I’m coming up on my 4th anniversary of being on Twitter. The way I have used Twitter has changed at least a dozen times, and I am constantly experimenting with how to use the site to best meet my goals. Here’s some tips I have learned for how I share and promote content on Twitter:
1 – Think about who you are trying to connect with. Once you figure out who you are trying to reach, then you’ll have a much better idea of what type of content they need. And if you can share valuable content with these people, that will improve the chances of them following you, and then promoting you to their networks.
2 – Promote ‘helpful’ content as much as possible. Share content that educates, that solves problems. A lot of my content is based around 101 and 102 level social media how-tos and instructional articles and posts. Because ultimately, I want to reach companies that need help with using social media to connect with their customers. So sharing helpful content helps me connect with these people, and it increases the chance that someone will mention me if they are in contact with a company that does need help.
3 – Sharing other people’s content increases interest in your own. I actually tracked this and saw the results on this site. When I share more content from other people, it drives traffic back here. Why? Because sharing useful content introduces me to new people, who want to check out who I am, and my site.
4 – Promote the hell out of smart people. Seriously, when you find someone that’s smart, you cannot promote their content enough. This is why I promote almost every post that Beth, Lisa or Shannon writes. I know that they always create valuable and helpful content that will be appreciated by my network. That is always my main goal, give my network valuable content.
5 – Don’t share content to get on someone’s radar, share content because it’s amazing. In many ways, you are known by the content you share. So go for amazing content, it matters not who created it.
6 – Wrap as much amazing shared content around YOUR content as possible. Want to share your newest blog post on Twitter? Fine, but it will get more exposure and traffic if you also share 10 posts from other writers that same day. I’ve tested this as well, whenever I share other people’s content and mix MY post in with their posts, I get far more traffic.
7 – YOU have to make your own list. This is my list. Make your own. And you can use this list as your starting point, but you have to tweak and tinker and experiment to find a system that works for YOU. This works for me, it might work well for you as well, or maybe you need to make wholesale changes.
Speaking of which, what is your best tip for sharing content on Twitter?
Mack,
I know you said I should create my own list, but my list looks quite a bit like yours! This is brilliant and actually quite strategic advice for anyone looking to grow their network and their business in a fulfilling and rewarding way.
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the fact that you support and tweet all of my posts – and that you include me with Beth and Shannon, for whom I know you have a tremendous amount of respect. I do the same thing for the same reason as you – I tweet most if not all of your posts, and those of a few key people who write content that I know will always provide value to my marketing and leadership tribes.
Thanks for everything Mack – I genuinely appreciate all of your support!
Lisa Petrilli
Yes I gush about smart people, Kellye Crane was talking to me at SXSW and we were talking about how people want to share the smart people they discover with other people, and she added “Like you do with Lisa Petrilli” 😉
And thanks for promoting me as well, I appreciate it 😉
Great article. Thank you for sharing. I like the approach. I’ve been on Twitter for a few years now but haven’t actually “used” it for its intended purpose. I’ve recently started getting in to it. This article gave me some good direction. I will certainly share with others.
Chad it took me 6 months before I finally started to ‘get’ Twitter. Everyone needs to figure out their own system and what works best for them.
Mack,
Great post! Deceptively simple, and seems so intuitive, but I’ve seen far too many people on Twitter do themselves a disservice by posting what they think people want. Instead, they should do what you suggest and share what excites them and try to help others. If you find something that’s valuable, chances are someone else will, too.
I think too that you have first of all to have a strategy behind your Twitter presence, unless you’re doing it just for fun and for personal reasons.
I like to share people whose blog I read and enjoy every time there’s a post up, it’s the least I can do since, let’s not forget, all this content and useful information is free.
Once I read your posts and find them enjoyable and useful, why wouldn’t I also Retweet them? After all, it’s a win-win situation for everyone.
Mark, Great list. In addition to #3 & #4, combining twitter sharing with blogging has exponential effects. For example, I include influencers’ and thought leaders’ stories, information, viewpoints, etc. on topics I’m blogging about – mentioning them in the blog post. I’ll then send them an email/tweet letting them know I’ve mentioned them and thanking for their great content that inspired the post. Quite often they’ll read the blog, leave a comment and, most importantly send a tweet out to their network. This really helps spike awareness of your twitter and blog. So, in promoting and showcasing the content of others it can draw traffic and help build your network. Thanks, Greg
Great post! It’s funny how everyone talks about being original and authentic. You mentioned to create your own list. It’s amazing that many of us have similar ideas. What makes our ideas/lists original is our personality, the way we pitch our content. I immediately developed a sense of who you are just by the way you deliver your content. In the end I guess it’s kind of good that people have similar list, it says we’re all on the same page. Then again dare to be different lol.
This is just absolutely GREAT, Mack! Short, sweet, and to the point. So many people/blogs have these mondo long posts about the ‘best’ way to do Twitter, and I think something really just gets lost in all those words! I really, really love #5. It’s amazing how stuck our subconscious’ are stuck in the old ways of doing things and some of that careful posturing, though masked as new and different, really just is the old way. You can feel it in your chest, anyway, when you’re doing it. Push, push, push! See me, see me, see me! Come on, come on, love what I have to offer – tell all your people – you know you want to!
Wow – think I got smacked in the face today with this one! Thanks so much!
Lisa Marie in my experience, sharing amazing content always gets you on people’s radar. But if you start out sharing content TRYING to get on someone’s radar, it usually doesn’t work as well. Thanks for commenting!
Mack:
#4 – Promote the hell out of smart people. <–I do the same. Love that tip. Love.
Well said. Thanks for the info.
