Are you terrible at Twitter? Because of its ability to connect you with more influencers than any other social network, Twitter is a platform you should be focusing on. According to Chris Smith in a recent Watercooler episode, Twitter is a “bigger pond,” but not as many people are fishing in it. What this means for you is more untapped potential.
While Facebook is great for keeping in touch with old college roommates or family across the country, Twitter is centered around having real-time conversations and connecting with people who share common interests, whether they’re business or personal. To help you strengthen your presence on Twitter, here are some of the top mistakes people make and what you can do to avoid them.
1. You’re not tweeting enough.
One of the most common mistakes is that you’re not tweeting enough. While you might be used to Facebook or Instagram and not want to inundate your followers with constant posts, the Twitter sphere is more accepting of large volumes of tweets. In fact, they welcome the new, constant stream of information. Because Twitter streams move in real time, you can tweet 20 times a day without overwhelming your followers. Not only can you tweet often, you can also send out the same content multiple times as long as you space it out over a day or two. In fact, tweets that go out the second time get 80 percent more engagement than the first time it goes out.
If you’re new to Twitter, it can be challenging to figure out how to generate enough content to fill your feed. Keep in mind that a successful Twitter campaign includes more than just posting what you ate for breakfast or your thoughts on the newest Star Wars movie. If you read an interesting article, visit a popular restaurant, or watch an exciting webinar, share it on your feed. Find a way to add your own thoughts to everything you’re posting and explain why you’re sharing it. When you’re new to Twitter, the biggest challenge will probably be tweeting into the abyss for weeks or even month. The engagement from your followers won’t come right away. Be patient, keep providing the content and engagement will come.
2. You’re not timing it right.
While social schedulers can be useful for posting content while you’re unavailable, be sure you’re also posting tweets manually to increase your engagement. As Smith mentioned, “the real value of Twitter is about having conversations with engaging people.” If you’re having more conversations with more people, you’ll be able to generate more business from your Twitter page.
While you’re tweeting, look around to see who is posting similar content and then interact with them. If you’re not engaging with other followers within a minute or so of their original tweet, you’ve missed your window. The combination of tweeting great content, @replying to influential people and sharing what they’re posting, while they’re posting is a great way to increase your reach on Twitter.
3. You’re not following the right people.
How do you want to use your Twitter page? Do you want to use it for business to connect with potential clients or make it a strictly personal account? Determining this will set who you follow and, in turn, who follows you. Connect with the power users of Twitter, or those who post appealing content that gets more engagement. If you keep promoting their content, and content like that, their followers will take notice and could end up connecting with you, which will expand your reach even more.
Another way to connect with more people is to search Google for the top people to follow in your area with key phrases like, “top people to follow in Miami.” Build a list of the people you follow and want to constantly engage with, and then make Twitter a part of your routine. Spend more time following these power users and engaging with their content. Look at the hashtags they use and incorporate them into your own tweets. Also, remember that the best way to gain a follower is by following them first.
4. You’re using the wrong platform.
While Twitter has desktop and app options, Smith suggests that third party apps like Hootsuite and Tweetbot are better for creating a strong Twitter presence. Since these apps display multiple columns on a page, you’re able to view everything that’s happening on your page in one place. This includes all kinds of engagement like mentions, likes and retweets. You’re also able to view multiple lists of people you’re following without having to toggle between screens.
In addition to this, while it’s not directly related to a Twitter platform, be sure your website has a way of connecting with Twitter. Include social share buttons with any content you publish, be it a blog post or a new listing. As Smith commented, a website with a social share option received 27 mentions, while one without was only mentioned 4 times.
It can be challenging to incorporate Twitter into your daily life. It takes time to build your followers and figure out how to make Twitter work for you. The key is to stay consistent and your efforts will be rewarded. If you need some help maintaining your social platform or aren’t sure how to get started, check out Homes.com Social, a suite of social media tools for managing your social media presence. For more ideas about what to post, check out what we’re doing on our @HomesPro Twitter page.
