Still not using Twitter because you don’t understand its value? Is Twitter, “just for people who think they’re so important that the world needs to know what they’re doing every second of the day”? (Thank you, anonymous man who sat behind me the other day as I waited for the movie to start. I hope you don’t mind that I’ve quoted you.) Well, people do tweet about mundane things. But they tweet about important things, too. (I hate the verb/noun “tweet” — but that’s the term, and I’m going to use it.)

Over the past few months, I’ve waded — very slowly — into the Twitter pool, and I’ve discovered that it’s a valuable place to gather information or to connect with people who have interests similar to mine. I’m hoping that using Twitter will help me to promote my business, but I’m not focused too much on that. Because who will listen to what I tweet if all I’m talking about is “Me! Me! Me!”?

So to those of you who are reluctant to join Twitter, here are three ways that I’ve been using it successfully:

• Ask a Question — need information and don’t want to get lost in voice mail purgatory or wait for an email answer? Use Twitter to ask your question. Chances are the company/organization you’re trying to reach is on Twitter. Chances also are that they’ll answer quickly because they’re there to promote and protect their brand. They want to keep you happy.
• Ask a Question, Part II — Visiting a new city and don’t know where to stay/eat/go? Thinking of buying a new cellphone and wondering which one to get? Post your question on Twitter, and you’ll get answers from fellow Twitter users who are happy to help.
• Connect — looking to “meet” people who share your personal or professional interests? Use Twitter’s search function, and find people to follow on Twitter. Contrary to what you think, you’re not the only one interested in [insert interest here].
• Connect, Part II — attending a conference or symposium? Again, search Twitter and connect with other attendees. The event itself may have a Twitter account. You can make plans to meet pre-conference or trade information about events associated with the conference. Use a hashtag to narrow your search.
• Complain — Did your favorite company really screw up? Are they ignoring your emails or have you been waiting on hold forever? Let them know via Twitter that you’re unhappy. Don’t be nasty; simply state your case and ask for help. Tweets are public. People can see your complaints. The company you’re trying to reach knows this. They want to solve your problem.

What are you waiting for? It’s time to join the conversation. Sign up for a Twitter account today.

You can find me on Twitter here.

Do you have questions about this post or about using Twitter? Let me know in a comment, and I’ll answer promptly.