Welcome to TWITTER 101 – A comprehensive guide on What Twitter is all about, and some strategies to getting started! This is a relatively long post, and I appreciate you taking the time to read! Whether you only read one point or the whole article, I would love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, and comments! Please scroll to the bottom of the page and let me know what you thought!
Here we go!
Over the past couple months, I have had several business owners approach me recently and discuss their frustration and confusion with Twitter and the Social Media Revolution. I think this point of view is common among many, including myself, and my goal in this post is not only going to give you a plan to begin building your Twitter community, but also describe why I believe this community can be so valuable! If you are still hesitating to jump into the social media swimming pool – grab your floaties and get excited, we are going to take a dip!
What is Twitter?
Simply put, Twitter is a website, or a social media platform, where millions of people are sharing their thoughts, ideas, blog posts, products + services, daily activities, and basically anything else you can think of… If you can think of something to share, someone is probably sharing on twitter right now. If you don’t believe me, think of something to share, and go to search.twitter.com and see who else is talking about it (more on this later).
The sheer size and scope of Twitter is typically the first thing that gets people nervous, turned off, or simply fed up and frustrated – all of these millions of tweets from complete strangers, 98% of them adding no value to your life, is commonly terms “Noise”, and can be more than enough of a reason to not even bother with Twitter in the first place (Here is a good article by Jim Loayza called HOW TO: Quiet The Twitter Noise)… But don’t give up yet- we aren’t focused on the noise, we want to find that 2% which has the opportunity to add HUGE value in terms of content, relationships, and contacts to your life!
So, Why Even Bother with Twitter?
If your current impression’s of Twitter is that it is just a self-glorified, self-serving way for people to talk about themselves, you aren’t necessarily wrong – but there is another side of Twitter that you haven’t been introduced too, and for this, we need to introduce the Reverse Pedagogy method of teaching.
The most influence University professor I have ever had introduced me to the concept of Reverse Pedagogy, or simply put: everyone is both a teacher and a student to each other – the opportunity to teach and to learn in every relationship is available.
Welcome to Your 2% of Twitter…
Believe it or not, the most influential personalities on Twitter are NOT the ones who are using it as a way to advertise and push their products onto their followers. These people have unfortunately missed the true power of social media and building communities. They have transformed these revolutionary mediums back into a traditional marketing environment where products are pushed and yelled at consumers… Trust me, you will see them!
The True Opportunity with Twitter lies in building an interactive community around an area that you passionate about – a community where both parties benefit, learn, and grow from each other… This community can be developed whether you are representing a business and offering a product, or whether you are an individual following your passions. Twitter has the capability to transcend geographical location, race, ethnicity, cultures, and many more factors – it is not uncommon to hear stories about two people making a connection on Twitter in different parts of the world and growing that connection into a meaningful and life long relationships!
Where to Start –
Although I don’t believe that there are any magical secrets or tricks that will help you create your personal Twitter brand overnight, there are some steps that will help you get started! Remember, Twitter is still relatively new, so don’t ever feel like you have to follow a path that’s been walked before – Mitch Joel writes a great article about this titled When The Definitions Are Wrong. Last week, I wrote about a UK Band, Hadouken, who used YouTube to get their soundtrack viewed over 11 million times!
What are your Motives?
If you are reading this article, there is probably some part of you that is being drawn to social media for one reason or another… GREAT! You are ahead of the game!
Now, before you sign up with Twitter or get lost in the “Noise”, it is important to set up a tentative plan and strategy for where you want to take your social media experience…
Find your Passion
I truly believe that each and every one of us has something unique and valuable to share with the world!
As you begin to think about how to use Twitter, think about what your passion is and what you want to teach others. Remember – you are contributing your personal value to the community, and this is what you will be respected and followed for, this is the community that you want to build and attract!
If this is an area that you have been passionate about for some time, there is likely to be leaders and role models in this area that you have heard of and respect – Awesome! Believe it or not, there is an opportunity to connect with these leaders and develop a real and meaningful relationship. My suggestion would be to start to follow these people who you see as the area/industry leaders –
Don’t worry if they do not follow you back – the number of followers IS NOT the most important aspect of Twitter. IF you really want to learn from and contribute to a meaningful community, the followers will come, and they will add value! Once you have added these initial leaders, check their “followers” and you will probably find some more good Twitter personalities adding value to the same industry!
Twitter and Your Personal Brand
This is another area that I think is very important to the type of people and connections that you want to build on Twitter. When you sign up for a Twitter account, you have the opportunity to write a short, 140 character description of yourself. This Bio is SO important as fellow Twitter users will typically only read your bio and maybe a tweet or two before deciding whether you are worthy of their community.
Your bio should be genuine, in your own words, and represent what you stand for! I would call it something of a personal mission statement, customized and tweaked for the community you are jumping into to! You can include many things about yourself such as: interests, passions, beliefs, and hobbies. If it is a corporate account, you can add your business title – but, keep in mind that this can raise a red flag for some followers as they may think you are simply trying to solicit your products or services. Here is a good article on How To Write a Bio To Attract More Followers.
Dive into the Twitter Conversation –
After you have identified your passion and Twitter strategy, set up your account, written a meaningful, personal bio and followed some of the leaders in the industry, it is time to get active!
There are a hundred different ways to do this, and again, get creative and find new ways to add value your community – here are a couple you can try!
Thank those who you respect and appreciate
I may be wrong, but I would say that the majority of Twitter users will choose to follow certain individuals and then never connect with them again. I see this as a lost opportunity – Come On! We are talking about the Industry Leaders, Thought Innovators, and people who may have inspired you to get passionate about the industry in the first place. The least you can do is let them know you appreciate their effort! It won’t hurt!
This is a great way to connect and show your appreciation to your Twitter community, simply type their Twitter name after the @ symbol (this is called an @reply, here is a great article with more information How to Use @Reply in Twitter Messages). You can thank them for their contribution to your area of interest, ask them a question, or simply mention them including an article they wrote…
Bottom line, you are taking a proactive step in connecting with your peers, and having a positive impact in your community. The person receiving the message will notice and remember you – and they will no doubt appreciate your kind words – this is always good!
Content is King
Another great way to add value to your community is to Tweet valuable content! This can be as simple as tweeting an inspiring or innovative thought, or passing on a great article that you read. When you tweet an article, use an @reply to mention the author, this will let them know appreciate what they have to say, and may even inspire them to check out who you are – and so the community grows! Another really easy way to pass along valuable content to your community is
Dive In!
It is clear that this Social Media Revolution is here to stay, and every day more and more people are connecting, building relationships, and inventing new and effective ways to grow (both corporately and personally) by leveraging Twitter and Social Media.
- Identify your Passion and Strategy
- Sign up and create a Meaningful Bio
- Search for Industry Leaders and Interesting People in your Industry
- Dive into the Twitter Swimming Pool and Join the Conversation!
Thank you for taking the time to read this article – I hope you were able to take something away.
Last Thing! I want to be a part of YOUR community! Please leave a suggestion, thought, or idea below, letting me know what you thought!
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Tyrell Mara
