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June 16, 2009

Leaders Should Consider Twitter

by by Margaret Feinberg

Though it's been around for three years, Twitter hit the main stage of American culture when Oprah decided to write her first tweet. Though the site was excelling before the Oprah nod, more people are on Twitter today than ever before. So why should you consider signing up?

1. By Signing Up for Twitter, You Can Avoid the Blank Stares. In our modern age, there are some products, people, and Internet sites that everyone seems to know about. For example, most of us have heard of ShamWow and the Snuggie even if we don't own them. It's hard to check out from the grocery story without learning the latest about Brangelina (Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie) and more recently the sad news of Kate and Jon Gosselin of Jon & Kate Plus 8. There are just some things that everyone knows about, so go ahead and add Twitter to your list. It will take you less than three minutes to open a free account and send your first tweet of 140 characters or fewer. That's right: You only get a sentence or two. Then, when someone asks you if you know about Twitter, you can offer more than a blank stare - you can give them give them a warm smile and an invitation to follow your tweets.

2. Twitter Allows You To Break Down Barriers Between You and Those You Lead. If you're a leader or pastor or business owner, then you've probably felt the pedestal being slipped under your feet when you weren't looking. People to love to build up those they see running an organization, ministry, church, or business. Sometimes in the process of building up, they also create barriers. Twitter is a great way to remind people in your community that you're just like everyone else. Offer a quick tweet of trying to convince your 3-year-old that wearing clothes after a bath is a good idea or going for third-helpings at the buffet is not (after it's too late) can add humor and moments of connection among those you work with and serve.

3. Twitter Is So Young That It Naturally Invites Creativity & Innovation. Twitter is still so new that making companies, churches, and marketers are still trying to wrap their mind around it. Some are using it to tout new ideas, new products, and new discoveries. Some are using it raise money for worthy causes while others are using it to teach valuable life lessons. One church in Dallas, Texas actually taught an entire three-week series on the "Theology of Twitter." You can check out the tweets at www.twitter.com/jallenjr. So have go ahead and have some fun on twitter!

4. Twitter Doesn't Have to Take Up a Lot of Time. Some people have been vacuumed into the Twitteruniverse, but no worries, that doesn't have to be you. Twitter is simply a micro-blogging tool. With only 140 characters, you're forced to keep things concise, which translates to less time consuming. Sure, some people twitter every five minutes, but often those people are commenting on not-so-fascinating topics like what highway they're driving down (do we care?) and the Spaghetti-o's they had for lunch (really, do we care?) A handful of thoughtful tweets is better than a thousand bland, boring ones. Since you can send updates by text message, phone or via Twitter's web page (among other methods), it can be done quickly, conveniently and at your own pace.


So go ahead and give it a try, and while you're there, you can follow my Twitter at www.twitter.com/mafeinberg

Happy Twittering!

Posted by Caryn Rivadeneira on June 16, 2009 9:01 PM

Related Tags: leader, Twitter

Comments

The period messes up her twitter link
http://twitter.com/mafeinberg

Posted By: Andy Rowell | June 16, 2009 10:26 PM

Hi Margaret! As the marketing coordinator for GFL and the person who mostly maintains our twitter account, I really appreciated this post. I enjoy following what trends are happening on Twitter and the new ways leaders are using it. I'm also fascinated by the way twitter is transforming from a mere social networking site to a powerful tool for business, news, and social influence.

And while we're on the subject of Twitter, people can follow this site on twitter at GFLblog, and here are a few other usernames that may be of interest to you: CarynRivadeneir, our editor; MommyRevolution, Caryn and Carla Barnhill's blog; CTMagazine; CTMovies; or ctwomensblog.

Posted By: hollie | June 17, 2009 10:10 AM

Margaret, it sounds to me like you are saying we should use Twitter because everyone else is doing it, because it is new and because it doesn't have to take up a lot of time.

I don't think those are very convincing benefits for "every leader." You could give the same reasons for why people should watch a Tv show.

Yes, breaking down barriers between leaders and the people they serve is a good thing. But why not have an actual conversation with those people instead of relying on something sterile that gets sent to everyone at the same time?

Posted By: Jane Reynolds | June 17, 2009 11:24 AM

And we should mention, you can follow a few GFL people on Twitter too:

@GFLblog: http://www.twitter.com/gflblog.

@CarynRivadeneir: http://www.twitter.com/carynrivadeneir

Posted By: Caryn | June 17, 2009 11:36 AM

Thanks for this post, Margaret. It's good to see potential benefits of Twitter listed thoughtfully.

My main concern with Twitter (among other marketing and leadership tools) is more with the decision to use Twitter than with Twitter itself. Working in Christian publishing, I often wonder if we're taking the time to really consider trends and methods of communication in light of living a truly Christ-like life--one that not only imitates Christ but aims to facilitate Christlikeness in others. I totally hear you on not having to be those people who tweet 50 times a day, and I'm glad you mentioned that. I believe, however, that this world is spinning further and further away from facilitating lives well-lived: lives of quietness, meditation, intentionality, resolution, and even locality.

I realize that each person chooses whose tweets they want to receive. We can't make that choice for people. But by being on Twitter and offering tweets to people who are subtly but surely being trained to thrive on bombardment of all sorts, we are doing our half in adding to this rapid-fire, intrusive culture in which we live.

I'm not berating Twitter. I certainly don't think it's evil. I see some potential neutrality in it. But I'm concerned that we're not asking the right questions - or asking the questions at all - when we decide to employ certain methods of communication. Surely I could say the same thing about TV commercials. I realize this issue took root way before the Twitter boom. But I guess it's never too late to stop and consider.

