31 Days of TwiTTer Tips - Weaving Influence · This guide will help you use Twitter to build your...

31 Days of TwiTTer Tips by Becky Robinson

3 1 D ay s o f T w i T T e r T i p s : G r ow yo u r T w i T T e r i n f l u e n c e – 1 2 M i n u T e s aT a T i M e • pa G e 2

Finding Your WhyConnectingReviewing/Optimizing Your Twitter ProfileInstalling a 3rd Party Application/ Installing a 3rd Party Application to your Mobile DeviceCreating Twitter ListsRetweeting Following and Contributing to Trending TopicsDirect Messaging Finding New Connections Searching for CustomersSearching for Thought Leaders Exploring HashtagsSetting Up Auto Follow Backs Creating a list of tweetsTweeting your own blog postsBuffering Showing off Your Best Sharing Something Off-Topic Follow FridayAsking Embracing Serendipity Getting to Know Someone New Making an Introduction Deepening a ConnectionGiving – promoting others Twitterfeed Surprising and Delighting InspiringSaying Thank YouTweetchatting Experiencing #TWIRL

AppendixA Note About Twitter and NumbersShould I Have More than One Twitter Account? Getting Started GuideGlossary How to Add People to Lists Bio 31 Day Twitter Tip Challenge

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©2012 Weaving Influence. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws.


This guide will help you use Twitter to build your presence online. The tips will be critical to you if you are brand new to Twitter and will also be beneficial if you’ve been tweeting for years. Whether you have 5 followers or 5 thousand, you can use these tips to get more of what you’re looking for from Twitter.

Use these tips consistently, and you’ll find new relationships; you’ll learn from others; you’ll discover new opportunities. You’ll be more efficient in the time you spend on Twitter — and you’ll be more effective, too.

If you’re brand new to Twitter, you may need a basic introduction or some help getting started. In the appendix, you’ll find step by step instructions for setting up your profile and getting started with following and tweeting. Because Twitter can seem hard to decode if you’re uninitiated, you’ll also find a glossary of commonly used terms.

If you’re comfortable with the basics, you can jump right into the tips. Set your timer, and focus for the time you’ve set aside. Use them one a day for a month, or try several a day as time allows. Most of them can be repeated, daily.

Why 12 minutes?

You can choose to spend as many minutes as you have. Twelve minutes works because we can all find 12 minutes in our days, and those 12 minutes can make a difference.

Much may be done in those little shreds and patches of time which every day produces, and which most men (and women) throw away.

—Charles Caleb Colton

Consistent, focused effort makes a difference.

You may feel that there is not enough time to do and accomplish everything you want in life, both online and offline.

welcome To 31 Days of TwiTTer Tips


Even 12 minutes a day will make a difference.

If you choose to commit 12 minutes each day for 5 days a week to build your social media presence, you’ll spend ONE HOUR each week — 52 hours total each year.

If you decide to spend 12 minutes each day for 7 days each week, you’ll add an additional 20 hours to that total.

365 days times 12 minutes equals 73 hours each year to build your online influence.

That’s 73 hours to connect; 73 hours to share what you know; 73 hours to help or encourage others; 73 hours to promote your business. 73 hours to make a difference through consistent, focused effort.

What about automation?

Sometimes when I mention the word automation in social media circles, I feel like I’ve said a bad word.

Social media purists will say that they want their Twitter feed to grow organically. Or maybe they’ll take pride in the fact that they’ve grown their account “naturally,” suggesting that a Twitter account grown without any automation tools is somehow superior to a Twitter account grown using them.

When I suggest automating tweets, I get a bit of resistance. When I push back, I hear that people want to be real and authentic on Twitter; they don’t want to spam or become just another bot on Twitter.

I get that — I really do. And I guess this is a time when your “Why” really matters (see Tip 1).

If you are using Twitter for business in any way at all, I urge you to consider using (some) automation tools to grow your account. I also recommend that you schedule (some) of your tweets.

Here’s why:

Twitter automation tools free you up so you can SHOW up.

When you use automation tools, you free yourself from the mundane tasks of following new people, following back, and you can spend your time connecting with people instead.

If you’re going to follow back everyone, set up a tool to do it automatically. Then use that time to hang out on Twitter, send a few RTs, or start a conversation.

I have written before that Twitter is not a numbers game to me. It’s not, and it is. It’s not, because what matters most is connection. It is, because bigger numbers equals the potential to make connections.

Automation is a bad idea if it is a replacement for showing up and connecting.

Automation is not a bad idea if it frees your time to allow you to engage regularly and


meaningfully with others.

So, proceed with these tips with the understanding that when the tips indicate automation, it is only as a supplement to – and never a substitution for – showing up.

Be Different

These tips will help you differentiate yourself on Twitter.

When you focus more on giving to and promoting others than you do on promoting yourself, you can be different.

When you connect intentionally with others, you can be different.

When you ask questions and stick around for an authentic conversation, you can be different.

When you are thoughtful in composing your tweets, seeking to add value, you can be different.

I encourage you to avoid the temptation of thinking that Twitter is a magic tool or quick fix. Twitter will not make you suddenly rich or famous. You will not become an overnight sensation, nor will your content become instantly viral. Sending a steady stream of self-promotional tweets will not guarantee sales of your book or product.

The value you gain from Twitter may not even be obvious at first. But I can tell you from experience that the more you seek to give and encourage, the more you will see a measurable return and benefit to your life (and business).

How Does Twitter Work?

With all that in mind, how can you make Twitter work for you?

If you are brand new to Twitter, I recommend a daily commitment of no less than 12 minutes for a minimum of 31 days.

First, use the step-by-step directions from the appendix of this guide to set up your profile and follow a few people. You may want to familiarize yourself with the terms and abbreviations from the glossary (also in the appendix), because some tweets may be incomprehensible to you at first.

Choose a time and show up… every day. Experiment with these tips or with a combination of tactics from these tips.

If you have been around Twitter longer, do the same.

And just as I don’t think that Twitter is a magic bullet for sales or web traffic, I also don’t think there is any secret for how to be successful on Twitter. There is no perfect number of tweets to send each day, nor is there some limit to how many tweets you could or should send each day.

I typically coach clients who are new to Twitter to send at least TEN tweets per day.


Some people are shy about sending too many tweets, worried that people may unfollow or be irritated by too many tweets.

The truth is that tweets are ephemeral, like breaths or moments. One replaces the next. Most of them are barely registered, quickly forgotten.

Does that mean they are worthless? Of course not. But it does mean that you may need to repeat yourself to have your message heard. Tweets to and about a person (including their @handle) will be most significant.

When you broadcast, you may be unnoticed. When you engage, you will get people’s attention and increase the impact of your tweets.

Here’s my success formula for Twitter: Show up, every day. Be different. Connect, engage, relate, encourage, repeat.

Are you ready to try? I want to invite you to take the 31 Day Twitter Tip Challenge. Commit 12 minutes each day for 31 days to try the tips in this guide. When you do, send us your feedback and thoughts, and we’ll send you another helpful resource. See the end of this guide for details.


1finDinG your why

Why are you using Twitter?

If you don’t know, you will want to find your why. Your why will motivate you to stay consistent, even when life is busy (and it’s always busy!). Your why will fuel you to continue, even when it seems difficult.

Benefits of Using Twitter

If you have used Twitter at all, you know that the social and sharing aspects of Twitter are limitless.

Here are 12 powerful benefits of using Twitter. When you use Twitter you will find:

1. A powerful platform for making connections with people who share your interests.

2. More readers for your blog.3. More customers for your business.4. Interesting content to read.5. A forum for asking questions and getting quick answers.6. Ways to show your appreciation and support of others.7. A virtual water cooler for conversations on any subject.8. Experts who are ready to share what they know.9. The news, as it happens.10. Opportunities to listen to what people are saying about your business

or industry.11. Rich learning through discussions and chats.12. A diverse group of people who are looking for what you want to share.

Which of these benefits motivates you? If you are like me, you likely enjoy a number of benefits from Twitter. But benefits are not the why.


