I tweeted
here and there and collected 31 followers in 90 days of meandering. Even
followed people with large Twitter tribes on topics as diverse as food,
photography and politics. Malcolm Turnbull, the local senator must have thought
I was a Twitter groupie.
My progress
on Twitter was slow, confused but persistent. Despite this I continued to
tweet, retweet and play. My curiosity was undiminished.
Some people
such as Jennifer Aniston’s boyfriend at the time tweeted so much
that she decided that he loved Twitter more than her.
She moved
onto boyfriend number twenty seven.
Twitter is more powerful than you think
Twitter’s sometimes chaotic nature does make management of the torrent of
tweets seem like herding cats. It is essential that you plug your Twitter
account into a management tools such as Hootsuite and Tweetdeck. This will help
you manage your stream with lists of people and hashtags that categorize on
topics.
The real power of Twitter is that you can build a follower base that
allows you to share a focused stream of content that adds value to your
followers daily lives.
There are no fancy Facebook “Edgerank” algorithms to throttle your tweets
and choke your content distribution.
Its pure and wild. I like that.
So what are some fundamental principles that you should embrace if you
want Twitter to work for you?
The 10 Commandments of Twitter
Here are 10 commandments that may guide you to the Twitter promised land
of a large and loyal following. That engages with you and shares your content
with speed and velocity.
Thou shalt
Moses used this term so I thought that I couldn’t go wrong if I borrowed
the term “Thou shalt”
1. Write a meaningful “bio” description
If you are using Twitter for purely personal reasons then go crazy and
knock yourself out with a crazy and cute bio. If you are serious then make sure
that when they read it they know in a heartbeat what you are about.
2. Have a link
I don’t know how many times I have looked for a link to take a deeper
dive into a Tweeter to see what they do and where they have come from but get
stymied. If you don’t have a blog then take them to your Linked account or
Facebook page.
Let them discover the real you. The bio is just the start
3. Be focused
Build a tribe of Twitter followers who are passionate and interested in
your topic of interest. That can be done with tools such as Tweepi or Twellow.
4. Automate where appropriate
This may seem evil to some but as you grow your follower base things like
following back become time consuming and unmanageable. Automate the boring
tasks such as content distribution and follow back but not the conversation and
engagement
5. Not neglect Twitter
Keep the stream of Tweets rolling out so that followers see activity and
content. Keep that activity going. Do this at a level that you are comfortable
with.
It is different for everyone. Remember it is a tool not a religion.
6. Use Hashtags
Hashtags allow you to put content into followers accounts that are topic
driven and organized. If you are interested in blogging then include a tweet
with the hashtag #blogging.
It will lead to increased awareness and sharing of your tweets.
7. Manage with a tool
The Twitter eco-system of tools and apps evolved because Twitter kept its
network simple. It has been effective and been part of its charm. To manage and
monitor both the tweets and the people you interact with on Twitter and organized
like your mum would be proud of then Hootsuite and Tweetdeck should be used.
8. Brand your Twitter account
Ensure that when people trip up on your Twitter account that they recognize
your brand that is on Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube. My caricature works for
me.
Consistent branding is good.
9. Use Twitter sharing and subscribe buttons on your blog
Make it is easy and obvious for people to share your content on your blog
with obvious Twitter buttons at the top of your article. Make sure they can
follow you on Twitter with buttons that don’t confuse and again are in a
position that is prominent..
10. Write the best headline you can
As Twitter has only 140 characters your tweets should be written with the
beast headlines you can muster. Learn and practice this skill until your
fingers hurt and your mind burns.
You only have 2 seconds to capture their attention until they click away.
This comes to you courtesy of http://www.Business2Community.com (by Jeff Bullas)
Contact us and visit: http://www.janetpennconsulting.com/social_mediamarketing.html
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