It’s pretty interesting the varied responses I get when a conversation turns to the topic of Twitter and my reference to someone I’m connected with.  Either there’s an affirmation of the value, or a complete disdain for the platform and the perception that it’s a complete waste of one’s time. I suppose, that just like any other online portal, or finance consideration for that matter, it’s all about how you utilize the resource. I know that for myself, while I might use Twitter on a moderate basis, I also know that I have virtually eliminated other sources of news and information. Whether that might be MSNBC.com, CFO.com, Cycling News, or VeloNews, I can get all the same updates through the folks I follow on Twitter. Now instead of multiple sources, I have a single source news feed.

            While it has taken some time to refine the group that I follow, I find a tremendous value in the information that I’ve plugged into.  There is also more consideration than just the standard news feeds I’m getting. There’s also the numerous blogs, primarily financial for me, that provide great additional insights over and above the news feeds. Specifically, some of the folks that I follow, include: @startupcfo , @CFOWise , @BenParamore , @CFOCoach , and @CFOServices . There’s also a great real-time networking element on the site that I believe is an extension to what you can accomplish via LinkedIn.

            Although additional effort might be needed to establish a quality network via Twitter, it’s a very real possibility. As examples, I’ve established a great group that includes:

Ø  Private Equity / VC players in Boston

Ø  CEO’s (multiple…) in Colorado

Ø  Numerous folks nationally who specialize in Interim CFO services.

Ø  CPA’s located nationally

Ø  Retail & Apparel industry news feeds

Ø  Experts on IFRS and other emerging accounting issues

Ø  Recruiters in multiple sectors

            These are also folks that I enjoy helping out as much as the value that they provide to me.  Although some of these same folks have also become connections on LinkedIn, I would not have established the regular dialogue or relationships were it not for the original contact through Twitter.

            It is a very interesting little beast, but Twitter is a fantastic resource for networking and I’ll continue to get a chuckle out of the folks that so quickly disregard it and the potential value it brings. Like everything, it takes time and effort to develop a new element to your networking strategy, but this is a very worthwhile tool to invest in.

Thanks for reading. . . .

Jeffrey Ishmael