Use the benefits to help you discover your why.

Think about the benefits of Twitter and consider these questions.

• What do I hope to gain from Twitter?

• What do I hope to give on Twitter?

• What compels me to use Twitter?

• I am using Twitter because…

• Use your 12 minutes today to find your why. Write it down.

3 1 D ay s o f Tw i T T e r T i p s : G r ow yo u r Tw i T T e r i n f lu e n c e – 1 2 M i n u T e s aT a T i M e • pa G e 1 0


2connecTinG

The most important thing you can do on Twitter is to connect with others, to join in conversations.

If you only have a few minutes each day to spend on Twitter, use them to connect.

You can start by asking or answering a question, replying to someone else’s tweet, or initiating a conversation yourself.

Sometimes, a connection can begin with something as mundane as saying “Good morning.”

Use your 12 minutes today to connect. If you are not sure how to begin, scan your stream for questions to answer or updates you can comment on. Look for people who are obviously present, and send a tweet to them.

Reach out to already established contacts. Offer help, support, appreciation, or encouragement to your closest online contacts.

Or reach out to someone new. You’ll be amazed how fast 12 minutes will pass when you are enjoying a back and forth conversation.

Here is something to remember: when you are directly replying to someone, the only people who will see it in their streams are people who are following both you and the person you are replying to. So, don’t be concerned about carrying on conversations via Twitter. Don’t worry about counting your tweets during conversations to avoid tweeting too much. You could move the conversation to direct messages but I typically prefer to have public conversations because those conversations show anyone who might happen to observe them that I am a real person who wants to engage others via Twitter.


3reviewinG/opTimizinG your TwiTTer profile

When is the last time you updated your Twitter profile?

If you haven’t updated your profile in a while, you’ll want to check to make sure that your description still fits. Are you doing any new work that you’d like to include? Do you have an additional Twitter account to add? Does your profile include the most important information you want people to know about who you are and the value that you hope to add to others? Does it clearly reflect your personal brand?

Some other thoughts to consider: What is the most strategic web page for you to link to from your Twitter profile? Consider what page to link to in light of your overall social media strategy and goals. Do you have a specific offer for Twitter followers? (See this example from Brian Tracy.) Would you like Twitter followers to like your Facebook fan page? If so, link there. Would you like Twitter followers to connect to you on LinkedIn or Google Plus? Choose your link based on your strategy.

Are you using an up-to-date photo? Is it time for a change?

Use your 12 minutes today to review and update your profile. Log in to Twitter. Change your photo or avatar, if desired. (Not sure what an avatar is? Check the glossary, in the appendix of this guide.) Change your description, if needed. Update your website information to reflect your strategic decision about where you want your Twitter followers to find more information about you. If you haven’t updated it recently, change your Twitter password. Be sure to keep it in a safe place so you’ll be able to log in easily next time!

http://www.briantracy.com/squeezepage.aspx?sqid=4&cmpid=2181&proid=17

http://www.briantracy.com/squeezepage.aspx?sqid=4&cmpid=2181&proid=17


4insTallinG a 3rD parTy applicaTion

I am always surprised when I start meeting with a client who has used Twitter for several months (or years) yet is still logging in exclusively to Twitter.com.

I’m a Tweetdeck devotee. I’ve used it from the beginning. I used it to manage just one Twitter account, and, at times, I’ve managed up to 11 accounts on Tweetdeck.

I know people who are similarly devoted to their own favorite application, but they all have similar functionality, so there is no wrong decision, really.

To get the most out of Twitter, use a 3rd party application! Use your 12 minutes today to install a 3rd party application to your computer and mobile device.

This is an absolute requirement! You will not be able to use Twitter effectively or efficiently without using an application like TweetDeck, Hootsuite, or Seesmic. Once you learn how to use these applications effectively, you will be able to hone in on the most important information from your most valuable connections. These applications are free and easy to install.

Confused by your options? Don’t spend a lot of time on this decision. Just pick one and try it out for awhile. You can always try another one later, as time allows.

Be sure to install columns for mentions and direct messages. If you have created any Twitter lists (see Tip 5), add those also.

Once you have downloaded a 3rd party application to your computer, download a 3rd party application to your mobile device. Add your account, and try out a tweet from your phone. Having this app on your phone will allow you to monitor your tweets quickly and easily wherever you are.


5creaTinG TwiTTer lisTs

Twitter lists are a great way to group Twitter contacts according to your relationship with them, a shared interest, or some other criteria that makes sense to you.

Why lists? As the number of people you are following grows, you will not be able to read and pay attention to all the tweets in your stream. Even if you could, you would not want to because it’s not a good use of your time, and it could easily take over your life.

With lists, you will be able to pay close attention to your most important connections. You’ll be able to respond to them in conversation, comment on their tweets, and retweet their content. This is critical! You will want to support others and engage with them as much as possible!

When you add people to your lists, you show them your appreciation, admiration, and respect. In many ways, the number of lists you are added to on Twitter is an even greater measure of success than the number of followers you have. Show others how valuable they are to you by adding them to your lists.

I’ve created location lists, topic lists, and more general “friends” lists. I have found that a list of about 50-75 people works well for me; if your list gets too large, it may be difficult for you to engage with all the content. As you find interesting people to follow in your niche, potential customers, contacts from your local area, and experts that you want to learn from, or people you enjoying engaging with, create Twitter lists.

Once you create a list, you can add that list to your favorite 3rd party application for Twitter (Tweetdeck, Hootsuite, Seesmic, etc) and when you have time to interact and engage on Twitter, you can quickly scan your lists for conversations to join or great content to retweet.

Public or private? You might wonder if your list should be public or private. I prefer public lists, mostly because adding someone to a list can strengthen your connection to them; people feel honored to be added to lists on Twitter. When you add them, you are showing them that you want to pay special attention to their tweets. I also like public lists because others can use them to decide who to follow.


Not long ago, my friend Thabo asked me to write a post about using lists effectively on Twitter. Thabo, like many other friends I’ve met online, struggles to integrate using social media tools into his very busy life with work and family.

As you grow your following and build more connections online, you have likely wondered:

How can I keep up with all these connections? How do I read all these updates? How can I filter out all the noise?

Each of the big social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+) offers functionality to help you filter and focus your attention.

Here’s what I told Thabo: You can’t pay attention to everything! You don’t need to pay attention to everything!

Who you decide to pay attention to is a personal decision based on your overall goals and strategy for using social media. Using lists on Twitter is a great way to narrow down your focus and attention.

Use your 12 minutes today to create a new Twitter list. Be sure to name your list with something that helps you identify it easily. You can name your list by interest area or geography or by any other title that makes sense to you. If you complete one list and have more time, create another list. Make your list public so others will be able to see and follow it.

As you increase the number of people you are following, you will want to create more lists. Make this a regular part of your monthly social media plan, or, regularly add people to your lists as you engage and interact with them.

For instructions on how to add people to lists, see the Appendix.


6reTweeTinG

Some of the best advice I’ve heard about Twitter is to promote others more than you promote yourself. The best way to do that is to retweet others frequently —Learn to Love the Retweet!

Retweeting others is a great way to promote them. When you retweet others, you show them that you are engaged with their content, and you are listening! You are interested in what they are sharing. You want to share it with others. You appreciate them.

The retweet is a fast and easy way to show support for others.

When you use lists effectively, you’ll be able to scan your various lists to find content to retweet. You’ll be able to retweet several posts easily, within a few seconds even.

Retweeting is something you should do daily, and you won’t need more than a few minutes to send several retweets.

Take a look through your various twitter lists, scan the content, and send retweets. You can add to them if you like – creating an MT (modified tweet) or you can retweet them just as they are. If you are using twitter.com , you will not be able to edit or add to a retweet, so for more flexibility, use a 3rd party application. When you retweet from a 3rd party application, you can edit and add your comments to a retweet.

Retweeting others does not take a lot of time. In just a few minutes you can retweet others and show your support.

