Canada's largest science installations and is the only synchrotron in Canada. Understanding the complexities of the science that they do is far beyond my puny brain, but their use of Twitter is really interesting.
Apparently one of the big questions that researchers who work at the synchrotron have is knowing the status of the beam line and their experiments. To help update the researchers the CLS has established a Twitter account which from which they simply update the status of the facility. It's a highly targeted use of Twitter, but for those researchers I'm guessing it is immensely valuable.
Also very cool is their Star Trek-esque machine status webpage.
2. Cupcake Conspiracy @theccconspiracy
The Cupcake Conspiracy is a local #yxe shop that makes delicious cupcakes. They have embraced social media to help in their marketing efforts and one their tactics simply involves tweeting out the 'cupcake of the day'. It's a simple but effective use of Twitter. They also post photos of the cupcakes on Facebook. I'm not a big cupcake eater (violates my diet) but if I was I would be all over this.
3. Liam Richards Photography @photoliam
Liam Richards is a local Saskatoon photographer who is headed big places. If you're from Saskatoon you may recognize his work from the Sheaf or the Star Phoenix. He's the shooter for the Huskies and does a pile of CFL work as well. You often see him with multiple cameras hanging from his neck or contorted on the field to capture that unique angle on the play. He's also a friend who I've had the pleasure of working with on multiple occasions.
In the last year I've noticed that Liam has really embraced social media. And, for a photographer it's an ultra smart move. Every day he is generating a constant stream of content that shows off his work. And, often he is doing that work in really interesting settings (ie. The Grey Cup). It's a recipe for social media success. On his Twitter stream you can read about his adventures and often view behind the scenes action at some of Canada's most exciting events in real-time.
I also noticed that Liam has been blogging, and by doing so he has been connecting with other photographers, trading tips and tricks etc. By doing so he is helping the photography community and learning from others while establishing himself as a thought-leader. I don't know about you, but from a hiring perspective I know I am far more likely to hire somebody who is a thought leader.
Know of somebody doing some great work on Twitter or other social media? Share the story here.