As always, great wisdom and great advice Mack. Why do you think I write and talk about you so much? Lol. That is why I wrote my ode to #blogchat, too. I’ve just passed the 1-year mark on Twitter and the learning curve has been incredible. I call it “Brain Exercise” – especially participating in #blogchat which requires such focus. Thanks, as always, for being my “virtual” guru. Someday we may actually meet and talk? I WILL come to the next SXSW as you can’t do “Blogchat LIVE” without me again! Also, my partner @LindaSherman with BoomerTechTalk.com has “forced” me to promise to go to Blogworld this year. Yipes, I’d rather be writing or skiing! Lol…
Hey Mack,
I saw this in Google Reader and I was like “uh, maybe later.” And then I see it in Copyblogger’s cool links and then I was like “ok gotta check it out right now.”
Of all the points you’ve mentioned here, I like #7 the best. We all have to create our own list because we all use it differently. Of course, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t fundamental principles laid out here that can be ignored.
I like #5 too. It’s awesome watching big boys tweet links to great content written by small boys. “It matters not.”
Thanks for #6. I promote others’ work, especially when I know my followers will dig what I’ve found – I never considered doing it your way, however.
I like your style. 🙂
This is fabulous. I still feel like I fail miserably at tweeting, and so this helps me to have an idea of how I should be approaching it. Thanks.
This is fabulous. I still feel like I fail miserably at tweeting, and so this helps me to have an idea of how I should be approaching it. Thanks.
Hi
I really like your post. I work with start up businesses, and this is great advice.
Thanks
Barbara
Excellent post! My best tip is more of a “What Not to Do.” I’m a big believer in not tweeting for the sake of tweeting. There is so much noise out there, yet it seems that some tweet just to fill space in the hour (for fear that they might be forgotten if they go quiet for a bit). Your list of content suggestions is right on point. If more people followed this and only posted when they had something valuable to say, imagine how much more awesome Twitter would be!
Cheers,
Stephanie
http://twitter.com/bizauthor
Stephanie if I only tweeted when I had something important to say, you’d never see my tweets 😉 Thanks for commenting!
Could you please explain how you “wrap shared content around your content”?
Thanks
Hey Douglas! You are about the 5th person that has asked me about that point, so I am going to write a completely new post about it. Please check back here tomorrow morning and I’ll explain exactly what I mean, and my system for accomplishing this. I really think it will help you!
Mack, aloha. As you already know, I think your advice in this post is invaluable. After reading your #6, I have been doing exactly that. What I am finding is that I have more new visitors to my site. Since I just moved my blog to WP 3 weeks ago, I am quite thrilled with the results of this activity.
Look forward to reading your post tomorrow. Until then, aloha. Janet
These are so right. I especially like, well, 2, 3, 4, and 5. I don’t know why people think they can continuously broadcast themselves without us turning off that channel.
bridget
Point no 6 sums it up. Converse and Recommend more on Twitter, Broadcasting of your own stuff will happen with time. I have seen this . thanks for the amazing write up.
I am (REALLY) new to Twitter. I definitely appreciate your article, but am still so confused as to #1)-how others ‘see’ my content and #2)-how I would ‘physically’ share others’ content. I don’t know if this is even clear or if I’m explaining it correctly, but if you DO happen to understand what I’m trying to say…please heeelp!! Thanks 🙂
Oddly enough, it was comforting to me to read that you have tuned up your approach a dozen times. Time for a twitter overhaul!
@JuJuBeader
Hi Judy,
I’m new to twitter to, but U learn fast. Best advice be yourself, girlfriend. Don’t follow someone just so they will follow U. Not good. Have something to offer that they want and visa-versa.
I write childrens books, and I write YA/Adult novels, so I have two blogs that link to twitter. http://www.kidsmartbooks.blogspot.com, and http://www.writestuff-writenow.blogspot.com/
I like to converse with writers and readers.
Sometimes I speak to my adult readers about books I recommend, and why on one blog, and on my children’s blog I tell stories and read classics.
U can make it what U want it to be…uniquely U.
Max Nightjar
@T max Makes sense. Still don’t get #1-do all of my followers see my tweets? #2-I often see things like “#myreplytoday” or something like that. Anyway, thanks for your reply, Max!
Glad it’s working, Janet! Sometimes it’s tough to plan out your tweets but if you can, putting your posts in the middle of a bunch of great posts really helps!
@JuJuBeader Hi Judy! In short, if you tweet out a link to your new post, the people that are following you on Twitter will see it. Now if you and I are ‘talking’ on Twitter, someone that is following you won’t see the tweets you send me unless they are ALSO following me. I know, it’s a bit confusing.
But in short, the people following you will see if you share a link to your content. For example, let’s say you write a post tomorrow on……how to use Twitter. Your tweet could be:
Here’s my new post on How to Use Twitter – http://www.myblogposturlhere.com
And then you tweet that. Now if your URL is really long and your tweet takes up more than 140 characters, you can shorten your URL with a site like http://bit.ly/
Does that help?
@rhonda hurwitz yes I have changed my approach many times, and am still tweaking it as my network grows and evolves. As does my understanding of Twitter 😉
@MackCollier It does, Max–but I guess there’s still SO much that I don’t understand. It’s a bit overwhelming!!! (I’m lying, it’s VERY overwhelming, lol.) I also don’t get when I see on Facebook, for example–a post which contains the character “#”. What’s up with that?? These questions could go on and on! I truly appreciate your taking the time to answer them. I’ll figure it out … eventually!!
Good reminder – you are most like the company you keep. People look for your associates to get a feel for who you are – both the people and the insights you glean from them.