By Chanda Temple
I recently served as a panelist on a social media panel, where I discussed what has worked for me on Twitter. Everyone is different. What works for Sally may not work for Sam. The main thing is to try and see what works for you. Here are some of the tips I shared:
- Follow people you like and those that feed your passion and interests
If you have quality tweets that teach people something, make them laugh or inspire them, you’ve piqued their interest. They’ll look at your feed. If you have content that makes people want to keep scrolling down your feed, they’ll likely follow you. I figure that if this is what gets others to look at folks’ tweets, then it is also what may get people to look at me.
Tweet about what you enjoy doing and reading.
- Follow people in your industry
Folks working in the same industry as you are likely to know about emerging trends and could post stories that will help you become better at what you do. If you see someone on television, at a public event or any where and you like what they are saying, see if they have a Twitter feed. Check them out so you can continue to soak up their good info, via tweets.
- Decide on your content
Just like ordering the perfect pizza, it takes time to discover the perfect content to post. For me, I tried different types of tweets until I realized that I really enjoyed sharing inspirational quotes, information on how to be better in business and public relations, updates about anything in Birmingham, social media and live tweeting events. I saw my Twitter following increase when I offered content people could use. However, I lost followers when I live tweeted during a popular television show. There’s nothing wrong with that. I just had to make a decision on what I wanted to accomplish with my Twitter feed. For me, it was promoting what I do in my life as a pr pro and less about live updates on the latest television show.
My decision about the television show was all a part of branding. I opted to keep my live television updates on Facebook, where I have more friends into the show. I enjoy connecting with them without fear of annoying followers with 3-minute updates on the latest, jaw-dropping scenes on my favorite drama.
Notice why people follow you and learn to strike a balance that will interest a majority of them. You won’t be able to please everyone. And don’t get discouraged if people unfollow you. It happens. It’s life. Keep going.
- Make time for social media
Late at night or early in the morning, I set aside some time to schedule my tweets to post during the week. But I still post some live tweets and correspond with people. I never leave my Twitter feed on auto pilot. People will be able tell if you do that.
Remember to respond to people’s comments and stay engaged. Twitter is like a conversation and not an endless posting of what’s on your mind. Folks want to hear from you.
- Pick a post time that works best for you
I can’t tell you how many different days and times I’ve read as what’s the best time to tweet. Really, it all depends on your followers. When are they up and likely to see your posts? You have to go with what works for you. You may have early risers reading posts at 6 a.m. or night owls reading them at 9 or 10 p.m. Experts have discouraged posting at these times. But if you think your followers are up at that time or likely to respond at another time, don’t be afraid to test the waters to see what works.
Embrace hashtags
If you are tweeting about a certain topic, especially if it’s hot or newsworthy, check to see if there is a hashtag for it. It helps your conversation stand out. Also, remember to tag people in your posts with the @ symbol.
What tricks have you found to be helpful in social media?
Chanda Temple worked as a reporter for 20 years before becoming a public relations professional. She blogs about being better in business, building buzz and more at http://www.chandatemplewrites.com. Follow her on Twitter at @chandatemple.