Twitter Success Series - So, What Are You Doing?
So what's the answer? What are you doing? You see, that's the question that Twitter asks its users in the box at the top of the home page (once you've logged in).
However, I'm here to say something that may be controversial to some Twitter users: Do not answer that question The problem with answering that question is that the answer is all about you.
It doesn't relate to anyone else.
It's insular and more importantly, it's boring to everyone except you.
I call that question 'The Killer Question', because anyone who just answers it without giving thought to the Twitter community is dead in the water.
Remember, Twitter is part of the world of social media.
The key word there is 'social'.
The thing that makes it so wonderful and so amazing for businesses and individuals alike is that it's about interacting with your friends and/or clients, not about advertising to them or shouting about all the great things you're doing.
If you do that, there is no quicker way to get 'unfollowed' and ignored by the Twitter community.
The genius of Twitter for business and as a tool for networking and meeting people is that it's structured in the same way we speak and think.
Very few people have conversations where they talk for 5 minutes and then the other person talks for 5 minutes and back and forth until they get bored.
We speak and think in bite size chunks and so does Twitter.
As a result, Twitter is a great place to have real world conversations and obtain real world feedback instantly.
The key to success on Twitter is to listen to other people and join in their conversations.
If someone posts that they need help in a certain area, help them out or point them in the direction of someone who can.
The chances are they'll thank you for it and then tell their friends about it (just like they would in the real world).
When used for conversations, Twitter is a powerful way to communicate.
It also weeds out those who are purely selling or just talking about themselves very quickly.
It's one big party and you need to treat it like that.
You wouldn't walk into the middle of the room at a party and start spouting forth about the great dinner you've just had, so don't do it on Twitter unless you can tell everyone else how to have the same great experience.
Think of others first and you can be sure it will come back to you a thousand times over in followers and respect.
However, I'm here to say something that may be controversial to some Twitter users: Do not answer that question The problem with answering that question is that the answer is all about you.
It doesn't relate to anyone else.
It's insular and more importantly, it's boring to everyone except you.
I call that question 'The Killer Question', because anyone who just answers it without giving thought to the Twitter community is dead in the water.
Remember, Twitter is part of the world of social media.
The key word there is 'social'.
The thing that makes it so wonderful and so amazing for businesses and individuals alike is that it's about interacting with your friends and/or clients, not about advertising to them or shouting about all the great things you're doing.
If you do that, there is no quicker way to get 'unfollowed' and ignored by the Twitter community.
The genius of Twitter for business and as a tool for networking and meeting people is that it's structured in the same way we speak and think.
Very few people have conversations where they talk for 5 minutes and then the other person talks for 5 minutes and back and forth until they get bored.
We speak and think in bite size chunks and so does Twitter.
As a result, Twitter is a great place to have real world conversations and obtain real world feedback instantly.
The key to success on Twitter is to listen to other people and join in their conversations.
If someone posts that they need help in a certain area, help them out or point them in the direction of someone who can.
The chances are they'll thank you for it and then tell their friends about it (just like they would in the real world).
When used for conversations, Twitter is a powerful way to communicate.
It also weeds out those who are purely selling or just talking about themselves very quickly.
It's one big party and you need to treat it like that.
You wouldn't walk into the middle of the room at a party and start spouting forth about the great dinner you've just had, so don't do it on Twitter unless you can tell everyone else how to have the same great experience.
Think of others first and you can be sure it will come back to you a thousand times over in followers and respect.
Source...