The reason I love Twitter is not for its massive commercial appeal, nor for its professional networking potential. It’s for the people.

As a copywriter, being curious about people is part of the gig. And it’s something you can’t really fake. You’re either curious, or you’re not. Copywriters who are curious about how people think about things are the ones who stand to make sincere connections with an audience. Thus, engaging in Twitter is like part of my job.

Before you start laughing, I’m not justifying here. You see, I’ve had conversations with people who live only in my head for as long as I can remember. I’ve honed this skill over time so that it’s become a professional asset. Because as a copywriter, you’ve got to be able to share empathy with people to connect with them. The more people you can empathize with, the more valuable you become. Until now, all these people lived in my head. So having a portal like Twitter around is utterly fascinating to me. Now, rather than imagining dialogue between people I invent, all I have to do is fire up Tweetdeck and watch the human drama unfold in 140 character sound bites. Just like in my head.

From how people spread information, to folks who have public conversations with people who live only in their heads, I use Twitter and other Social Media to observe and engage people both as a way to satisfy my innate curiosity and become a better copywriter. Because deep down – I’m really only trying to keep the mortgage paid.

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Jim Mitchem

Knife Crime – a Cutting Edge Solution
Sober

Jim Mitchem

Writer. Father to daughters. Husband. Ad man. Raised by wolves. @jmitchem on twitter. First novel, Minor King, out now.

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