When others Retweet You…

Be sure to say thank you. It only takes a moment. If you have a lot of people to thank, you can thank them in a list. If you don’t have many people to thank — or if you have extra time —then take a moment to individually thank each person who retweets you.

Use your 12 minutes today to send out as many retweets as you can. Be thoughtful and add comments to your retweets.


7followinG anD conTribuTinG To TrenDinG Topics

Twitter tracks frequently tweeted topics from tweets both geographically and globally. When you pay attention to trending topics, you will get a sense of what’s hot, what’s weird, and what people are paying to promote (supported trends).

Depending on your why for using Twitter, you may enjoy following and contributing to trending topics.

There are several places to view/track trends.

• You can regularly review the trending topics on Twitter.com.• You can view trends on a 3rd party site like http://whatthetrend.com/.• You can search trends by location, in real time http://trendsmap.com/.

When you find a trend you’d like to follow, click to view it. Then read through tweets as they post and look for tweets to reply to or retweet. If you have thoughts or an opinion about the topic, join the conversation.

You can also browse trending topics to see if any are relevant to your business or niche.

Want to create a topic or hashtag (see Tip 12) that trends? It’s more difficult than you think.

Read this article for insights and definitions on trending topics and how to create topics that trend.

Use your 12 minutes today to explore trending topics.

http://www.twitter.com

http://whatthetrend.com/

http://trendsmap.com/

http://www.dailybloggr.com/2010/03/how-to-make-a-trending-topic-on-twitter-and-how-not-to/


8DirecT messaGinG

Direct messages are a fun way to have a private conversation. You can only send a direct message to someone who is following you, though.

You might notice that you will get a lot of direct messages from people when you follow them, thanking you or pointing you to their website. These are usually automated messages.

I do not recommend using auto direct messages, even friendly ones that just say thanks. These messages are just noise. Instead, if you want to find ways to engage new followers, @reply to say thanks, retweet something they share, or send them a personal message.

I also don’t recommend using direct messages to self-promote or ask others to support/tweet your blog posts, unless you have close and mutually supportive relationships. Often these private requests are not welcomed or read.

Use your 12 minutes today to experiment with personal direct messages. Use them to begin a private conversation or to quietly offer encouragement or support to someone. Consider them to be like text messages, and use them for personal quick messages.


9 finDinG new connecTions

January 1, 2009 marked my entry into the world of social media through Facebook. I joined on New Year’s Day and finding new connections through social media changed my life.

Although I don’t seek more connections for numbers alone, I believe in finding and connecting to as many people as possible because you never know which connections will be important for you — or (especially) for others.

So, my belief and practice is to regularly look for new connections on all my favorite social media sites.

I encourage you to use this tip as an ongoing tactic in growing your online presence.

Use your 12 minutes today to spend time finding new people to follow.

Finding and forming relationships on Twitter starts with following people and having them follow you back.

Here are 12 ways to find people to follow on Twitter:

1. Follow the people your friends suggest in their Follow Friday recommendations.

2. Go to wefollow.com and search for people to follow based on your interests.

3. Go to we follow.com and search for people to follow based on your geographical location.

4. Browse the lists of people you admire and follow people on their lists.5. Follow the people your friends mention or retweet. (When your friends

retweet someone, those tweets will be in your stream. If you enjoy the content, you can click on the tweet, see who originally sent it, and follow them.)

http://www.wefollow.com


6. Browse the people suggested for you on Twitter.com and follow the ones who interest you.

7. Search for friends in real life to follow on Twitter.com by using your gmail contacts.

8. Search for friends in real life to follow on Twitter.com by using your LinkedIn contacts.

9. Search for friends in real life to follow on Twitter.com by using your yahoo, AOL, or Hotmail contacts.

10. Post a status update on Facebook to tell friends you’re using Twitter, and ask who else is using Twitter. Follow the people who reply.

11. Browse interest categories on Twitter.com to find people to follow. 12. Search for the bloggers you enjoy on Twitter and follow them.


10 searchinG for cusTomers

If you have any business goal at all in mind for using Twitter, you will want to find a way to connect with potential customers on Twitter.

To find potential customers on Twitter, first create a list of search terms that may be relevant to your business, and rank these in order of relevance. For now, choose your most relevant search terms. Not sure what they are? Think about who you want to meet and what topics apply to your business.

Using your 3rd party application (Hootsuite, Seesmic, or Tweetdeck), or Twitter.com, search for the relevant term you chose. When you search for a term, you will find all the people tweeting with that term, not just the people you are following. In that way, you will be exposed to a much larger potential audience.

Spend time browsing the search results for helpful information, people to connect to/follow, people to engage in conversation.

When you see someone you’d like to connect to, reply to them and start a conversation; see if they engage. Don’t worry about selling; just seek to make a connection.

If you have a conversation, or if someone engages you, add those new connections to one of your lists. That way, you can pay attention to their tweets carefully, seeking to engage in more conversation and to deepen your connections. You can also add people from this list to your Follow Friday tweets (see Tip 19).

Finding and forming relationships on Twitter starts with following people and having them follow you back.

Use your 12 minutes today to search for customers on Twitter. You will want to make this process a regular part of your time on Twitter. You can repeat with various search terms, until you find the terms that help you discover potential customers.


11searchinG for ThouGhT leaDers

Who are the thought leaders talking about the topics that most interest you?

How do you find them?

One of my favorite features of Twitter is that Twitter brings everyday people close to experts, creating a possibility for learning and engagement that didn’t exist even 20 years ago.

It’s likely that your favorite authors, actors, journalists, and sports figures use Twitter. Some political and business leaders use Twitter. It’s possible that if you ask them a question or start a conversation, they may notice and reply.

Lots of not-widely famous but very smart and influential people also use Twitter to share their expertise, insights, and advice.

Twitter offers the possibility to learn from thought leaders in real time.

Here are some ideas about how to find thought leaders on your topics of interest:

1. Start by searching for a related search term. As you scan the tweets, you may discover thought leaders.

2. Ask for recommendations through a tweet. For example, ask “Who do you follow who tweets about #yourtopic?”

3. Search wefollow.com by topic, and search for the most influential people on the list.

4. Find one, and then see who they retweet and recommend. Finding one thought leader often leads you to others.

5. Search for thought leaders by name on Twitter, or search Google for their name and Twitter handle.

Once you find thought leaders on your topic of interest, you may want to create a list to follow their tweets closely. Regularly review the tweets in the stream, retweet what thought leaders are sharing, and start a conversation, when appropriate. You will want to pay attention to this list carefully so you can learn from what others are doing.

Use your 12 minutes today to find thought leaders to follow on Twitter.


12explorinG hashTaGs

I have a love/hate relationship with hashtags.

On one hand, these metadata tags make searching on Twitter effortless, and I love being able to find what I’m looking for easily. On the other hand, hashtags add to the confusion new users have in learning Twitter, creating communication that seems cluttered and confusing to the uninitiated.

This helpful article from Mashable gives some important advice regarding hashtags. Most important in my opinion: don’t over use hashtags. If you are going to use them, be sure to use them in meaningful ways.

If you are new to Twitter or new to using hashtags, spend some time discovering how hashtags can add value to your tweets. Also according to Mashable, tweets with hashtags get twice the engagement of tweets without hashtags.

Go to twubs.com or another hashtag directory to search for hashtags relevant to your business or niche. Or, invent your own hashtag for a business or initiative you have planned (if you are going to create a hashtag, be sure to define or explain it if it’s not obvious.) Begin to use hashtags to make your tweets more searchable.

Hashtags for Ideas or Events

If you’re hosting an event or raising money or you have a new idea that you’d like folks to contribute to, think about setting up a hash tag. It’s simple, just use # and the name of the event. Using a hashtag makes it easy for people to find the conversation and keep it going. It also creates buzz that makes people curious.

If you are launching a book or product on Twitter, you can also create a hashtag for your launch. When you invite people to the event or launch, be sure to tell them about the hashtag and encourage them to use it.

