What would you say are the top ways you have found to utilize Twitter and grow your network? Here are a several of mine:
- Add value. Initially, I tweeted about what I wanted people to know about. Then, I started tweeting about what I thought people needed to know. Finally, I’ve started to realize that I need to tweet about things that others want to know about. Are your tweets something people look forward to?
- Minimize asks. I have quit following several of my friends, mainly pastors, who use Twitter as their personal telethon. While causes are great, and Twitter is powerful, an overload of asks will shoo away your followers.
- Be consistent, but not constant. People tell me all the time that they look forward to my #1stThought of the day. It’s a consistent mini devotional from pastor to people. But friends have also told me that they drop tweeps who constantly hog their Twitter (and Facebook) feeds with too many articles, pictures, and, shall we say, graphic details of their day.
- Retweet. If you see something valuable, add it to the twittersphere, and be sure to accredit the friend who passed it along. The love will come back to you in the end.
- Focus. What are the point of your tweets? I try to place mine in 3 buckets: spiritual leadership, social media, and executive staffing. Focus will expand your network more than you think.
- Own a hashtag. My buddy Scott Williams (@scottwilliams) owns the #Fistbump. I look forward to it. I’ve tried to make #1stThought my contribution to the twittersphere. What’s yours?
- Write a blogpost with tips for Twitter. Yes, I’m shameless.
That’s seven. What three would you add to round out the list?
(this post was originally written in 2009, and continues to be a top viewed post)
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twitter can be a beast…the best method i’ve found is in the conversations, not in the linking…found this to be particularly true in the POTSC twitter community where i use a certain “voice” to talk to our tribe…
i’d add be helpful…there’s just a lot of selfish stuff going on sometimes.
This is a great post. I especially like #1 and #3. Consistent not constant is quite the challenge.
I would add two more:
8. Engage in conversation
Involve your self in a conversation that interests you. Also, reply to those who mention you.
9. Utilize the search feature to find people talking about your interests
I have several phrases on an rss feed so when people I don’t know start talking about something I’m interested in I can find someone of like interests to start following.
There is my two cents.
Great post!
10. Retweet, Don’t Just Reply – Yes, there is a difference. By just replying to others, the conversation is lost for other followers that are just seeing your reply. It’s like only listening to one side of the conversation. But if you Retweet and then add your reply by separating the two by “//” or “::” then you include your followers into the conversation.
11. Use Direct Message – If you want to reply to someone’s tweet and it won’t add value for others to see it, then use the Direct Message. Nobody wants to read a bunch of your replies to everyones tweets.
Thanks Justin. Great additions, particularly #8….now that I’m engaging in this convo late, you can see why I didn’t think of it first! Merry Christmas.
Good insight on retweet versus reply!
William,
Interesting observation. Book of Common Prayer and some of the other examples you cite have provided ways to control and systematize through the years. Though there are some mutli-site models that adopt more of a “everything looks exactly the same franchise approach,” many more exhibit diverse expressions tied together only by common vision, mission and values. Multi-site is an idea that people take wherever they want … and they do! The question I am asked most is, “What is the most effective multi-site model?” My answer is always – “the one that takes into account who you are as a church and who God is calling you to become.”