My answer: YES!

Facebook offers a lot of extra things, such as third-party apps and games, to keep people on the site longer than any other social network out there. But the reach is limited. You converse with your friends and that is it. Other than knowing the very move your friends are making at that moment, what good is Facebook? Youtube is in the category of ‘social networks’, but isn’t that social. There are some awesome v-logs and channels, yes, but overall it is mainly a collection of videos without a real sociable concept. Google+ is growing and will take time to spread, but it is too early to tell. LinkedIn, not even close.

Both for personal and business, when you start up on a new social network you need to set a few goals. Do you just want to try it out? Do you want to network or build followers? Do you want to use this platform as a way to brand yourself or your company? Too often people sign up and try a platform for a few days, then get annoyed and delete. Rarely do they take time to plan out ways to really make the platform work for them. Some people want to try Twitter, but don’t get it or dislike it for whatever reason. The main excuse I hear about why people don’t like Twitter is because they don’t want to read that someone is eating a sandwich this very minute. When I hear this I just want to slap the person with a bass fish or a pair of wet, smelly gym socks to knock some sense into them. Slight humor there. It’s simple as not following those people, but the overall lack of education about Twitter is why it’s not as popular as other networks.

Twitter has unlimited reach and speed. It is the fastest news source in the world, although there are accuracy issues; just ask Huffington Post and CBS. Quite often the news is right from the source, which is the reason for the speed. A good example is the breaking news about the death of Bin Laden. Major announcements are often made first on Twitter, which makes the site quite valuable.

You can build relationships with people from all over the world, celebrities or even brands. Celebrities and athletes use Twitter more than Facebook. ESPN even has a tab, on the bottom scrolling part, that shows the handles of athletes and what they are saying. You can follow anyone you want in the world with an account, this to me is the most important. Twitter has allowed me to build quite a following with people from NYC to SF, Florida to Washington, Canada to Australia and I have connected with some of the coolest cats on the planet in the process. I use this medium in a more professional manner. I follow like-minded people, often times within my industry of marketing and advertising, and look to build relationships with people. For the job seeker, it allows for you to build some credibility.

I recently saw an article about how people are finding new jobs through social media. I found all of my jobs and best job opportunities through social media channels, mainly Twitter. Following brands, recruiters and job accounts can help you immensely in your job search. Build the right profile, put yourself out there and you never know the great things that can come from it. Connecting with people in your industry can help build your network as well. One of my favorite things about Twitter is the constant posting of articles regarding business, marketing, social media and many more categories. This helps people learn about what is going on in an industry and around the world.

Of course, there are other reasons why Twitter is great. I could go on and on, but there are a few of the main reasons I wanted to point out. In the end, I think Twitter is the better network to be social. I think Apple just may agree. I suggest, for non-users, to take some time and make an effort and I’m willing to bet that you’ll enjoy the concept once you get the hang of it.