As we talk about SEO and gaining readers, one key is to "be everywhere" online. The more exposure you have, the greater your chances of being found and followed.
If your readers (and potential readers) hang out on Twitter, you should too! (If you're unfamiliar with Twitter & how it works, check out Mashable's Twitter Guide.) I saw a HUGE boost in my readership when I got actively involved on Twitter.
I'm no Twitter superstar, but here are 8 tips to make Twitter work harder for you:
1. Schedule Twitter Time
The biggest thing I've learned about Twitter is that it can be a major time-suck. Major. My #1 tip is to schedule "Twitter time" and stick to it. Otherwise, your time will be whittled away slowly and your productivity will decrease significantly.
2. Be Strategic
Once you've determined when you'll be on Twitter, determine beforehand what you'll do once there. How long will you be on? What hashtags will you read (see below)? Decide which of your posts you'll tweet. Etc.
3. Be Helpful
Offer useful tips or answer questions thoughtfully. Give more than you take.
4. Make Your Tweets Attention-Grabbing
Ask questions or link to great resources. "How to…" or "10 Tips…" are great attention-grabbing tweets too.
5. Make Your Tweets Short
…so they are easily retweeted by others.
6. Post Tweets at the Right Time
Think about the type of people most likely to appreciate your tweet and think about when they are most likely to be on Twitter. Post your tweet then.
7. Use Hashtags
Hashtags provide a loose way of organizing tweets so you can follow what others are saying about a particular topic. So, for example, the #savvyblogging hashtag is where people share helpful tips about blogging.
Using hashtags yourself puts your tweet in front of the people who are most likely to respond. To use a hashtag, simply include it (i.e. "#savvyblogging") somewhere in your tweet. Don't forget the pound sign which makes a hashtag a hashtag.
You can find hashtags by searching a site like hashtags.org, but personally, I just take note of the hashtags the people I'm following are using. Simply click on a hashtag to see all the tweets in that stream.
8. Don't spam
This goes without saying, but if you want people to trust you, be trustworthy.
What about you? What are your best Twitter tips?
Great tips, Amy!!
The only other tip I would offer is to ENGAGE!! Many people get offended when brands do not reply back to questions or tweets. The same goes for blogs. After all, we are brands as well. Don't just have an auto-feed set up and walk away. Engage with followers. It will help your brand and your relationships tremendously! But, of course do all of that within the timeline you are going to be online. That is one I need help with
Yes! I agree. Thanks for adding this!
Another hint – use lists – it's easier to read through by topic as your list grows if you have those you're following grouped together!
Yes! Excellent point!
I have a question, what is the purpose of linking to twitter in each instance you name it in your post? Do you do that for a reason? I'm curious.
No, there's no good reason. In this post, it's overkill.
It's customary to link to another site if you mention them in a post, but to do it repeatedly is not necessary IMO. (I did it hear just because I was copying & pasting it.)
My readership has increased significantly because of the #savvyblogging hashtag alone! Are there other blogging or niche hashtags that people commonly use that I might not know about?
Hi Jenny. I owe a lot to #savvyblogging too!
I think the best way to find other great hashtags is to find people you enjoy following and then take note of the hashtags they use.
Wonderful tips, Amy. Thank you. I turn to this blog often!
It's funny you mentioned "be everywhere" that's exactly what this Summer is all about for me. In fact, I've called it the "Time to Shine Challenge" with the challenge being to "be everywhere".
I used to spend a lot of time on twitter, then I found it just wasn't paying off, and started spending more time on Facebook ~ which I find does pay off. However, I love twitter! So I'm going back to Twitter and being even more strategic about it… I think the strategic use of hashtags is really smart. I wasn't familiar with #savvyblogging so I'll start using that. Also the #sitgirls31dbbb has been a good one for me too.
My other tip for twitter would be to talk to people. Twitter is about connecting. If I see someone's profile and it just has links, and comments I don't follow them. I want to know you're going to be willing to have a conversation with me. I definitely look for lots of RT, and @ replies, as well as great links, and comments.
I'm totally confused. I'm not sure I understand how to use hashtags. I've seen myself mentioned in them and replied back not even knowing what I was doing. Then noticed I was getting more followers. I have felt bad at times not responding to tweets with my name in them only because I didn't know what to do. Hashtags.com doesn't explain much. Totally confused.
Think of hashtags as a way of organizing, or grouping together, a conversation on Twitter. So, for example, if there's a group of people all talking about the Olympics, they might add the #olympics hashtag to the end of their tweets. That way anyone who is interested can follow the hashtag (by doing a search on Twitter for #olympics) and catch all the tweets written by others on that topic. Otherwise, the tweets just get flung out into the Twitterverse randomly and are therfore hard to find. Does that make sense?
Yes it does. Thank you. You're just a wealth of information!
Thanks for the link to Mashable twitter guide. I pinned it to read later. I have yet to open a twitter account I have been thinking of it, but with everything else I am figuring out right now about blogging, it hasn't become a priority YET!!! Oh and love the new head shot!