Twitter Lists

A new feature on Twitter has taken the network by storm and has redefined what it means to be followed or to be re-tweeted. Twitter announced their list feature a couple of days ago and yesterday I got to use the feature for myself. At first I was confused to what a Twitter list meant. How would lists affect the way Twitter is used?

A Twitter list in essence is another simple but powerful concept to spread your username around. A few months ago I noticed that once you follow over 400 people it is difficult to keep track of particular individuals. Now I am following over 1,480 people and it is just impossible to keep track.

A Twitter list allows you to organise certain tweeple into particular groups. This might be a list to categorise the subjects they tweet about. Perhaps a list to collate all of your real life friends. Even a list to just focus on the individuals who you find especially interesting to follow. A Twitter list is essentially a method to keep track of users, to filter them through your follower timeline.

Twitter lists can be kept private or be shared publicly. If a list is left public this gives other users the chance to follow your list. To follow the individuals included in the list or to just follow your list as a whole. This provides an effective way to follow many users without actually having to follow them individually.

Ultimately Twitter lists create unique groups of people who would have been lost without the existence of the feature. Since it has been installed I have managed to easily follow certain individual’s updates, find information I want faster and engage more often in conversation.

In the past it was necessary to just worry about getting the followers. The more followers you have, the further your tweets will be broadcasted. However, the Twitter list feature has changed this. It is all fine and dandy having thousands of followers but being added to a Twitter list has become the gold star. Once you have been added to someone’s Twitter list it shows you have been singled out. Categorised into a list of expertise, friendship or interest.

As Twitter lists are still hot from the press I am still unsure about how this will effect my own exposure. Could it be that my blog posts get far more coverage as those interested in my content can easily single me out? Perhaps I will get more re-tweets as a result of Twitter lists? Will the frequency of people who follow me change? Not sure quite yet. Time will tell.

Posted: November 1st, 2009 under Social Networking.

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