When I’m notified that someone is following me on Twitter, the first thing I want to do is find out who they are and what they’re talking about. If the subject matter is relevant and of interest, I will follow them, but if their Twitter feed is nothing more than links to their own articles and products, I lose interest. Even worse are followers who tweet every five minutes.
Connecting with other people on Twitter is no different than connecting with people in real life. When someone has something interesting to say, you listen, and when someone engages with you and asks you about yourself, you want to respond. Conversely, when you’re stuck in a room with someone who does nothing but talk about themselves, you want to run a mile!
So if you want to engage with other Twitter followers, here are some golden rules:
- Ensure your Tweets are focused on your audience rather than about you. There’s nothing people love more than when you take an interest in them E.g. Instead of saying “we retrieve data from hard drives” ask your audience about their experiences. E.g. “Have you ever suffered from a hard drive failure? How did it affect you?” – If someone replies, you can then give them advice.
- Don’t try and sell on Twitter because your audience will immediately lose interest. Instead share your expertise: Link to a blog post you have written, post a tip of the day. Search on Twitter for someone who has experienced a particular problem and offer them some advice. By building your credibility, you will be attracting potential clients to you.
- Become an expert on a particular subject matter. E.g. If you are have extensive knowledge on second hand cards, why not have a weekly “Ask the expert” slot on Twitter? Your followers can send you questions and you can reply, thereby sharing your expertise with a large audience.
- Be human. Share your thoughts and frustrations (as long as they are not too personal). A little humour works as well. Did something funny happen to you? Tell your audience about it.
- Ensure your tweets are relevant to your audience. If you have built up a following because you’re an expert in computer hardware, don’t spend too much time talking about other unrelated subjects. Your audience will lose interest.
- Tweet often, but not too often! Even if you’re very busy, share something each day, even if it’s just a thought. You need to remind your audience that you’re there. Conversely, if you tweet every few minutes, it can become irritating for your audience. Be sensible.
