I admit that I was initially a little cynical about Twitter.Â
Early web stats indicated maybe one, or two views per day via the site – and that was on good days. Facebook seemed to be where the bulk of my traffic came from. I stuck with my tweeting method, though, and I can happily say that just a few short weeks later, I’m not only gathering a lot of views from Twitter, but making new friends and connections.
I defended the Facebook author page a few weeks ago, and I stand by that. However, if you want to reach out beyond your immediate friend group, then you need to learn to tweet effectively. I’ve already outlined my major Tweeting gripes in the past, so be sure to keep any of those to a minimum for a start.
The Tweeting Trinity
Some cynics and Twitter guardians argue that it is ‘wrong’ to have a Twitter formula. Twitter should be natural, and spontaneous, they say.
Stop the press: spontaneous and natural usually isn’t very interesting, and really, the world doesn’t give a damn about what you have to say about what sort of milk you put in your tea. Unless you’re a celebrity, in which you can pretty much get away with anything.
Side point – maybe the bulk of celebrities using Twitter to be, well, ‘normal’, convinces us that we can be interesting through being ‘normal’, too? Difference is, we are normal. We need something to set us apart.
That’s where the formula comes in.
I honestly believe that if you follow this Twitter formula loosely, you will gain traffic and interest. It works for me, anyway, so hopefully it will for you too.
1. Tweet useful links in your niche
This one was suggested by the great Joanna Penn. Get subscribed to a load of blogs and follow interesting people, and spend some of your time sharing this content on Twitter.
You should always attribute when you share, as it looks like a bit more effort has gone in than if you merely retweet.
Use relevant hashtags, too. #amwriting and #writetip are two good places to start.
How many links per day? That’s up to you. I usually aim for three, but that’s in proportion with the rest of my output. Don’t flood your followers with links, but make them a prominent part of your Twitter presence. It’ll take some trial and error, but it’ll be worth it in the long run.
You’ll pick up followers quickly using this tactic. I gathered around 300 in the first month of sticking to this, so it’s a no-brainer really.
2. Link to your own content
Once you’ve got some good content on your blog, and maybe a book for sale (we’ll get to tweeting about that in a second), use an equal amount of Twitter space to share your own stuff.
Don’t just tweet the same old link, though; search through your archives. The beauty of the internet is that even old content can be new to someone, so keep those back pages fresh by sharing them every now and then.
About tweeting book advertisements: I’ve seen no evidence of this working whatsoever. I tweeted about Something in the Cellar a few times on launch day, and offered a Sample Sunday yesterday. Neither brought in the typical level of traffic I am used to, and left a part of me wishing I hadn’t tweeted it at all.
Why? People plug their own work too much. There is literally a sewer of ‘buy my book’ tweets flooding Twitter to the extent that it’s just not effective. You need to come up with something different. I started a giveaway, which seemed to work pretty well.
Don’t make yourself look desperate – once you’ve earned the reputation of a spammer, you’ll never, ever shake it. Do you really want to lose Twitter as a way of potentially reaching new people?
3. Now, be yourself
I spoke about being ‘normal’ earlier – well, now’s your chance. Spend the rest of your time replying to tweets, and sharing general musings.
Don’t take this as an opportunity to start talking about your food, though – keep things interesting. Show your human side. Be witty, informative, and most importantly, don’t be mundane.
I don’t believe that many new tweeters strike this balance perfectly, but you can gain a headstart if you do. Just remember: results won’t be instantaneous. It was a few weeks before I spotted any notable interest. Now, though, it’s very rare that I post a link that doesn’t get at least two or three clicks.
Just please, for the love of God, keep Bieber out of it.
How do you use Twitter? Do you use it to share content from others and yourself, or does the more personal approach work for you?
Image courtesy of stevegarfield via Flickr.
Good advice here. I was uncertain of Twitter at first too; however, I’ve learned how useful it can be and more importantly how fun it is! I’ve met a lot of interesting people and have made new friends, both inside and outside my industry.
I think you’ve got it right, here. I am finding there is “success” if you can find the harmonious balance of sharing others’ works/links (that are intriguing), your own work/links (that are intriguing), and sharing your personality/life–as you said, being human– (the parts that are intriguing). I think once you find your rhythm in all this, you begin to build a community and there is success in community. 🙂
Firstly, thanks for the comment Leanne! Good to see you here. 🙂
I totally agree. I think the problem with Twitter, and social networking/blogging in general, is that many people misuse it as a one-way conversation. I think I said a bit back on an old YouTube video something along the lines of, ‘spamming your links might get you a couple of sales, but it won’t build you a fanbase’. I’d go even further now and say that spamming links can actually lose you potential followers.
You sound like you’ve got your Twitter usage spot-on. Although, I must say that when I go a little over-the-top about food tweets, etc, there’s really nothing wrong with them, as long as they are balanced with the other stuff. Sometimes you’ve got to throw in a bit of hyperbole to get a point across, eh? 🙂
I like to retweet useful links and try to restrict book mentions to little more than retweeting what others say, due to my aversion to other writers’ “Buy my book!” efforts. I have only recently begun looking for ways to turn someone else’s tweet into a conversation in order to connect on a more personal level. Yes, a bit late to that particular party, but I’m finding it to be a fun and satisfying way of using Twitter. Thanks for a really useful article, Ryan.
Thanks for the comment, Bridget!
I think it sounds like you have your social media output spot on. “Buy my book” links are okay, as long as they are balanced with everything else, I believe.
And hey, there’s no such thing as being late to the party. 🙂 The beauty of the internet is that habits can be changed in an instant.
Good tips Ryan, thanks for sharing. 🙂
And I also agree on what you say, shamless self-promotion can really peeve me off and even make me un-follow certain tweeters! It’s all about finding the right give and take balance!
Thanks Rita! Good to see you over here.
Shameless self-promotion has led me to unfollow a few in the past, too. I think self-promotion is fine as long as you are promoting your own helpful links, whether it be on your blog, Facebook page, or whatever. Balance is so key, you are absolutely right!
I use Twitter to find authors to interview on my blog. I automate my promotional tweets, so when I am on Twitter, I can actually interact with my followers. I have already written the post “Do not say ‘Buy my book!'”. I will walk away from those links every time. I will, however, click on the links which talk about the book. I would much prefer to make the choice to be interested in the book than be commanded to surf Amazon for it. Personal preference, mind you.
Red.
Thanks for the comment! I think that sounds like a great way of using Twitter, and I use it rather similarly to be honest. Schedule for promo tweets, and use actual social media time to, well, be social.
And I 100% agree with you regarding reading about a book over being commanded to buy it.