Social Media: More About Twitter - article

In today’s society it’s common knowledge that Twitter is an enormously successful social medium. Honing one’s ability to function on that platform is becoming increasingly important, as its use expands. For an author, the ability to use tweets to increase the number of your readers and the quantity of book sales makes great business sense.

While you are becoming familiar with the fast-paced world of tweeting, certain obvious questions arise. One of the most-asked questions is how to increase your “following.”

The initial answer is for you to follow more people. Every day you should make searches, using keywords that pertain to you as an author or to fields addressed in the works you write. Then, “follow” those users found by your searches. They are potential readers. They are individuals that have shown, through their Twitter profiles, that they are interested in the subjects you searched. Those whom you’ve followed will probably, in turn, check you out. When they see you're an author of a genre they like, they will choose to follow you. It's sort of an unspoken rule on Twitter for followers to reciprocate interest in each other.

After only a short period of such reciprocal “following,” the number of your followers should grow. Then, if you run an online contest, the number of your followers should “go viral.”

Okay, so you've got your follower counts building up, but now the question is how to market to those followers.

In the realm we call Twitter, the limit of a marketing message is 280 characters. This limit is actually a good thing, because nobody is reading long-winded sales pitches anymore. In any event, your tweets should never read like sale pitches, otherwise they'll just be ignored as spam. Instead, you need to use the best copy-writing skills you have, to grab the attention of those receiving your tweets. You need something like the cover of a magazine or Readers Digest. Catchy tweets that link to content on your website or blog, along with giveaway contests, get the best results.

In addition, you shouldn't focus all of your tweeting within a small block of time. With the ever-rolling out of tweet feeds, your messages can soon be lost. Instead, you should go online and tweet every morning and every night. If time allots, pop in midday. Such regular visits to Twitter will ensure you are seen by more followers, regardless of their schedules for visiting Twitter.

Aside from contests and catchy copy with links to your website or blog, it’s also a good idea to come up with some “top ten” lists. Tweet them out one list at a time.

One last tip on what should write in your tweets on a regular basis, is to add a personal touch. Tell your recipients how you’re feeling about your writing, your next project, your last project, or what you felt about a restaurant, or even, simply how your day has gone. No matter what you choose to share, a personal note will add to your mix and give your tweets a human element.

Happy tweeting.