Most if not all of us have a Facebook account, but most of us certainly don’t have one on Twitter. It was really a no brainer to join Facebook, and if you didn’t have Facebook when starting college, you certainly felt left out.

I consider myself to be a geek when it comes to technology and seeing how it has the opportunity to enhance our lives when used right, so I’m one of the initial users to these social networks (but these networks are not new by any means). 

The current issue is that the popularity of Twitter is at an all-time high, and we college students should not feel left out in the coming year or so. You’ve probably figured out by now that Twitter and Facebook are very different experiences to the eye, and the true flaw of why you use Twitter less than Facebook is the marketing on these company’s ends. 

Facebook was and continues to market itself through the actual users, which is us. I know I’ve told a few friends and even family members to get on Facebook because being, and staying, updated has never been easier than before. On the other side, Twitter marketed the use of its social network more or less based on you wanting to follow certain people that you would not have the desire to create a close relationship with but wanting to stay updated on what they had to say. 

To this date, Facebook has about 750 million users while Twitter has roughly 200 million. While 200 million is still a lot, it’s not at the number of 750 million for some of the many reasons you and others fail to join and use the network. 

Instead of thinking of Twitter as a place where you just say or “tweet” what you’re doing, the bigger and better power it holds is networking and making connections. Facebook is where we mostly talk with people we spend time with on a regular basis, with a few surprise interactions usually around our birthdays. Additionally, Facebook is focused more on our private life, whereas Twitter is for our public life.

The current landscape for life after college is pretty rough, so many professors, advisers, employers and even other students, like myself, are pushing the practice of networking and building connections. For example, some professors are integrating the practice of Twitter into the curriculum, but lack the true importance of actually using Twitter other than just for an assignment.

One of the traditional ways of doing this is going to job fairs and starting to engage with people because they will remember a conversation or thought more than your specific resume. 

Twitter is the modern way. I’ve connected and met so many people because Twitter makes it easy and functional. 

To start, you will figure out your interests and then there will be some people suggested for you to follow where you can then begin to connect. Also, if you are looking for someone, you can usually find them by Googling their name with the word “Twitter” attached. Many times, I just see who these major people in your specific field or interests talk to and then start making myself known. 

Not everyone is having conversations with themselves on what they are going to have for lunch.

Instead, many people are discovering people with similar goals or interests in life and then have conversations that further both of their careers and other aspirations in life.

We all should give Twitter a try because the potential return on investment is very high with the service being free to all. 

It’s about the conversations you seek out to create with others; networking does not come to you. If you are still skeptical, I would strongly encourage you to create a free account and discover how others are using Twitter. 

You have to discover the possibilities with the people who are all currently waiting for a tweet from you on Twitter. Just find me (@byderekj) for your first tweet.