Use your 12 minutes today to explore hashtags.

http://mashable.com/2009/05/17/twitter-hashtags/

http://www.twubs.com


During a book launch I worked on in early 2011, we created the hashtag #buildthebuzz. It seemed like a perfect description of what we wanted to do with our launch. We asked all our partners and supporters for the book launch to add #buildthebuzz to their tweets. Then, on launch day, we could easily track and retweet the supportive tweets we received from our friends, followers, and fans.


13followinG back

I recommend that you make it a practice to follow back anyone who follows you.

I also recommend that you automate this process to free your time to focus on engagement and connection with your followers.

There are many paid tools that will auto follow back, including Tweepi, Social Oomph, and Tweetadder. Social Oomph allows you to auto follow back on a free service plan, and ifttt allows you to set up a “recipe” to auto follow back new followers.

You may be wondering why I choose to follow back everyone who follows me. The most basic reason is that I want to allow for the possibility of relationship and engagement. Following back is a kind courtesy. When you follow back, you make it possible for people to send you Direct Messages.

I love these thoughts from Ted Coine about why he always follows back.

One common concern about following everyone back is that you may have spammers or other objectionable people follow you. While that is always a risk, in my opinion, that risk is outweighed by the time it would take for me to individually sort through, review, and choose who to follow back. If you see some content in your stream that concerns you, you can easily unfollow the person later. And, if you use lists effectively, you may spend little time (if any) reading the tweets in your general stream.

Use your 12 minutes today to set up your account to auto follow back any new followers. Then, spend the time you previously spent sorting through new followers to engage and connect with your followers.

http://www.tedcoine.com/archives/44


14creaTinG a lisT of TweeTs

If you are new to Twitter, you may be a bit like my high school friend Laurie who wrote me a message on Facebook asking me what to tweet.

Not sure what to include in your tweets?

Here are 12 ideas:

1. Use short, memorable quotes from blog posts you’ve written.2. Use key points from blog posts you’ve written.3. Use statements from your business mission or vision statement.4. Use short memorable quotes from others, attributed.5. Ask people to like your page on Facebook.6. Ask people to circle you on Google+ or LinkedIn.7. Include the hashtag #whatIdo and give a brief description of what you do.8. Tweet “Want to know more about my business? Visit my website” with link.9. Give a shout out to a few of your favorite people on Twitter and be

specificabout why you appreciate them.10. Talk about an upcoming event or launch (Include link as appropriate).11. Reference your most popular posts with a links.12. Recommend your favorite products and services from others, with links.

You can also tweet whatever is on your mind. You can tweet what you’re doing, what you’re thinking, or what you’re eating. Use common sense and be sure that what you tweet reflects your brand in a positive light.

Use your 12 minutes today making a list of tweets to use in the future. If you are going to use automation to send any tweets, you will want to create and keep a list of content/tweets. Repeat this tip as often as you can so that you have a wealth of content to use. Be sure to save the lists with names that will help you identify the lists later. Using the list above, spend some time to create a list of tweets you can use when you’re stumped or to rotate on an automated tool like Hootsuite or Buffer.


15TweeTinG your own bloG posTs

If you are blogging, Twitter is a great place to share your content. And if you have been using Twitter, you have likely realized that it is absolutely impossible to read everything in your Twitter stream. For that reason, I suggest that you send several tweets about every blog post you write. Otherwise, it is highly likely that your tweet will be lost and unnoticed.

Some clients I’ve worked with push back on this this suggestion. It can seem overly self-promotional to repeatedly tweet about your own content.

If you feel that way, try to mentally reframe the task. You have created valuable content, and you are sharing it to help others or make a difference. You want people to be able to read it, so you want to create the possibility by tweeting/sharing frequently.

My suggested rule for promoting blog posts is to spend at least as much time promoting your post as you did writing it, depending on how much time you spend writing. I would recommend allotting 30-45 minutes to promote each post you write. When you finish writing a blog post, write a few tweets (5-6, at a minimum) to promote it. Use the following ideas to help, if needed:

12 Ways to Tweet Your Blog Post:

1. Use the title and a link.2. Ask an interest-building question, then include the link.3. Use a quote from your post, then include a link.4. Tweet “My post today address the topic of …” and include the link.5. Include a key point from your post, and then a link.6. Use the phrase “In case you missed it,” then the title of your post and a link.7. Use the phrase “Posted earlier this week,” then the title and a link.8. Include text from a comment on your post with a link.9. Retweet someone else’s RT of your blog post and add your thanks.


10. Make a request for comments: “I’d love to hear your thoughts on my new post” with a link.

11. Talk about the great comments on your post so far “Great comments on my new post (include title) Share yours?” and link.

12. Tweet “Just posted,” the title and a link.

Use your 12 minutes today to tweet about some of your own content. Repeat this tip any time you write a new blog post.


16bufferinG

Buffer App is by far my favorite Twitter automation tool. You can use Buffer to set up tweets at specific times throughout the day, and as you find content you want to share, you can add it to your Buffer to be sent out at those predetermined times.

In this way, you can create a consistent presence on Twitter, regularly sending out valuable content.

If you have not already, I recommend that you use your 12 minutes today to open an account on Buffer and install the extension for Google Chrome.

Use your list of tweets from Tip 14 or the tweets about your blog posts and copy/paste them into Buffer. You can use Buffer in this way to add content for several days at a time, if desired.

As you read and discover content online, you can use the Chrome extension to quickly and easily share that content with your followers. Simply create a tweet using the Chrome extension and those tweets will be added to your Buffer. You can also rearrange the tweets to your desired order.

Be sure to regularly show up on Twitter to respond to and engage with people who may have retweeted or responded to your content. Remember, automation is only a benefit to you if it is a supplement to a regular routine of being present and engaging on the site.


17showinG off your besT

What do you do? What is your thing? What do you do best? What value are you hoping to share through social media?

What is the best you have to bring to Twitter? What makes you different? What makes you stand out?

Because Twitter is fast-paced, it may take time for people to get to know you. Even longer to get a clear sense of who you are – to recognize your avatar is one thing, but connecting your smiling face with a clear understanding of what you do and offer takes more time.

While it may feel uncomfortable at first, I encourage you to regularly and clearly share your best on Twitter, both explicitly and implicitly.

You can show off your best implicitly by staying with one topic consistently, enough that people begin to make the connection. @youravatar + information about topic = what you offer.

You can also show off your best explicitly by sharing about what you do, succinctly using the hashtag #whatIdo.

Use your 12 minutes today to create a list of tweets that explain what you do. Then share them regularly. Include a link to your website or services page, if desired. Start a simple notepad/wordpad text document with a list of those tweets—and your ideas. You can use them now, and in the future, to show off your best.


18sharinG someThinG off-Topic

If you are new to using social media, you may wonder what kind of content to share when trying to connect with others online.

Or, if you’ve been around social media channels for a while, you may feel like people expect you to share content about a particular subject area or niche.

You might think people expect you to share blog posts about that topic or to tweet quotes related to that subject area.

While you may certainly concentrate on sharing content mostly about one topic, you are a nuanced person with multiple interests, activities, and ideas.

You’re interested in leadership, but you’re secretly also passionate about baking bread, running, Ugg boots, or Peanut M&Ms. (Ok, so my love of M&Ms is not at all secret.) You can share all of that! Use everything!

When you share about something that seems slightly off-topic to you, you may spark new conversations which will help you make new connections.

When you say something unexpected, you may catch the attention of someone new; you may make a new friend.

Try this tip to build new connections or strengthen your existing ones.

Use your 12 minutes today to share something unexpected, something random, an interest or activity that you don’t usually talk about. Talk about something you love — and find out who else loves it. Remember that common interest, so you can have more conversations about that topic with your connection in the future.


19 follow friDay

Follow Friday, along with the hashtag #ff, is one of the most widely used practices for building relationships on Twitter.

Here are two reasons to participate in #ff:

• Read #ff tweets to find new people to follow.• Write #ff tweets to show your appreciation, admiration, and respect for

others. On Fridays, you have the chance to give a shout out to people you respect, admire, or appreciate.

