Why I Love Twitter (and why you should, too)

“You spend too much time on Twitter. It’s such a waste of time.”

It’s amazing how often I hear those words. “Well, I’ve made a career from being on Twitter. You don’t, so maybe you’re the one wasting your time on Twitter.” That’s how I want to respond, but I try to avoid being a jerk to people. Sometimes. The truth is that for many people, it is a waste of time. But that’s not the fault of Twitter. You get from it what you put into it.

I was recently in a Twitter chat — I’ll pause for a minute while you laugh — with a community of people who work at the intersection of social media and sports. Here I was having conversations with people who work for the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, IMG, Brooklyn Nets, San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, Georgia Tech, Nebraska, Clemson, and more. On Twitter. Do you know how ridiculous that is? The inner sports fan in me still freaks out at things like this. 10 years ago I would have had to annoy them through email. We were all sharing ideas, experiences, failures, lessons. Many of these people I now consider friends (some are clients as well), because of Twitter.

I dreamed of working in sports as a kid. I remember having a conversation with my aunt, telling her that I wanted to work for the Chicago Bulls (I’m a child of the Jordan era).

Fast forward to three and a half years ago when I launched a business in an industry I had no connections in — college athletics. I had spent (and probably wasted) a lot of time on Twitter and thought it was time to get something out of it. So I started building connections. With Athletics Directors, Sports Information Directors, people in marketing, compliance — anybody and everybody I could find in the college athletics world. I started building relationships, on Twitter. I learned about the industry from those who were in it every day. I shared and tested my ideas.

Today, I’ve spent time with approximately 70 college athletics organizations (schools and conferences). I’m living my childhood dream, only better. I’ve driven across New Hampshire during a sunrise in the fall (add that to your bucket list). I’ve biked across Cape Cod. I’ve driven down the PCH from San Francisco to Monterey (it’s the long way, but it’s worth it). Why? Because of relationships and the business I’ve been lucky enough to build by “wasting time” on Twitter.

I’ve been on TV, quoted in the New York Times, ESPN, Forbes, USA Today and more (again, the sports fan in my freaks out over this stuff). Because of connections I’ve made on Twitter.

Last year I was stranded in Charlotte overnight due to flight issues and, rather than being bored in a hotel by myself, I was able to have drinks with a friend…that I met on Twitter. I have people I consider friends in cities across the country, people that I can and do have coffee or lunch with when I’m in town, that I only know because of Twitter.

I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Twitter is a service that people love to hate. If you don’t get it, you think everyone else is just wasting their time. And, like anything else, it certainly has its negatives. But it’s where I get my news, it’s where I network with leaders in my industry, it’s where I learn and discuss new ideas, it’s a community where I “watch” sporting events that I can’t attend, it’s a place that has afforded me the opportunity to travel across the country, to build a business and provide for my family.

So keep hating on Twitter. Keep saying it’s a waste of time. That’s an easy thing to do. Or you can figure out a way to use it to benefit yourself and others. The opportunity is there.

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I'd love to connect on Twitter, where I mostly chat about sports, social media, coffee, business and leadership. Join me at @kevindeshazo, and my company at @fieldhousemedia.

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