So, to answer that question I have compiled the top 12 reasons you should be Twittering. Indeed why you should WANT to be Twittering!

1. Gain first hand social networking experience. There is no end to the possibilities of social networking and new technologies and unfortunately there are way too many people out there willing to jump on the bandwagon and declare themselves expert. Except for the minor little lack of having NO EXPERIENCE whatsoever in new technologies!

2. Twitter is faster than texting. Seriously it’s like a massive text messaging system, and a mass text is like your updates, and a private text is your DM’s. @replies are to specific people, but they show up in the universal time line. See? So really the only time you need to text someone is if you get a message outside of Twitter.

3. You’ll meet new people and make new friends. Whether it’s just exchanging Tweets, or you meet up with new friends for lunch and a coffee, your Tweeps can have an impact on your life in both big and small ways.

4. Speaking of friends, Twitter will allow you to see them in new ways as yet unexplored. Because of the ambient intimacy that Twitter sparks in people, it tends to ‘humanize’ them. On any given day you can see that one of your friends goes through periods of happiness, frustration, boredom, etc just like you and everyone else. That’s important because it makes us feel like we are not alone in this world!

5. You’ll become a better writer. Because of Twitters 140 character limit for Tweets, it forces you to get creative in what you say in order to get the message across. It also forces you to be concise and to the point, rather than throwing a lot of extraneous words around. This makes YOU a better writer and your readers very happy.

6. Twitter keeps you connected. It makes it fun and easy to stay in touch with family and friends, whether they live an hour away or halfway across the world. No matter how busy you are, there is always time to drop off a Tweet to your mom or a DM to your best friend in Thailand.

7. You can keep up on all the hottest trends and latest fashions in just about every category of merchandise. You can also keep up with what’s cool in the way of books, restaurants, and night life in a certain area, just to name a few. Because Twitter is real time, you are keeping up with what is hot and current RIGHT NOW, not what was hot and current two weeks ago when the magazine went to press.

8. Twitter can make you more thoughtful and aware of yourself and your life. When you answer the question ‘What are you doing?’ you are giving yourself a few moments to reflect on the answer. You start to see yourself through the eyes of your followers, which makes you that much more aware of yourself and what needs improvement.

9. Twitter doesn’t cost a dime. In terms of investment, the only requirement is a bit of time, and even that is fairly negotiable. You can devote just 10 minutes per day on Twitter, and still grow a nice following.

10. Brand yourself and your business with Twitter. Branding yourself happens by customer interaction and people seeing and hearing your name and associating it with your product. With Twitter, it is very easy to brand yourself and spread the word, building both your celebrity and your business at the same time.

11. Twitter can increase your blog or website traffic. Especially as you Tweet more and build your following, but also due to RT’s, Twitter is great for generating traffic and interest in your site. It has a bit of a viral effect, and since using Twitter myself, I have seen quite an increase in traffic to my site.

12. And finally? Twitter is just downright fun. Think of it as a sort of one big chat room, where you can talk with like-minded individuals, share creative ideas, read inspirational quotes, and just interact with fellow Tweeps on a very engaging level. Don’t believe me? Why not give it a try for yourself? I predict that before you know it, you yourself will be a member of Twitaholics Anonymous, and darn proud of it too!

Now, if you still don’t feel the need to tweet in spite of all the reasons above, well, get back to your x-box and zone out

Mr. Twit R. Muscle

Major companies such as Starbucks, Ford and PepsiCo are using an online messaging website to ‘micro-manage’ their public relations.