It’s for the Birds, or Isn’t It?

This isn’t a follow-up to my post “Peeps Show.”  I’d really like your advice.

Should I tweet?  Do you?

Who tweets?  Religious figures, occasionally. Political candidates, certainly.  Hot, young celebrities, definitely. Justin Bieber has over forty million followers.  Lady Gaga, who used to lead the pack, has over thirty-eight million.

Nick Offerman, of Parks and Recreation, in conjunction with Team Coco (that’s Conan O’Brien) delivers a series of deadpan, dramatic readings of the tweets of famous starlets.  “I’m not going to lie. I feel very vulnerable after a nap,” he quotes Katy Perry.  “Nothing better than puppy cuddles,” he quotes Hayden Panettiere.

Social media marketing experts say, “YES.”  Tweeting is a must. Amass a crowd!  Build your brand! Create a following!

Comedian Albert Brooks took this advice to heart when he was writing his book 2030, a wry look at our future when the country is saddled in debt with no place to put the old folks except on defunct cruise ships.  He now has half a million followers.  Not bad. But not as good as organizations that go by initials, like CNN and ESPN.

Brooks is still tweeting on everything from the crisis in the Middle East (“Before we go to Syria to arm the rebels should we at least find out who they are?”) to the spy agency scandal (“The last tweet was automatically deleted by the N.S.A. No threat, just deemed not that funny.”).

Tweeting seems addictive.  As Brooks point out, “Originally joined Twitter to promote my book.  Now trapped.  Can’t get out. Help.”

I’d love to help, Al (can I call you ‘Al’?), but I’m dealing with my own existential situation: to tweet or not to tweet. I’m twixt and tween.

© 2013 Susan Marg – All Rights Reserved

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If you do tweet, you might want to visit: 5 Handy Tips on How to Get Re-Tweeted in Twitter.