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View Full Version : I heard a simple but great idea for Twitter users



christinagilman
12-23-2011, 03:52 AM
I'm new here and new to social media, so sorry if this is "old news" but I was excited to hear about it. I heard a simple Twitter strategy that I think I might start doing. Thought I'd share.

When people add me on Twitter, I typically get an e-mail from Twitter saying I have an add, delete the e-mail, and go back to doing whatever I was doing.

Well, Ana Hoffman from Traffic Gen Cafe mentioned that she sends a personal message to each and every user who follows her (minus spam of course). The message just introduces who she is and provides a link to her site.

So simple, but I didn't even think about doing it. I'm going to start tomorrow though. I'll let you all know how it goes.

AaronConway
01-03-2012, 10:01 AM
I would certainly do that if you have time. I used to do it but it ended up becoming quite time consuming with all the companies I work for. I also never got a message back so I don't know how effective it is. I figure it won't do any harm.

Aaron

vangogh
01-03-2012, 12:07 PM
Are her messages truly personal or is it an automated response? I'm not a fan of the automated hello and thanks for following. It's easy to tell they're canned responses and meant less to interact with me personally as they are a way to drop a link into a tweet in the hopes I'll click. I tend to start ignoring the person as soon as the automated response comes through.

Having said that I think most people like them and never realize they are an automated response. Just beware that the more savvy your follower are with regards to social networking and Twitter, the more likely they are to know the response is canned and probably feel a little like I do.

KristineS
01-03-2012, 04:06 PM
Personal messages that have a point to them would be great. The automated crap that only serves as a link delivery system turns people off. I've worked with social media for a while now, and I will unfollow anyone who sends me a link drop when I start following them.

I always tell people that Twitter and Facebook are about community and the only way to succeed is to be part of the community. If you make contact in a personal way, and one of those ways is an e-mail directed to a specific person that is just to say thanks for your interest in me, and not a way to push them toward a specific site or link or product, then I think it's a great idea.

christinagilman
01-05-2012, 01:19 AM
Kristine and Vangogh - good points. I'm not sure if she automates her links - she probably does though because she's got a lot of followers. I'm so new to this whole Twitter thing, I personally don't even know how to automate something. I'm really struggling with Twitter. Everyone says to "make personal relationships" but I honestly don't see how this is possible. Everyone I follow just blasts out links to interesting content - a lot of times their own content. I guess I'm just not quite getting this whole Twitter personal relationship thing. What would you even type back with only 140 characters: "hey thanks for the link"? That seems canned too...any advice for building relationships on Twitter?

vangogh
01-05-2012, 03:23 AM
My guess is they are automated. And again most people will never know. I think it comes across to most people as a nice personal thanks for following. I've jut gotten so many and know they are automated so I'm a little cynical. There are plenty of tools out there to automate tweeting. I have a feeling most will charge some money, but I could be wrong. HootSuite (http://hootsuite.com/) is a popular services for working with not only Twitter, but Facebook and other networks too.

I hear you about forming relationships and I admit to being one who usually tweets links to interesting content, though I never tweet my own content. You'd be surprised how much you can say in 140 characters and it can help you focus you writing to get as much across as possible in a few words. When it comes to connecting with people it'll probably help if you know them in some way outside of Twitter. You don't have to know them well, but it'll help if they'd at least recognize who you are. People like that are more likely to reply to you.

Listen in on a person you think might know you and jump into a conversation they're having. They may not reply the first time, but they should in time. If not it's possible they're following so many people that your tweets aren't gaining their attention. Also look to get to know them on other networks.

What I find with social networks is each is just one medium for connecting with someone. It's really the connection that's important and not so much the tool you're using. Think about friends and family you have relationships. You probably talk to them on the phone, exchange emails, instant message, and meet in person. It's similar with social networking sites. Most people on twitter probably have a Facebook account, maybe another Google+ or LinkedIn or even some niche networks. You might find it easier to start the relationship at one of those other networks and use Twitter to connect after the relationship has been established.

KristineS
01-05-2012, 12:51 PM
With Twitter you have to let it just flow over you. One thing to accept right away is the fact that you'll miss a lot. You can set up alerts for certain terms, but you will miss things.

As for developing relationships, one way to do that is retweet interesting stuff that other people tweet. This will usually get you a thank you and give you a basis for conversation. I don't recommending retweeting randomly or just to make contact, but if you find something really interesting, share it with your followers. Also, if someone retweets something you've posted, make sure you say thanks and start a connection.

Another option for creating Twitter relationships is to find people you know through other methods and follow them on Twitter. Since you already have a connection, it's easier to strike up a conversation on Twitter.

You also need to be mindful about how you follow. I'm not sure what the purpose of your Twitter account is, whether it's a personal account or one for your business, or a bit of both, but you need to be aware of who you're following and why. A lot of people confuse quantity with quality. Targeted following will bring you a universe of followers who are really interested in what you have to say, which also tends to spark conversations and relationships.

vangogh
01-05-2012, 05:15 PM
one way to do that is retweet interesting stuff that other people tweet.

That definitely works. Something similar is just tweeting the content of people you want to connect with.

One way I've always used Twitter is as a search tool. I may not submit my own content, but I often search for a post of mine and save the search. It helps me understand what kind of content is getting shared more. I do notice who consistently tweets my content. I typically end up following those people and I'm much more likely to respond if they engage me in conversation.

christinagilman
01-06-2012, 01:49 PM
Vangogh and Kristine - thank you for your reply. I did join Twitter for business, and I've found a lot of useful information from what people have tweeted, so I'm glad I joined. To be honest though, I've found the best relationships through online forums. I'm part of a few others for various different subjects and interests I have. As long as the moderator keeps spam out (like on this forum :) ) I've found these way more helpful than the Twitters and Facebooks for my specific purposes. But I definitely won't give up on social media to potentially connect with clients and future clients.

vangogh
01-06-2012, 02:22 PM
You won't get an argument from me. I think forums lead to better online relationships too. You can say a lot with 140 characters, but still it's only 140 characters. I think one of the reasons forums work well is you can come back tomorrow and know this thread will be here and you'll be easily able to find it. That makes it easier to keep the conversation going beyond a few minutes. With Twitter and Facebook, etc it's harder to do that. Skip a day and you may never find your conversation again.

With people you know already and have several means of communication that's no big deal, but in trying to get to know new people it does make it harder.

Clearing out the spam is definitely important. I've been to forums where threads are one spam post after another. We made a conscious effort here to not only get rife of the obvious spam, but also the useless me too one liner posts that contribute nothing.

With social media in general don't give up, but don't feel like you have to acquire thousands of friends or followers overnight either. Join some networks and spend a little time to see what they're all about. Try to learn what the strengths and weaknesses of each are and see if you can find a way to incorporate them into your day or week. In the end though remember it's less about the particular site and more about the community of people. If there's a copywriter you want to get to know it shouldn't matter if you talk to them on Twitter or Google+ or via email. The important part is communicating with another person.

KristineS
01-06-2012, 04:23 PM
Forums, if they're good ones and moderated properly, are a great way to make connections, although you still have to work at it a bit.

What I've found is that I'll make a connection with someone in one place and them find them in another venue and so the relationship grows because we keep making more connections. Vangogh is right, it doesn't matter where the connection is made, it matters that it's made at all.

For what it's worth, Facebook has been a good source of connections for me and business for the company. It takes work and dedication, but if you keep putting good content out there people will respond.