People always ask if Twitter is "worth it", does it really have an impact or is it just a time suck? This post on Mashable talks about just a few of the posts to Twitter that showed off what a powerful communication tool it really is. OK, some of them are cute, like proposing on Twitter or Tweeting from inside the womb, but even those show that Twitter is embedded in our lives.
Posts about major incidents like the attacks in Mumbai, earthquakes, plane crashes etc are reported within seconds. Long before the mainstream media can catch up.
Fundraising on Twitter has become quite common, from sending a blogger to a conference to helping a family find a home or funding wells around the world through Twestivals.
Then there are the companies who use Twitter as an extension of their customer service presence online. stories abound of users talking about an issue with a particular product only to hear from a customer service representative on Twitter who resolves the issue.
Forward thinking companies use Twitter as a virtual newsletter.@SouthwestAir uses their Twitter presence to announce special offers and news items, and to communicate with users.
So next time somebody asks if Twitter is worth the time, let them know that yes, you can get a lot out of Twitter if you learn how to listen and participate.
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