The role of Twitter vs. the role of your blog
blogging March 20th. 2008, 9:37amAmy Gahran, who I’ve been following on Twitter, writes an interesting post about her experiences using Twitter vs. her standard blogs. Quoting from her post:
…I remember that blogs have always been an awkward tool to satisfy my deepest desires for conversational media. Yeah, I love to write — but I tend to find quality conversation far more rewarding and satisfying than merely writing. Despite all Twitter’s limitations and weaknesses (which are many) I find it to be a superior conversational media tool. In many ways.
She also seems to say that her Twitter activity is increasing while her personal blogging is decreasing, especially since Twitter “feels” like a better platform for conversations.
I have made over 1400 Twitter posts, compared to probably half of that number for my blogs. However, I’ve certainly written much, much more in total word count in the blogs than in Twitter posts.
If anything, my output is probably larger due to using Twitter. However, I do have a distinction of subject matter in these two platforms:
I may write about Twitter here at Broadcasting Brain (among other things), but I try to limit the subject material to communications (broadly defined) and social media.
With Twitter… it feels more like a brain dump. Generally speaking I don’t restrict myself to any particular subject matter in Twitter. In fact, I let a lot of my geek and fannish roots hang out in Twitter and I’ll leave the occasional real-life status update there as well.
I’m not doing as much blogging as Amy G., so I probably don’t have the same time restrictions as she does.
I definitely think that Twitter has some advantages as a conversation platform, although as I’ve said earlier this week, I don’t think Twitter is a good platform to hold a debate.
Thought provoking post, Amy!
For those of you who blog and Twitter, do you think either platform is suffering because of the other?
Tell us what you think, please!
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March 20th, 2008 at 11:26 am
I use Twitter somewhat like a braindump- there are many times where I just have one simple idea that I can express with a sentence or two, which I feel isn’t something I could do a blog.
Twitter also gives me inspiration for writing blog posts.
March 20th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Great points. I’ve also noticed that often Twitter can give you a broader sense of someone’s personality, character, perspective, interests, and activities than blogging does. That varies, of course, according to who’s using which tool and how. Some people really “get” how to be interesting but not overwhelming or banal on Twitter. Others (including some very smart folks I respect) don’t. It’s not a good medium for everyone.
For people who both Twitter and blog, I’ve noticed their blog posts seem to be more thoughtful than before. I suspect their thought and writing processes are benefiting from the ongoing public conversation.
- Amy Gahran
March 20th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
[...] Blogging more or less because of Twitter? | Broadcasting Brain “I’ve made over 1400 Twitter posts, compared to half that number for my blogs. However, I’ve certainly written much, much more in total word count in the blogs than in Twitter posts. If anything, my output is probably larger due to using Twitter. “ (tags: microblogging blogging processes writing) [...]
March 20th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
@denrenman - Twitter can be like an on-line notepad, if you want
March 20th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
@Amy Gahran - welcome! It does seem like “anything goes” on Twitter, which means that those topics that are top of mind tend to migrate directly to the keyboard. The conversational aspect is quite important as well.
I don’t know whether Twittering is really the cause of this, but I do find lately that I want to put a bit more of a personality into my blog posts - I feel like I’ve been trying to be too scholarly or dispassionate in some ways and a bit forced or faked in others.
Thanks for stopping by!
March 20th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
I brain dump on twitter, but also my blog, email, phone conversations and most presentations of any sort.
But I prefer to think of media as ways to connect with people. If I have blog readers, I speak to them, I speak to my twitter followers about what they are tweeting, and I got to Facebook and many other places to connect and build relationships there.
Come to think of it. That’s pretty much my goal at conferences, and business in general.
You can’t over communicate or be over connected. Once you connect, you may be found out as a fraud or dork.. communication just accelerates who you are.
March 20th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
@Warren - agreed, connection is the key. However, I guess that Twitter is helping to connect with people who might not be reading the blog and who aren’t interested in this space, although there could be an aweful lot of overlap. Cheers.
