Webby Tips for Writers #17: Focus Your Time on Twitter

Posted by bridgid on | October 17, 2010 | 1 Comment |

This month we’re celebrating you, our fearless readers, by offering 30 days of reading, writing and networking tips. On October 31st we’ll conclude the festivities by giving one lucky reader a copy of the 2011 Writer’s Market and a goodie bag. Learn how to enter here.

Tip #17: Focus Your Time on Twitter

This tip is for Twitter users or newbies who want to make the most of their Twitter account (and their time). Read our first Twitter tip for information on how to get started with Twitter.

Twitter is a great way to quickly connect with people in viral way. It can also be a huge time waster. Keep your Twitter time focused with these Dos and Don’ts:

• DO know your target audience.
  • Follow as many Twitter users in your industry as possible. For copywriters, that might be other copywriters, small business owners and social media folk. For fiction writers, that may include authors, other writers, editors, agents and publishing houses. Type “author,” “writer,” “editor,” or “agent” into the Twitter search and see what comes up. You’ll find plenty of Twitter users to follow.
• DON’T worry about the numbers.
  • With Twitter, what matters is the quality of your followers, not the quanity. Who cares that you have 500 followers, if 250 of them are spam bots? Will they care when you link to your latest article? Will they pick up your new book? Focus your efforts on building a group of quality Twitter followers and don’t worry about the numbers.

• DO provide relevant information.
  • Retweet useful links. Share your favorite articles. Link to the best websites and blogs. Consider the information you find worth clicking on and share it with your followers. Not only will you earn appreciation from those who provided that information, but you’ll also gain the appreciation of your followers.
• DON’T just hit the “Retweet” button.
  • A steady list of Retweets in your stream looks boring. Catch the eye of your followers with interesting tidbits. “Great links for writers. RT @someonecool You get the idea.” This is difficult to do directly through Twitter, but far easier with tools such as HootSuite and TweetDeck.
• DO keep it clean.
  • Remember that you are sharing this information with the world. Anyone who searches for your name will be able to read your Tweets. ALL of your Tweets.
• DON’T forget to be personable.
  • Unlike LinkedIn (my other social media drug of choice), it is appropriate to share information about yourself on Twitter. In fact, this is what people will look for and this is what they will expect. If your Twitter stream is simply Retweeted information, you won’t be conveying your style and panache. Keep in mind the above “Do,” but otherwise, cut loose a little. Let your Twitter followers get to know you.
• DO thank people for following you.
  • This is something they will appreciate and remember. Also, it might prevent them from un-following you in the future. Thank people individually with a direct message, or thank them in a Tweet. I like to thank my followers on Follow Friday (#FF) or Watch Wednesday (#WW). It shows my appreciation for their follow by referring them to other Twitter users.

What Twitter Dos and Don’ts have you learned?

Are you a Twitter user looking to build your following? Feel free to share your Twitter handle in the comments!

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