Social Networking Tips to Leverage Twitter

Tips to Leverage TwitterTwitter is an amazing tool which can allow you to connect with people across the world. You can attract clients, find joint venture partners and reach out to connectors and other influential people.

Many people have tried Twitter and given up. This is a mistake. It’s a very powerful tool and one of its strengths is simplicity.

Here are some of the common complaints I hear about Twitter:
*Too much spam
*I can’t follow conversations. It’s too confusing.
*Why are people following me? Where are they following me to?

Let me address the questions one at a time.

Too Much Spam
Yes, there is more spam and promotion on Twitter than on most social networks. That’s okay. If you know how to filter tweets, you can avoid most of the spam.

I can’t follow conversations. It’s too confusing.
Twitter can feel a little like walking into a crowded room and trying to listen to all of the conversations at the same time. If you go to a library, do you feel overwhelmed? Or, do you simply look for one book to read? Twitter is the same way. Take a deep breathe. First, you do not need to read everything everyone posts. Second, you can use lists to filter people into categories. For example, you could create a Friend List so you can read tweets just from your friends.

Why are people following me? Where are they following me to?
This is one of the most unique qualities of Twitter and one of the most powerful. On most social networks, you have to ask someone’s permission to connect with them. And once you connect to them, that gives you access to their network and to information about them. Twitter works the opposite way, anyone can follow anyone, except in certain situations like someone protects their profile. This makes it possible to build a large network quickly.

Make a Short List of People You Want to Communicate With

Now, let me share 3 ideas to help you leverage Twitter as a powerful social networking tool:

1) Build your network

Invest some time in following people. The larger your network, the better opportunity you will be able to connect with influential people. It will also increase your opportunities for lead generation.

2) Focus on communication

Forget about trying to chat with everyone. Make a short list of people you want to communicate with. Create a List on the Twitter website of people to communicate with and focus on them. You can also use tools like TweetDeck which improve the communication process.

3) Add value

Make every tweet count. Post quotes, tips, and link to blog posts that add value. Limit promotion to one out of every 10 tweets. This will prevent you from being labeled a spammer and being blocked or unfollowed by other people.

If you implement these simple tips, you will be well on the way to getting better results on Twitter.

Rick Cooper
Online Marketing and Social Media Trainer

2 comments

    • Barbee on April 12, 2010 at 8:07 pm

    I am looking forward to the teleseminar so I can learn more about how to use the twitter system. I am doing a little on facebook and following and being followed a little on twitter but don’t really know what I am doing yet!

  1. Thanks for commenting Barbee. Yes, Twitter can be a little intimidating. I will share some simple strategies to begin leveraging Twitter in a powerful way.

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