Posted By: Sarah | June 17, 2009 11:50 AM

I've been tweeting for two years and I really like it. Especially now that I have breast cancer, it keeps people (who are interested) informed of my condition and even diverts unwanted phone calls (they can check my status rather than call).

I agree, leaders should tweet. Our lives tend to be fragmented and twitter helps to keep us connected and can even encourage a certain amount of transparency.

I only have an issue with trying to convince us to use it by using Oprah as an example. If I had not been tweeting already, I probably would NOT have taken it up simply because she was doing it. I think we should all run in the opposite direction of Oprah, not jump on her bandwagons.

Posted By: Brenda | June 17, 2009 12:16 PM

I put off joining Facebook forever and now wonder about Twitter... as a tweet can double as my Facebook status updates without people needing to be my facebook friends and accessing my pictures, friends, etc... So the idea is appealing. I have seen the Facebook updates being a great way to connect with people with ease, and for sure taking down barriers, so twittering seems natural.

Having said that, Sarah's comment above resonates with me! I walk the fine line of feeling over-bombarded with my work on the computer... But having it double as my FB updates and using my phone to tweet... hmmmmm... gives me cause to pause. I do indeed need to "fast" from the computer and my blackberry now and then though, otherwise it gets to be too much... Thanks for addressing the topic and make me think a bit more about it!!

Posted By: Melanie | June 17, 2009 1:17 PM

For what it's worth, I just wrote up a blog post about this issue. I'm a little nervous about Twitter (echoing some of the concerned mentioned above), but I'm giving it a shot for our website, SmallGroups.com.

http://blog.smallgroups.com/2009/06/sam_oneal_hypocrite_or_just_pl.html

Here's a blurb: "It's not that Twitter (and other sites like Facebook and MySpace) are reprehensible in any way. It's just that in a fragmented and hectic society like ours, I think the need for constant information and updates and announcement can become harmful to us--like being poked in the brain a hundred times a day by a dull stick. And I have considered Twitter to be part of that phenomenon."

Posted By: Sam O'Neal | June 17, 2009 1:23 PM

I want to apologize to Margaret for subbing a title that I think has gotten her into a bit of "trouble" with some of you. As you can tell from the content of her piece, Margaret doesn't advocate that ALL LEADERS SHOULD use Twitter.

I changed the title just now to reflect her original intentions. Sorry, Margaret!

Posted By: Caryn | June 18, 2009 11:49 AM

To be honest,though I like my pastor and children - reading tweets about the cute things his three-year-old does would make me go "Really, do I care?" just as much as knowing what he had for lunch.

But perhaps I am just a young crank, as I really never "got" either Twitter or Facebook and the like.

Posted By: Kate | June 18, 2009 1:35 PM

Like Facebook, Twitter is a bit too narcisstic for me - a little to "me, me" oriented and is helping to lessen attention spans even further.

Posted By: K. | June 19, 2009 9:11 AM

Hi! Thanks for the article on Twitter. I've not been moved by it before - but I like your perspective on it. I am a leader in a major ministry and I appreciated your perspective on leaving ministry tweets and connecting with both other leaders and downlines at the same time. Our ministry teaches youth and adults the HOW-TO's of birthing one's God-given dream, vision or idea into reality. Check us out at www.bossthemovement.com. I am going to join Twitter because of you! So, TWEET! Thanks, again!!

Posted By: Tami Outterbridge | June 19, 2009 9:11 PM

My comment is not about Twitter, coz being on the other side of the world I'm thinking "what!?!". Partly my generation too coz I'm not even on facebook yet. I have however graduated from predictive text and use text lingo such as lol, rofling (rolling on floor laughing) etc. As a 30+ gal working with youth it's really important to keep up with the trends in communication. I can stand firm on the need for real verbal comunication all I want but it's not going to change the fact that I can call them all I want on a landline and they'll never be at home. If I text chances are they won't have credit but at least they know I'm thinking of them. While I'm writing this I'm almost talking myself into getting a facebook page. My best chances to meet our youth are at church or the local mall and sometimes I intentionally go and hang out there by the food court after school.

I loved what she said about pedestals and keeping it real. So true, I think it would be awesome if we were all able to see our pastors being really real. If we want to give our youth role models to look up to we need to show them real life, not something thats unattainable, fake or ugh boring!!!

I have the emmense privelege to work with my senior pastors and hearing about there difficulties, seeing there little spats and there day to day life makes me respect them more, not less. They show me how to do life in a way that is atttainable for all. I can live up to that role model and it inspires me to do better.

Posted By: Tracey | June 21, 2009 6:34 PM

I tried twitter once for about five minutes. It seems useless to me, but that is just me. I see the point of wanting to keep some casual aquaintances, but and this is a big but, some relationships aren't meant to be held onto. It seems vain to think people want to know extremely obitrary info on what your doing during the day, and it seems like one more way to destroy real intimacy between people and/or to try to hold onto dead relationships in this case for potential future personal gain. I'd rather send an email for more intimacy or call. As I said, that's just me though.

Posted By: Angel | June 22, 2009 7:27 AM

Of course I meant arbitrary

Posted By: Angel | June 22, 2009 7:29 AM

I had an account in twitter but it seems that the crowd is full of marketer;s or advertisers seems like a hard place to promote something.

Posted By: christian girls | June 23, 2009 2:17 AM

I just recently decided to look into this whole twitter thing and i was pleasantly surprised at its usefulness and friendliness. It is incredibly easy to keep track of others, and post important news for those following you. It seems like a good tool to be used. People should be encouraged to check it out.

Posted By: Peter V | June 24, 2009 8:18 PM

Twitter should be used not just for broadcast, but for communication WITH the people. They should reply to Tweets (not all of course) from their citizens just like the press secretary does with reporters in the press briefing room.

Posted By: r4i software | December 2, 2009 3:07 AM

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