Twitter: how tweeting can work for you
- Sep 29, 2011
Tweets, tweeps and tweet ups – here's a guest blog on how Twitter can work for you. The day after Richard Branson blogged on social media, here's some top tips on making the most out of Twitter...
The thought of Twitter is perhaps like Marmite and we either love it or hate it. A friend recently asked me what it was all about, this ‘Twitter’ thing. It got me thinking, do you think it’s pointless, something unfathomable and do you want to get it? Whatever you think about joining Twitter I wanted to share my experience of using twitter AND what a wonderful business tool twitter has been for me.
I set up my @Loving _My _years account last May after someone suggested my positive outlook would be great to share. I was open to suggestions and it seemed an interesting idea as I was growing my coaching practice and I love to engage and encourage the personal empowerment of others.
So starting out as a social media newbie it was odd sending the first few 140 character messages to no one or someone that is goodness knows who, in goodness knows where. But by being myself, finding something of a style and loving my subject matter I was suddenly rewarded with followers, conversations and relationships developing. I discovered what my target audience wanted, what I enjoyed tweeting about and how to manage my time, most of the time.
So for me the key to mastering Twitter's ‘voice’ is all in the engagement. I have the genuine desire to get to know my followers, to care about them and to want to tweet with them and make that time. With my set of Twitter values, I have been amazed at what has been delivered. I’ve gained business in the form of referrals and clients. With more than 1600 followers my tweets are shared far and wide building my brand. I have gained great business connections and my website design and my images come courtesy of…you guessed it… Twitter. I have a fabulous and growing guest blogging team, celebrity contributors to my blog and to top it all workshop collaborations planned for next year all from sharing my tweets.
So here’s my tips for using Twitter, not as an expert, just a woman in business who’s found it’s working fabulously.
· Time just a few blog posts to share through the day using Hootsuite or Tweetdeck.
· Remember it’s all about people, engage and build relationships
· Be enthusiastic and positive, rants on Twitter are pretty unpleasant things
· Have a strong opinion, take time out and think…do you really want to send that tweet?
· Be yourself, be real and the human at the end of a tweet
· You’ll create timeline noise if you tweet at your followers and they’ll turn the volume down or stop following you, tweet with and you’re winning.
· Learn from other great tweeps, I was given great advice in the early days and it’s ok to ask for help.
· You avatar or profile picture needs to reflect who you are and be a headshot ideally. Of course huge global brands like @virgin will use their branding.
· Finally have a set of twitter manners and rules – Treat others as you wish to be treated.
Finally and importantly I have company, yes on those lonely days in front of a computer I can have brief conversations with followers and friends, breaking up my day without too much of a time commitment. Ah yes and friends, twitter can deliver real friends for life. Friends you’ll make time for and they’ll do the same. Before you even meet you’ve built the relationship, all through a few 140 character little messages.
Twitter makes sense, so make sense of Twitter and enjoy.
Jayne Cox runs her private practice as an Emotional & Eating Disorder - Body Image Expert. A Specialist Women's Coach and Writer, she empowers and motivates women to Love their Years their Bodies and their Lives. http://twitter.com/#!/loving_my_years
Read a guest blog on how to create a targetted Twitter account
