Is Twitter necessary?

Twitter.

Bah.

Humbug, even.

We started a Twitter page in August, not so much because we wanted to (with the blog, our Facebook page, our Reverbnation page, and, you know, making and performing music - what our band is *actually* about - we have plenty on our plates), but because we felt like we should and because it enables us to respond to folks who gave us shout-outs on their own Twitters.

We've seen a few folks give us some love in the Twittersphere over the years, but we couldn't thank them or let them know we saw their posts. So we launched our own page to make sure we were connecting with our peeps where they are.

But I have to say, I'm not feelin' the love for Twitter.


Social media platforms all have their own personalities. You use different platforms in different ways, and you really have to learn each one that you use. And I don't just mean the mechanics of it (though that's important). You also have to learn to learn the environment - the lingo, the etiquette, the expectations of what to post and how. Each platform really is its own society, and like any community that you're new to, it can take some time to fit in.

I get that.

But I just can't seem to get the swing of Twitter. I want to post witty Tweets. I want to post photos and Vines and awesome stuff that makes our fans want to follow us and interact with us and helps make us new fans. I do.

But I'm terrible about taking photos. And I haven't mastered Vine (which is to say, I've played around with it a little). And I'm sometimes stumped on what to Tweet. I've promoted some shows, and I've retweeted posts that others have made about us, as well as articles and such that I've found interesting. I've watched what other people Tweet. But I don't know - I just don't feel it.

And the follower thing seems bogus. I've tried to follow people we support, like fans, people we work with, sponsors, venues, etc. I've tried to make new connections. But it seems like people follow you only to get the follow back. If you don't follow back right away (and sometimes even if you do!), they unfollow you within a few weeks. So, it all kinda seems like crap.

I actually gave up recently on creating meaningful relationships and just started following people we like, like Patton Oswalt. At least I can be entertained when I log on and see how many people have dropped us after we gave them a return follow.

With Facebook, it feels like we're creating relationships with people. With our blog, we're sharing ourselves and our journey. With Reverbnation, there's a space where people can hear our music, see our calendar, and contact us for business. Those all make sense and feel like they give us a return on the investment of our time and effort. But Twitter - well, after a couple of months, I'm not impressed.

The PR pundits tell you that you have to have a Twitter to be relevant, but I don't know how true that is. So, I'm turning to you, readers. Is anyone out there using Twitter for business (not just following Patton Oswalt)? Do you like it? How necessary do you think it is? As a fan, friend, etc., are you on Twitter? Does it matter to you if we're on Twitter?