Depending on how much time you want to spend, you can send out lists of Follow Fridays or you can create personalized, individual recommendations.

Think of Follow Friday recommendations as being on a continuum: a list of Twitter handles being on the far left and individual and personalized on the far right.

The closer you are to the right, the more likely you are to be memorable. More personal tweets have a more profound impact on their recipients.

While I appreciate any and all Follow Friday mentions, my favorite ones are the personal, specific, and individualized ones.

If you are unsure of what to write, look through your mentions over the past week. Who did you interact with this week? Who made you smile? Who made you laugh? Who did you learn from — and what did you learn? Use those ideas to write fantastic Follow Friday tweets.

Use your 12 minutes today to send as many Follow Friday tweets as you can in 12 minutes. Experiment! Write some Follow Friday tweets that are lists, if you want. Write some personalized and specific tweets. If you have a regular practice of sending out Follow Fridays, save your tweets in a file so that you can modify it slightly or edit it, adding to it over time.

This is a 12 minute tip you will want to return to routinely.


My good friend Lolly Daskal sets an amazing leadership example of how to use Follow Friday recommendations to encourage and value others. Her personalized recommendations are a way of expressing “You Matter,” to her followers. Despite the fact that she has over 300 thousand followers, she takes time each Friday to personally recognize individual followers.

What astounds me about Lolly is that she writes personalized recommendations every week, and I don’t get the sense that she’s repeating them, either.

Lolly shares that the reason she takes such care with her Follow Friday tweets is because she desires to recognize and appreciate her followers and the time they spend with her each week. As a leader, she wants to model the behaviors she values.


20 askinG

Each morning, I begin my time on Twitter by asking a question. It’s typically the same question, varied only slightly each day: “Who’s awake?”

I don’t ask because it’s a particularly important or deep question. In fact, it is obviously far from it.

But I ask because I want to engage; I want to start a conversation. My daily question is an invitation to interaction, and it works. Typically one or more people reply, and I have the chance to ask follow-up questions and create engagement.

I’ve noticed lately that a lot of people are sending out quotes, links, and statements. But my Twitter stream does not include many questions or attempts to engage.

And that makes me sad, because by far, I get the best return on my time — in terms of enjoyment, learning, and potential connection— when I ask questions.

So, I keep asking questions, even if I don’t see many others doing the same.

I like Twitter for asking questions because when I ask on Twitter, I get more immediate interaction.

Use your 12 minutes today to ask questions.

Ask a serious question — something you really want to know the answer to. Ask a silly question, just for fun. Ask the same question every day for a week. Ask the same question every day until you’re tired of asking. Ask with the expectation of connecting and engaging with others. Ask with curiosity. Ask with respect.

If you don’t get an answer at all, don’t give up. Try again later or try a different question. Look for opportunities to engage and build relationships. Look for opportunities to encourage someone.

When you’re done, make a note of questions that “worked” and that you’d like to try again. Add the people who answered your question to a list, so you can pay closer attention to them and look for more chances to engage.


21embracinG serenDipiTy

One of the disadvantages of growing your Twitter following is that your Twitter stream may become a bit unwieldy. Because I follow more than 16 thousand people, mine moves by at a pace almost too fast for me to scan, depending on the time of day.

I do not spend much time at all reading my general stream of tweets. Instead, I focus my attention on mentions (anyone who is talking to me or about me and my clients), on searches, and on my lists, which I have been carefully adding to over time

However, focusing my attention so acutely has one major drawback — it eliminates the possibilities that come from being connected to such a large group of people: possibilities for learning, for connection, for growth, and for collaboration.

I strongly believe in the serendipity of Twitter, and so I have, in the past, believed that the right people will see and respond to my tweets; I have relied on passive serendipity, meaning, I have been waiting for people to read my tweets, find me, and initiate connection or conversation.

I have found that the people I connect with on Twitter are the ones who hang out there at the same time I do. I often tweet early in the morning, so I connect with people who are up early.

My favorite type of communication on Twitter is synchronous. I love conversations on Twitter in real-time, with replies sent back and forth in a volley when people are online simultaneously. Twitter also works asynchronously, and you can pick up a conversation started by someone minutes —or hours —ago.

Once you use Twitter for a while you will be amazed at the serendipitous connections you make. The more often you find time to engage, the more new relationships you’ll form. In order to embrace serendipity, you need to set aside time to scan and read the general stream.

While scanning your stream on Tweetdeck, if you see something interesting, scroll down. It will freeze the stream of tweets and allow you to read and digest what you see.


I recommend that you set aside several blocks of time each week to embrace the serendipity of Twitter.

For today, use your 12 minutes to try this tip. Set your timer and scan your general stream of tweets. Look for opportunities to learn, to connect, and to collaborate with others. Freeze your stream to really focus on one or two serendipitous finds, and choose one or more of the following options:

1. Research more about the topic or person that caught your attention.2. Engage with the content or person; retweet, reply, or continue the

conversation.3. Consider how you can take the relationship or content even farther.

Add the person to a list, so you can give them sustained attention. What opportunities could you find to support and encourage this person? How could you share this content that you learned with others?

When I moved to a new town a few years ago, I started looking for people to follow on Twitter locally. One day, I started sharing tweets with someone and discovered that he and his family live only a couple of miles from me. His daughters are the same ages as my daughters. Then we realized that our families attend the same church. Based on that Twitter exchange, I met up with the family at church. They became our first friends in this community. And it all started on Twitter.


22GeTTinG To know someone new

I pulled some quotes from my writing about social media over the years, and I found a common thread: the importance of relationships.

Involvement in social media is all about relationships. Social media is about relationships.

The short answer to the question “Why social media?” is relationships.

When you participate in using social media channels, you create an opportunity for building and strengthening relationships, both personally and professionally.

The power of social media is in the connections, but is also in how we use those connections to make a positive difference for the people in our lives.

Social media is like real life, only faster. People can be brought together with only a few key strokes.

The best thrill in social media comes from bringing others together.

One of the reasons I love social media is that it allows me to connect to people around the world.

Success in social media, for individuals or organizations, is – at its core – about relationships.

The magic of social media: exploring, sharing, giving, helping, connecting.

Social media platforms provide a place to build relationships where you can make a difference.

The power of social media is the ability to form real connections.

Real connections CAN begin in 140 characters volleyed back and forth, synchronous or asynchronous.


Relationships are made one at a time. Use your 12 minutes today to get to know someone new. Set your timer for 12 minutes and choose a Twitter follower you don’t know well. Read that friend’s recent blog posts, look closely at their profiles. Before the 12 minutes are up, find a way to connect with or help your friend. Promote a recent post, share something encouraging, send a RT, or send an email. Do something — anything — to build a new relationship.


23makinG an inTroDucTion

Making introductions is a great way to help others find new relationships.

You can do it casually, through a tweet.

You can even introduce a bunch of friends to all your followers at once; that’s the basis of the Follow Friday movement. People use the hashtag #ff to make introductions.

You can do it more formally, through an email or through LinkedIn.

You can do to it publicly by mentioning one friend to a large group of others in a blog post.

Or you can make quiet, private introductions.

The more personal and detailed the introduction, the greater the impact. Specific, directed introductions are powerful!

As you make introductions, you will also be strengthening your relationships with the people you are introducing.

Use your 12 minutes today to make at least one thoughtful introduction. Who do you know who could benefit from a connection to someone else you know? Be as specific and personal as you can be in your introduction. Send out a tweet or two introducing someone you appreciate.

http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/2011/12/26/five-ways-to-find-your-future/

http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/2011/12/26/five-ways-to-find-your-future/


24DeepeninG a connecTion

Do you remember being a kid and running into your favorite teacher at the grocery store, walking with her husband and child? Suddenly, you could see her in an entirely different light.

My teacher buys toilet paper and toothpaste. She likes the same kind of cereal I like. That’s her son; he’s my age.

The information you gained by seeing your teacher in a different environment added a new dimension to your relationship with her and humanized her. No longer just your teacher; after that encounter you saw her more as a whole person with a life outside the classroom.

