I’ve been using Twitter for about a year. I’ve only been halfway decent at it for a few months though. I find it to be an incredibly useful tool. I also feel the same way about Facebook. But to me, they serve different purposes.

A while back, I made the following statement on Twitter (which also feeds my Facebook):

I’m thinking about going into business consulting new users on how to Twitter. My fee? Whatever you feel like donating to my #Honduras fund.

A friend of mine asked why he needs Facebook and Twitter while mentioning the seeming redundancy. Here’s what it’s about for me.

I view the two as being equally important pieces in the social networking “puzzle.” However, one leans more towards the social (FB) and the other towards the networking (Twitter). But for me there’s enough crossover for me to want to have the two connected.

As a worship leader, short-term missionary, tech geek, church marketing enthusiast, I find that twitter bears importance in learning and connecting my thoughts on those subjects with others. Further, as the “Twitter guy behind the curtain” for a few orgs, I find great value in paying attention to what similar organizations are also doing on Twitter so we can be most effective in communicating what needs to be communicated.

Facebook is purely a place for me to connect with friends (old and new). Thing is, a lot of what I find worthwhile for Twitter, I consider worthy of my FB profile as well which is why I connect one to the other. Particularly for folks who don’t “get” Twitter.

I think those who don’t get Twitter see it as a Facebook clone and that makes sense to me when I see updates like, “Eating dinner now,” followed five minutes later by, “Done with dinner. Eating dessert now.” If you’re using Twitter like that, you’re doing it wrong. Stick with Facebook. Twitter is to be used like the networking tool that it is, for example: “Dinner with @marksnewton. Great conversation about how God is being good in our lives. You should check out @BigBadCollab. #encouraged #blessed” Take it to another level.

Use Twitter as the tool it can be. I will be posting more thoughts about Twitter here in the coming days so stay tuned. Next topic will expand on the thought I beganhere:

If you’re in ministry in this online age and not using Twitter, you’re limiting your effectiveness.