March 20th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
I dont define Twitter to be a microblogging site anymore.Its more of a conversational site but conversations can be defined to have a focus.For example I use Twitter as a medium to get in touch with more people,gain visibility and learn and add value to those I am following and those who follow me.These objectives then define my posts.
March 20th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
@Robin - I would agree that Twitter is a conversational site and it may have evolved from its original intent. BTW, how do you define “adding value”?
March 20th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
I’ve been joking lately that “Twitter is like blogging, only without all the pesky content.” It’s one of those sites that I Just Don’t Get.
March 20th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
@Michael - I didn’t get it for a long time either, but it does provide an interesting stream of info and conversations. Sturgeon’s Law probably still applies though.
March 21st, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I totally agree, twitter continues to provide new views and ideas for blogging. I also spend more time than I would think on Twitter and blogging specifically about twitter. I think it’s an inflection point for Social media
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:32 am
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March 23rd, 2008 at 10:34 am
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March 23rd, 2008 at 6:22 pm
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March 24th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Interesting topic. To me, Twitter is certainly more conversational and social, whereas my blogging (and the blogs that I read) are more in depth. Twitter:magazine::blog:book if that makes sense. In other words, (in addition to good conversation) Twitter is good for sharing ideas and concepts, but not really for discussing them.
I would say, overall, that Twitter has strengthened my writing, and if anything I have written more in my blog than I did before discovering Twitter. Similarly my blog has garnered more followers in Twitter, some of which have become friends.
In short, for me the relationship between blogging and Twitter is symbiotic.
March 24th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
@Sorenj - nicely put. Twitter as magazine: good analogy, other blogs with many short posts feel like newspapers or magazines to me.
March 30th, 2008 at 5:34 am
I am nearly in full agreement. I too carefully construe blog content along thematic lines and exacting literary standards, but I Twitter on the walk I just took to the store.
I think I am more polarized in my use of both, though I began using Twitter only recently and, thus, have not fully found my Twitter voice as of yet. But, at this moment, blogging is akin to writing a poem or a short story or an opinion or something otherwise ’serious’. It is a pouring out of my heart that is different than the spontaneous self that emits to Twitter posts.
I cannot say which is more personal: the ADD moment or the deeply felt, overwrought blog post.
Hmmm…
March 30th, 2008 at 8:32 am
@Paul - hello and thanks for visiting! I suspect that both blogging and microblogging can be equally personal or heartfelt, but Twitter is probably better for simple concepts.
May 18th, 2008 at 3:52 am
I think Twitter has definitely changed the type of blogger that I used to be..
I find that I’ve switched gears from additional blogging, in a social environment (multiply) to Twitter.
I didn’t “get” Twitter, either, for a long time. I’m becoming bigger in the local community of bloggers, though, and they are Tweeters, and its become a fun addiction!
I think my regular indie blog readers would appreciate if I’d blog less about Twitter, however. *sigh* I don’t see that happening for a while.
Great blog. I’ve really enjoyed my walk around. ~Heidi (a new follower)
May 18th, 2008 at 7:01 am
@Heidi - welcome! There’s a lot of conversation about Twitter these days, partially because it’s become an established communication channel which other media feed off of, and vice versa.
June 21st, 2008 at 10:42 am
The discipline of sharing an entire, well-considered thought in 140 characters has improved my writing substantially. It means than when I head back to an article, the words just flow.. as if taking off a girdle and being able to breathe again. (Bit of a lady’s reference there, sorry!)
However, I’m still not sure what the right mix of social and business posts is best for those following you. I pick up followers when I write about my struggles with cooking English food in American, but got followed by a big news service in my niche when I wrote a series about recent consulting gigs.
Have the FB/MYSpace folks completely migrated over yet?
June 21st, 2008 at 6:55 pm
@Juliet - I don’t think so, I think there’s plenty who’ve never come over to Twitter or its competitors.