As adults, we all realize that people are multidimensional, but sometimes we lack the ability to see beyond our limited connections to others. When our interaction is limited to one social media platform, we may have an even more narrow view. @john123 is his avatar, a smiling face, someone who retweets us occasionally. We may have never even clicked to his profile to learn more about his likes and dislikes.

I challenge you to see the people you’re following more clearly by deepening connections.

Use your 12 minutes today to deepen some of your social media connections by interacting in a new online environment. If you’ve only been connected on Twitter, send your contacts friend requests on Facebook or find and like their fan pages. Find and circle a few contacts on Google+ or connect via LinkedIn. To take this tip one more step, connect via Skype and plan a short phone call. The more connection points you find with someone, the more likely you are to see them as they really are. For this tip, you may only want to focus on deepening one online relationship. As you look for more ways to connect, read the person’s profiles, click links to websites/blogs, and look for common interests and ways you can help or add value to your online friend.


Molly writes A Foreign Land. I’m not really sure how we found each other. I read through some of her tweets as I prepared to write a blog post and noticed that she retweeted me sometime in the middle of December 2011…. so maybe that’s when. She commented on a post of mine. I love that!

Commenting on blog posts is a great way to deepen your connection with others.

One of the conscious choices I’ve made in trying to cut down on the amount of time that I spend on my blogging efforts is to NOT individually reply to every comment on my posts (though I appreciate and read ALL of them). Instead, I will typically take a moment to reach out and say thank you via Twitter.

So, after Molly and I shared a few tweets, I looked at her Twitter profile and then visited her blog. From there, I followed her social icons to Facebook and sent her a friend request. She accepted. I wrote on her wall, and we started a conversation.

It’s not complicated; it doesn’t take a lot of time. You can share a comment, share encouragement, ask a question, invite interaction, find common interests.

Deepening a connection starts with the intention to relate to others and grow relationships.

I discovered that Molly would soon move to a city I love; we’ve read some of the same books; we share an interest in growing our faith and a goal of running a half marathon (I’ve run two, and plan to run a third one, a goal I hope will keep me on track with regular running this year).

Deepen common interests by appreciating differences.

Discover what you have in common with others AND pay attention to differences. The greatest opportunity for learning and growth resides in those differences. Cultivate curiosity and learn from others by asking about their experiences.

http://www.aforeignland.org/


25The power of GivinG

I love holidays, especially gift-giving holidays like Christmas and birthdays because I love seeing my daughters’ excitement in giving to others.

We can find value and joy in giving to others.

GIVING is the secret power of social media.

Through social media, we have the opportunity to give to others.

We can give knowledge, information, and wisdom.

We can give encouragement, inspiration, and motivation.

We can give support. We can promote others and their work.

We can give attention, admiration, and respect.

We can value others with our words.

We can bring a smile in 140 characters or less.

We can retweet and share, +1 and like.

We can give love, hope, and laughter.

We can give thanks, appreciation, and gratitude.

We can give whatever we have, to whoever we can, as generously as we dare.

The power is in the gift.

Spend time giving to others through social media. Do it in a focused way. Set your timer for 12 minutes, and spend all of that time giving to others in the ways I describe above. See what happens. Do it without expecting anything in return.


26TwiTTerfeeD

Twitterfeed is a free automated tool that allows you to regularly and consistently share blog posts from your friends’ RSS feeds.

Autotweeting the RSS feeds of a few bloggers is an easy way to:

• Share great content.• Support others consistently.

To choose which bloggers’ RSS feeds to add to your Tweetadder, create a list of the bloggers you admire. Consider which ones consistently share content that you enjoy, learn from, or recommend. Make a short list of those bloggers (I recommend no more than five or six).

Add your list of admired blogs as auto-RSS feed tweets. To find the RSS feed of your favorite blogs, look for the RSS symbol on their blog. Click the symbol, and the page where you land is the link you will use to set up the auto tweet. Copy and paste that link into Twitterfeed.

You will want to frame your auto-RSS tweets. You can include the twitter handle of the blogger in the prefix, and add any desired hashtags to the suffix.

Here is an example:

“Don’t miss the latest post from @beckyrobinson #leadership”

Use your 12 minutes today to set up Twitterfeed and you’ll regularly support and promote others automatically.


27surprisinG anD DeliGhTinG

I love surprises: when my husband brings home a mocha for me, a handwritten letter in the mail from a friend, a friend stopping by unannounced.

One of the best social media related surprises ever happened on the morning of my recent birthday.

My cell phone rang and I heard the voice of Tanmay Vora calling from India.

He told me he wanted to share a more heartfelt message than just writing on my Facebook wall or sending a tweet.

We talked for a few minutes, and then I hung up the phone, smiling.

Sometimes, we build relationships online in ways that are expected (we retweet our closest contacts’ blog posts routinely; we greet our friends online).

Today, I want to encourage you to do something different. Do something surprising and unexpected to support and highlight someone new, someone outside of your usual circle of close friends online.

For this tip, use your 12 minutes to reach out to a new online friend with the hope of surprising and delighting. Leave a comment on a blog post or give them a shout-out. Catch your new friend by surprise. Make someone smile today.

If you can, do a little extra: like your new friend’s page on Facebook and tag them in a post. Or share a post across several social media platforms.

If you have extra time, surprise someone else.


28inspirinG someone

One Saturday morning last fall, I read a tweet from my friend Lisa. She shared a shout out for someone, saying “Did you know @stevebrownhr is amazing?” After I retweeted it, I turned it back to her with my own tweet, “Did you know that @lisarosendahl is amazing?”

Soon, my friend Anthony joined in. He retweeted my message about Lisa, then added his own: “Did you know that @beckyrbnsn is amazing?”

The entire exchanged happened quickly.

We happened to all be online and we took the opportunity to encourage each other.

It only took a few minutes.

It only takes a moment to type out 140 characters, powerful key strokes that can change the course of a person’s day.

It only takes a moment to make someone smile, to cheer them on, to express appreciation, to deepen a connection.

It only takes a moment to honor someone’s contribution, to make them feel like a super star, to show how deeply you value them.

Keep it going. Use your 12 minutes to inspire someone today. Who can you inspire?


29sayinG Thank you

Social media platforms give us the opportunity to connect and interact with others instantly. We can share the best of who we are and look for ways to add value to others.

What if you took 12 minutes each day to express thanks and appreciation to your contacts online?

When we express our appreciation to others, we strengthen our connections with them. Don’t you love to feel appreciated and valued? (I do!)

You can also say thank you, with love.

Love stops people in their tracks. Do you dare say it?

I love you! Be bold! Share love. Be specific — tell why you love someone or something.

Sharing love makes a difference!

Sharing love and appreciation for others is a perfect way of building relationships online.

Be bold, share love. Use the word love in your tweets; share the love with the people and brands you love. It will make others smile and it will make you smile, too. (I know, because I’ve been sharing love and I can’t stop smiling.)

Use your 12 minutes today to say thank you, with love. Appreciate people for their contributions to your life. Say thank you in as many ways as you can think of to as many people as you can.


30TweeTchaTTinG

Attending a tweetchat is a great way to find new connections and meet others who share your interests.

A tweetchat is an interactive Twitter experience like no other; it’s Twitter on speed, and may be overwhelming at first.

This excellent blog post from Whitney Johnson explains the tweetchat format.

Here is list of various tweetchats. Look through the list of tweetchats and choose one that interests you and fits you schedule. Tweetchats happen around the clock on a variety of topics.

I encourage you to attend a tweetchat. Be sure to login at tweetchat.com. Before you attend, take note of twitter follower count. Check after the chat to see if you added any followers (I’m curious about the effect tweetchats might have on follower count.)

Though a tweetchat lasts longer than your 12 minutes, I encourage you to attend one, even if only for 12 minutes. Participate!

Use your 12 minutes today to learn more about tweetchats by reading the information at the links above. Put a tweetchat on your calendar.

