Break Away from the Pack on Twitter
Covering how to be effective on Twitter in the past, this post will continue that one in some ways, by teaching you how to become an influential part of Twitter. If you haven’t already realized this, Twitter (along with Facebook) will forever change the way we communicate with one another, in near real-time. There is no longer the wait that email used to have, plus it isn’t one-sided like chat.
One of the keys to becoming a bigger part of Twitter is realizing how it works, and I’ll be covering some of those basics here.
Five Basic Rules of Twitter
- Provide Value – There is a lesser chance that someone will follow you if you don’t provide useful information. You need to do this, or you’ll simply be promoting your site non-stop and other useless content.
- Connect with Others – Start conversations with others if they are having difficulties blogging (or whatever), and let them know that you are thankful for what they do, if they have re-tweeted or provided value to you.
- Market Appropriately – Not everyone will be able to generate income using Twitter, but some will. You have to know how to leverage the traffic and users of Twitter in order to gain some new visitors/readers.
- Expand Your Blog – Using Twitter is a great way to find new information and resources for including within your own blog.
- Utilize the New Lists Feature – I believe that there is a lot of potential in the new lists feature, after having used it for some time. You can use it to market your favorite sites as well as more closely follow your closest followers.
What You Need to Do
The key in setting yourself apart on Twitter is doing what no one else has done before. Sure, you’ll have to take risks, but you’ll certainly be rewarded for them if you see an increase in followers or traffic back to your site.
- Promote Your Followers – Even though you may be more inclined to promote yourself than others, it may be beneficial to focus on your own followers. They are following you and may be following each of your tweets, why not give hem a little promotion in return?
- Be the First – Like the news cycle, you want to always pay attention to your niche, breaking great articles before others do. You’ll receive more traffic and become an authority quickly.
- Share Insider Knowledge – Many Twitter users don’t provide too much “personal’ information, but it is good to see users who are, providing a glimpse behind-the-scenes of the account.
- Add Something More – By providing additional content through your Twitter stream, you are emphasizing the point that you are committed to helping your readers out.
- Be Knowledgeable – Share what you know and others will respect your ability and follow you, re-tweet your tweets, and add you to their list of recommended users.
- Separate the Good Content from the Bad – Because there is so much content on Twitter, you have to know what to spread yourself, and when.
- Grow Over Time – Your readers want to see growth over time, and there is no better what to show this than through a Twitter account.
- Leave an Impact – Leaving an impact doesn’t stop at helping others with their minor problems, but you can also go so far as distribute bonus content to those who ask for it.
- Be Consistent – Twitter users want some form of consistency, much like within a traditional blog. Don’t tweet five times one day and fifty times the next, returning to just two the next day. You have to spread tweets out and focus on building your brand.
Conclusion
Building a brand and separating yourself on Twitter really does take time. There are more tips that can be added to the list above, but I want to leave that up to you. How do you try to separate and create your own pack on Twitter?
