The qualities that make Twitter seem inane and half-baked are
what makes it so powerful
I have been very fortunate. I have been on Twitter for about two years and I have about 8,000 followers. I have not paid for any followers, but have taken the slower, and more natural route by trying to develop relationships based on mutual interests with many different people. People often ask how to become better Tweeters on Twitter. I am no expert or guru, but I will share what I have learned.
The single most important thing that I have learned on and about Twitter is that it is about relationships. This is true whether you are there just to meet people or sell your products. You must engage people to form relationships. I know, what a radical idea!
1. Retweet
First you need to learn how to retweet. You can definitely improve your standing and credibility in the Twitter community if you retweet. When one of your followers posts an interesting article, you can retweet it. If you do this, many of your followers will probably do the same. When they add your username to their updates, you will be exposed to many more users. But, be read the things that you choose to re-tweet, because you may not be posting interesting or helpful topics. Make sure that you retweet only things that are truly worthy of sharing.
How do you retweet? You need simply to copy the original tweet and write the prefix “RT” together with the name of the original tweeter. It will look something like this: RT @martinamcgowan yada,yada,yada.
2. Tweet interesting things
Many people use Twitter to post tweets that no one is interested in. No one really cares about what you ate for dinner last night or what you did yesterday afternoon when you were bored our of your mind. Perhaps your closest friends will appreciate that, but what about the rest of your social community? It is always better if you send out informative tweets, not nonsense or filler. Tweeting useful information will give people a more positive impression of you and what you are about. If your message is directed at a single person, be sure to indicate this so that your other followers will know who you’re speaking to.
3. Reply
Send replies often. It is certainly possible to talk all day long on Twitter. Most followers like a person who knows how to listen as well as talk. Most Twitter users want to be heard on the web and if they find individuals who know how to listen, they are more interested in becoming friends.
4. Be Proactive
In order to tweet better you must remember to be proactive. Find some interesting articles, blog posts or other helpful information online and post it. Some of your current followers will retweet it, but you will also find some other users that may be interested in meeting you.
5. Shut Up Sometime
You don’t need to say something all the time. Be careful using your automatic messages and updates because you may be pestering others with information they care nothing about. One of my personal peeves is when I get automatic Direct Messages (DM) from someone I just started following, inviting me to friend on FaceBook or to come to their website to buy something.
We must never forget that social media is about being sociable. Making sales is also based on establishing relationships and trust. That is if you are looking for long-term customers. Be social!!
6. Add Pictures
Use a tool like Twitpic to upload pictures to your profile page. Choose your pictures wisely. Your pictures can tell a lot about you and other users will appreciate it. Through the pics some of your followers can get to know you better. And, pictures can often tell a lot more about you than your posts.
7. Attend chats
Attend chats about topics that you are interested in or would like to learn about. Most people “lurk” (attend, but do not contribute) the first few times they go to chats. This helps you get the flow of the conversation and see what people are actually talking about before you add your voice. They are very informative, and most people freely share. The only caveat for most chats is that, unless you are asked specifically to share your post, website, product, your own chat, etc… DO NOT! This is a place of interaction and camaraderie. Not a marketplace to hawk your wares. Its a real turn-off. And, on a more personal note, I have UN-followed a few people who do this consistently.
Conclusion:
Try following a few of these simple steps and become a better Tweeter. If you are new to Twitter, or not so new, I think that you will find these tips very helpful. Stop wasting your time thinking about it, and begin sharing interesting things with your followers and your friends.
It’s up to you to learn to use Twitter to its fullest. The site offers almost endless possibilities. Take advantage of them and have a great Twitter experience.
BTW, I’d love to meet you there… @martinamcgowan
Thoughts?
Related Posts:
1. Being successful on Twitter
photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosauraochoa/3528880050/sizes/m/in/photostream/
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