A note: I highly recommend Lolly Daskal’s #leadfromwithin chat, Tuesday evenings at 8 pm ET.

http://whitneyjohnson.com/tweetchat-with-lolly-daskal/

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhisaMy5TGiwcnVhejNHWnZlT3NvWFVPT3Q4NkIzQVE#gid=1


31experience #Twirl

Have you ever met someone face to face who you initially met through Twitter?

That’s #TWIRL — Twitter in Real Life — a phrase coined by Whitney Johnson, the author of Dare, Dream, Do, a client of my company, a mentor to me, a friend.

Whitney landed on the phrase while seeking to talk about that incredible experience when you get to know someone online and then meet, finally, face to face.

What about safety?

Typically, I know someone for quite some time online before I meet them in person. We have common connections, so others can let me know if someone is trustworthy, if needed. I read their writing, and get to know them through their updates on Facebook or other social media channels. We talk on the phone first.

Without exception, the friends I’ve met through Twitter have been exactly as I expected them to be: delightful, interesting, inspiring, fun, and smart.

Have you ever met a friend from Twitter in real life? If not, I encourage you to take the next step toward that.

Your step may be to get to know someone a bit better by deepening a connection.

Or, perhaps you will want to initiate a phone call.

Maybe you know someone well enough to suggest a face to face meeting.

Whatever your next step, take it.

Use your 12 minutes today to take your next step toward meeting a Twitter friend in real life. Send a message to initiate a phone call, or contact a local connection you’ve never met in person to suggest a meeting for coffee or lunch.

http://www.whitneyjohnson.com


Recently, my daughters and I visited a local hospital to sit with a friend during her father-in-law’s surgery. Her extended family filled an entire corner of the waiting room, camped out like groupies waiting to buy concert tickets: pillows, coolers, blankets — they settled in for the long vigil. The arrival of my chatty daughters and I broke up the monotony of the wait, and soon someone asked, “How did you two meet?”

When you talk about #TWIRL, sometimes it seems a bit unbelievable.

Well, we met on Twitter. We discovered that we lived relatively close geographically. We found common interests and faith. Our kids are close in age (even if we aren’t!) We got together for dinner. We stay in touch on Twitter and through texts. And now we’re friends in real life.And my friends’ family, they looked a bit surprised. When I tell friends and family members about all the real life connections I’ve made through social media, they look the same way.

They ask: Really?

Yes, really.

I can’t count how many friends I met first on Twitter and then in real life.

Without exception, my experiences with #TWIRL have been wonderful and enriching because they bring to life the wonderful relationships that begin online.


appenDix


You might have noticed that I didn’t include any tips in this guide about how to GROW your Twitter account.

I have been using Twitter for over three years. In that time, I have enjoyed all the joys of connecting and sharing online, but my favorite benefit of Twitter, by far, is the relationships I’ve found.

Yet, nearly everyone who talks about Twitter talks about numbers. People measure your success and your perceived influence by how many followers you have.

I think that anyone who values Twitter for the numbers game is completely missing the point.

Twitter is not about numbers. Twitter is about interaction.

Twitter is about relationships.

Twitter friends: People I met on Twitter.

We interact regularly. We exchange emails. We Skype. I know the names of their kids, how long they’ve been married, where they live. We talk on the phone.

I regularly talk with friends I met on Twitter on the phone.

Most of the time, I talk to my Twitter friends at pre-arranged times.

But also, and I love this, I can just pick up the phone and reach out.

And they answer. And we talk.

Because we are real friends.

I learn from my Twitter friends, and they learn from me.

a noTe abouT TwiTTer anD numbers


I enjoy seeing my Twitter tribe grow, but only because of the potential new relationships those numbers represent.

Twitter is about interaction.

The Big “And”

Twitter is about interaction AND Twitter is about numbers.

I told you that Twitter is not a numbers game; it’s about relationships and interaction.

I believe wholeheartedly that Twitter is about relationships and interaction. AND. In order to find and form meaningful relationships on Twitter, you have to make it a numbers game.

My husband and I have this unending conversation about Twitter.

He says it’s circular.

You follow people so they’ll follow you, and they’re following you so that you will follow them.

They want to sell you their stuff and you want them to buy your stuff.

You want them to read your blog and they want you to read their blog.

When he describes it that way, it does seem circular. It makes me a little dizzy, in fact.

The only answer I have is the one I gave my friend Jesse Stoner.

Increasing your followers on Twitter is about finding and forming relationships. The more people you follow (and the more people who are following you), the greater the chance that you will find the “right” people.

The right people are the ones who want to interact, the ones who have something to give, the ones who will allow you to give to them.

The right people are the ones:

• you want to pick up the phone to talk to.• you’d want to have coffee with if you happened to be in the same place.• you’d drive out of your way to meet.• you’d rearrange your schedule to help.• you can’t wait to meet in person, so you can hug them and thank them for

the way their encouragement has influenced you.


The right people are also the ones:

• who are sharing information you’re interested in.• who have something to sell that you want to buy.• who are interested in the information you’re sharing.• who want to buy whatever you’re selling.

Twitter needs to be a numbers game because there is no way to predict who those right people are going to be. If there were, I could follow twenty or thirty people and be done.

Twitter is a numbers game to me because numbers represent possibility and the potential for rich, meaningful interaction.

A few thoughts as you seek to grow your account

Be patient. I spent many, many, many months growing my first Twitter account, organically. When I started my new account, last November, it grew much faster, partly because I had invested so much time in building relationships already. Many people instantly followed my new account. If you are starting from nothing, growth will be slow, even with automation. But that’s okay, because it’s not really about the numbers, it’s about the interaction.

Be aware of the wall at 2000. Twitter has a limit of following 2000 people. This limit disappears when you have about 2000 followers. This can be a frustrating limit. Again, patience! If you follow the advice we’ve shared so far, you will be able to get past the 2000 mark to grow to even greater influence. You may need to unfollow some accounts to be able to keep your ratio closer to help you push past the 2000 point.

Be the right kind of person. In order to find the right people, you need to be the right kind of person. Be the one who is sharing, giving, and encouraging and you will find others who are doing the same.

Look for real connections. As your numbers grow, spend time getting to know your followers. Reach out, initiate conversation. Each follower represents amazing potential.

And, if you want to increase the likelihood that people will follow you? Follow these guidelines:

Use a real avatar (photo) and Twitter. People like to connect to people. Use your name and photo, unless you have a compelling reason not to do so.

Complete Your Profile with Information that Shows Who You Are. Take a few minutes to personalize the 160 characters in your profile. Help me understand the value you offer.

Tweet a variety of content, including retweets and @replies. Use the tips in this guide to give to, promote, and appreciate others.


Keep your ratio of following to followers close. When you are following many more people than have followed you back (Following 600 to 25 followers), people wonder why and may choose not to follow. Likewise, if you have a lot of followers but you aren’t following many people (Following 20, 3000 followers), it is an indication of your interest in engaging with others.


shoulD i have more Than one TwiTTer accounT?

Yes, if you have time to manage multiple profiles and if you have a clearly defined purpose in starting a new account.

Having multiple profiles increases your influence by exposing your content to a wider audience.

It can be tricky to find the time to engage with multiple profiles.

Here are 12 questions to ask yourself when considering whether to start another Twitter profile:

1. How much time do I have to devote to growing this Twitter account profile?2. How much time do I have time to engage and interact with the followers

of this Twitter profile?3. What do I hope to achieve through this new profile?4. What will I share through this new profile? 5. How will what I share on this profile differ from what I share on my primary

profile? 6. How long will this profile be relevant?7. What advantages do I see with starting this new profile? 8. Who do I hope will follow this profile?9. Who could help me in managing multiple profiles?10. What tools will I use to help me monitor multiple profiles?11. In what ways will my two profiles support one another? 12. Do I want to start another profile?

I see value in starting additional profiles when you have a clear-cut business reason for doing so, including launching a major new product, book, or business and when you want to have a profound distinction between your own branding and your organization’s branding.


