Hello,
I compose most of my tweets with care,
as if they were aphorisms
-- they are not usually dashed-off.
Sometimes I'm surprised by the high, poetic quality of Twitter
-- it lends itself to a surreal sort of self-expression.
--Joyce Carol Oates
In this issue:
1. Twitter tips #2
2. Tickled my funnybone
3. Interesting Web site
4. Letters to the editor
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1. Twitter tips #2
When someone starts to follow me on Twitter, I take a quick look at their home page and tweets to see if I want to follow them back. One such tweeter caught my eye because of the large number of followers she has. She graciously agreed to share her insights and top Twitter tips with you.
Here's Sandie…
Almost a year ago, I started my author account on Twitter as @SandieWillWrite. I have dabbled on Twitter with a couple of other accounts, but didn't start researching
how to use Twitter effectively until I started this one.
My sister is a social media expert, so I was able to tap into her knowledge in conjunction with a considerable amount of reading and studying the habits and tactics of others on Twitter. Now, I have over 3,500 followers. I couldn't have done this without the enormous support of the writer community on Twitter who help spread the word on blogs and books for numerous authors. I have met so many wonderfully talented and fun authors, bloggers, artists and readers along the way, too. Here are some tips that I hope will help you grow your followers:
- Be engaged. Post 5 to 10 times per day with a mix of articles on writing, your blogs/books, interesting facts, retweets of other interesting articles, pictures of your favorite vacation spot, etc. Keep in mind your target audience. If you're an author, you'll want to find followers who are readers, teachers, parents, etc., depending on your genre.
Participate in blog series (a set of questions from other writers that are answered by participants and shared) and hashtag events such as #FF (follow Friday) and #MondayBlogs. Don't forget pictures too - these are a great way to attract followers and start dialogue.
- Be courteous. Consider tweets like conversations. Be polite and always thank others for following you and retweeting your tweets, especially when starting an account. If you like a blog or book you read, say so on Twitter.
- Be consistent. Sporadically posting on Twitter will make it difficult for others to know when you'll be posting. It's better to be on a schedule such as once a month, once a week or daily. I post daily and set up tweets for the week on Hootsuite.
- Be linked. If you have Facebook, LinkedIn, a blog, a webpage, etc., be sure to link any new posts to your Twitter account. This will generate more traffic to your pages and allow Twitter
followers to gain insight on you and your work. There's not much space on the Twitter page, so connecting to other sources of information about you will keep your audience interested.
If you would like more Twitter tips, I posted several blogs on growing my account during my first six weeks. See my blog at: http://www.sandiewill.com/blog/category/social-media
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2.Tickled my funnybone
From a list of student bloopers:
The invention of the steamboat caused a network of rivers to spring up.
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3. Interesting Web site
Here are some reasons people use Twitter. Note that these are not specific to writer. It helps to have a broader perspective.
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/7-
reasons-why-you-should-be-using-twitter/
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4. Letters to the editor
This is not an actual letter to me, but a note in response to confusion I caused in the last issue. I included a link to an article about marketing lists without enough explanation about why I chose that link.
In the last issue, Toby Stone mentioned lists but didn't explain what they are and why you would want them. The link I included was meant to fill in that gap in Toby's tips.
I plan to write more fully about lists in a future issue.
In the mean time, if you ever find something puzzling or odd in Editor's Notes, please get in touch. I never mean to be obtuse.
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Join Writer's Helper Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WritersHelperEditor
Follow me on Twitter @AudreytheEditor
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