I'm a lot of things: wife, mother, employee and blogger. I'm also an early adopter when it comes to social networking and technology. I was the first among my friends and colleagues to join LinkedIn, Facebook, even Friendster (remember that?).
I logged onto Twitter last September and threw myself into the fray, but keeping up with it was overwhelming. I felt pressure to follow back my followers, but I was being followed by people I didn't know. Do I care that these random tweeps are stuck in the security line at LAX or fretting over whether it's OK to wear white pants before Memorial Day? No!
I don't care to read replies to tweets that don't interest me, and don't get me started on the flood of hash-tagged conversations (some sponsored!) that don't concern me. I sensed a sort of competition to get more followers with tweets like "I'm almost to 500! Pls RT." Even with my lackluster participation, I was collecting Twitter followers at an impressive rate. But most of my followers were following hundreds — if not thousands — of others. I was sure anything I said to them would be drowned out by the flood. And I got proof. I would frequently post links to my blog posts on Facebook and Twitter, and while 20 to 30 friends would click through from Facebook, I averaged five to 10 from Twitter. On a good day.
What I love about the Internet is how easy it is to filter content to meet my needs. My Google Reader lets me browse my favorite 50 blogs in five minutes. Facebook lets me keep up with friends, co-workers and family without the time and trouble of placing hundreds of long-distance phone calls or replying to dozens of emails. My Crackberry is so much more than a phone; it keeps me connected with my work and personal e-mail and lets me look up breaking news and restaurant addresses on the go.
But what does Twitter do for me? Beyond filling my screen with thousands of RTs, replies, "American Idol" commentary and "OMG! This is too funny ?tinyurl link?!" Sure, some tweets contain interesting links to articles or offer insightful little chuckles. Corporate tweets might entice me to purchase something with a special offer. But the vast majority of tweets flooding in are of the "time to put the kidlets to bed" variety. I've tried managing the flow with TweetDeck, which lets me prioritize my favorite Twitter users so I don't have to wade through the dreck to find the good stuff. I've tried unfollowing those who bore me to death with their drivel. But finally, I just walked away. I took a four-day break from Twitter. And I didn't miss it.
I haven't been back in two weeks. An apparently I'm not alone. According to Nielsen, Twitter's retention rate is only about 40 percent.
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Connect with Alma on Facebook or LinkedIn, or read her personal blog at Marketing Mommy (marketingmommy.blogspot.com/).