When you are managing multiple accounts, the need for using a 3rd party application becomes even more important. Using Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, or Seesmic will make managing more than one Twitter account much easier, eliminating the need to log-in and log-out of each account.


GeTTinG sTarTeD GuiDe

Setting Up A Twitter Profile

You’ll need:

• Your Email Address• A Photo• Your Website URL

Set your timer for 12 minutes.

Go to Twitter.com


Then follow these steps:

1. Enter your full name and email address.2. Create a password. Write it down for your records. 3. Choose a user name. If possible, use your name. If not, use the name

of your business or a variation of your name. Avoid using underscores, if possible. You want your Twitter handle to be memorable. Once you have followed the first three steps, Twitter makes this promise:


4. Follow Twitter’s steps.

5. Step one, follow 10 people. (Follow Team Weaving Influence: @beckyrbnsn @weaveinfluence @teambuzzbuilder @CGKoens @fab_angie @mollypg.) See, you’re almost there… Next, Twitter will recommend that you follow brands and find friends. Skip those steps for now.

6. Download Twitter for your smartphone, if you have one. Just search for the keyword Twitter in the marketplace or storefront on your phone.

7. Upload a picture, image, or logo. It is preferable to use the same photo you are using on other social media platforms so people will recognize you. You want to add a photo right away because people don’t like to follow the default (egg) avatar. It’s a clear sign of spam or an inactive account.

8. Fill out your profile information. Include a link to your website, your true location, and your description in 160 characters or less. Make sure your profile highlights who you are and what you hope to share on Twitter. (Good news! You can edit this later.)

9. Use tools on Twitter.com to connect to your real-life friends who are already using Twitter. Search using your email contacts.

10. Confirm your email address. Like Facebook, you’ll need to confirm your email address for Twitter, also.

Don’t forget to…

Write down your login information and password information for Twitter, and put it in a safe place where you will be able to find it. This will save you time later.


Basics

1. Tweet: (n) A post consisting of 140 characters (or less) appearing on Twitter (v) The act of sharing a 140 character post on Twitter

2. Handle: The user name chosen for twitter activity that is preceded by a “@” sign. For example: @jenna

3. Feed: A constantly-updating list of tweets typically sorted so that the most recent updates appear at the top

4. Follow: The act of subscribing to a particular twitter feed5. Followers: Twitter users who have subscribed to a certain twitter feed6. Hash tag (#): A symbol placed in front of a key word to make a tweet more

searchable. For example: There’s no place like #home7. @reply: A tweet directed at and in response to another user’s specific

tweet. These tweets can easily be sent using the reply button, which will automatically populate “@” + the user’s twitter handle and then allow you type your response. @replies are visible to the user being addressed and anyone who follows both you and the person to whom you are replying. For example: @jenna I completely agree!

8. @mention: A public message/tweet mentioning another user that has “@” + the user’s twitter handle appearing in the tweet. An @mention is visible to all of your followers.For example: I completely agree with @jenna’s opinion.

9. Trending: A subject being discussed on twitter that is determined by algorithm to be one of the most popular topics at any given time or in a specific geographic location

10. Lists: User created and curated groups of twitter users. Lists are used to organize and cluster twitter users into smaller sets and make keeping up with specific twitter users much more efficient.

Glossary


Abbreviations

11. AFAIK: “As far as I know”12. B2B: “Business to Business”13. B2C: “Business to Client” or “Business to Community”14. B4: “Before”15. BTW: “By the way”16. CC: “Carbon-copy” This is used in the same way you would use it in an

email 17. DM: “Direct Message” A message sent directly to another twitter user that

is delivered to a private inbox visible only to that user18. F2F: “Face to Face”19. FB: “Facebook”20. FF: “Follow Friday” A twitter tradition where users include #FF in tweets

that list suggested users for their followers to begin following 21. FTW/FTL: “For the Win” / “For the Loss”22. HT: “Hat tip” or “Heard Through” This attributes a link to another twitter

user23. HTH: “Here to help” or “Happy to help” or “Hope that helps” ICYMI: “In Case

You Missed It” 24. IDK: “I don’t know”25. IMO: “In my opinion”26. IRL: “In Real Life”27. LMK: “Let me know”28. LOL: “Laugh out loud”29. MT/MRT: “Modified Tweet”/ “Modified ReTweet” To slightly modify and

then share someone else’s tweet with your followers30. OH: “Over heard”31. OMG: “Oh My God”32. ROFL: “Rolling on the floor laughing” – when LOL just doesn’t cut it33. RT: “Retweet” To share someone else’s tweet with your followers34. SMH: “Shaking my Head”35. TFTF: “Thanks for the follow”36. TTYL/TTYS: “Talk to you later”/ “Talk to you soon”37. TY/ TYVM: “Thank You”/ “Thank you very much” 38. via: A way of attributing credit to the source that originally tweeted the

information being shared in the tweet39. YOLO: “You only live once”40. YW: “You’re welcome”


Extras

1. Co-twitterer: A second person who tweets on a single twitter account2. Tweetup: A meeting with other twitter users.3. Fail Whale: The graphic users see when Twitter is over capacity and not

available for use.4. Engagement: The social aspect of Twitter. Using twitter to respond to and

connect with other twitter users.


how To aDD people To a TwiTTer lisT

From Twitter.com

To create a list, go to Twitter.com. Click on @Connect on the Twitter toolbar.

@Connect will bring up a list of all your recent interactions and mentions on Twitter. These are the people you regularly engage with, and these are likely people you want to get to know better, support, and find easily when you’re online.

To add a person to a list, click on their Twitter name. Currently, this brings up a pop-up overview of the person’s profile.


Use the drop down menu to add each contact to your list by selecting “Add to or remove from list.”

From Tweetdeck

Click “More” on the right side of a person’s tweet.

When you click “More,” Tweetdeck will bring a dropdown menu,

Click add or remove from lists.


Becky Robinson, founder and CEO of Weaving Influence, is a dynamic team leader with a passion for social media. Over the last three and a half years, she has gained a reputation for being the “go to” person if you’re looking to build your online presence.

Becky joined Twitter in April 2009, tweeting as @LeaderTalk. She’s been tweeting as @beckyrbnsn since November 2010. With over 35,000 Tweets on her Twitter resume, Becky now manages more than a dozen Twitter accounts for clients at Weaving Influence, as well as tweeting as @weaveinfluence, and she’s still going strong with 15,000 followers of @beckyrbnsn.

Known for her optimistic, can-do attitude, Becky is an inspiration, not only to her clients, but also to her team. As Weaving Influence team member, Angie Butcher (@fab_angie) says, “She will motivate you, inspire you, and make you laugh.” And Venture Communications President, Todd Nielson (@toddbnielsen), says: “I have met a lot of people in the last few years that claim to be experts in social media. Becky really is one.”

abouT becky robinson

Weaving Influence is a social media consulting and implementation company. We specialize in helping authors build their online presence and market their books.

Offering one-on-one coaching, training, editing, content creation, implementation support, and graphic design, Weaving Influence can help you learn how to be effective and efficient in using social media tools to grow your online influence.

abouT weavinG influence


Would you like to grow your influence on Twitter?

I am confident that using these tips will help you do that. When you use these tips, you’ll build stronger relationships and establish your brand on Twitter.

So, I issue this challenge: Implement the tips as outlined above for 31 days and see what happens.

If you do, and if you send an email to [email protected], outlining your experience and results, and giving us permission to share your comments and stories, we’ll send you another resource, the 12 Minute Media Strategy and Branding Playbook ($57 value) to help you extend your influence – as a thank you gift.

As you use the tips, we’d love to have you tweet about it, using the hashtag #12minutetip so we can track the use of this guide and tips.

You can also use ready-made tweets from this page. And we create badges that you can post on your blog or website to show that you’ve participated in/completed this challenge.

And, feel free to contact me anytime to send any questions or comments about this guide or any of our products/services: [email protected]

posTscripT

http://www.weavinginfluence.com/landing/31-days-of-twitter-tips

31 Days of TwiTTer Tips - Weaving Influence · This guide will help you use Twitter to build your...

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