Over at PR 2.0, I wrote about how to build more meaningful and helpful relationships on Twitter – instead of treating it like a popularity contest.
Here are the highlights:
- Twitter asks what you are doing. Instead answer the question, What do you think we are better off knowing right now? Other questions to consider…What/who inspires you? What just happened? What am I missing? What did you learn today? What’s out on the Web worth sharing on Twitter?
- Curate and share helpful and applicable content on the stream and apply relevance and/or context.
- The public should feel included in almost everything you share.
- Build a brand or a theme that complements who you are and what you do. Earn a reputation and authority based on the niche you establish for yourself, reinforced by the tweets your post and share.
- Engage with individuals in the public timeline around a given topic. But, draw a line between a public @message and a DM. Not everyone needs to follow your 1:1 dialog in the public timeline, especially as the volume increases everyday.
- Try to thank or acknowledge, in some way, those who RT your updates or promote your outside activity.
- Ask questions and share the results. Twitter is a magnificent forum for sparking conversations that pull responses from your friends as well as from friends of friends. Most vanish without closure or results.
- Pay it forward. This is important. About two months ago, I Tweeted, “Remember, Always Pay it Forward and Never Forget to Pay it Back…it’s how you got here and it defines where you’re going.”
- Don’t just follow the Twitterati. Find and follow everyone who can help you learn and improve your skills as well as the value of your overall network.
- 120 is the new 140. Retweeting is one of the most valuable currencies in the Twitter economy. Leave room in your tweets to make it easier for someone to RT and also add a short reaction or endorsement. The magic number seems to hover around 120 characters.
- Listen AND respond to those who offer insight tied to keywords that are important to you, not just those who send messages in public with your @username.
- Don’t share anything you wouldn’t want a co-worker, your boss, friends, or family to see.
- Learn from your tweets by analyzing the statistics associated with your activity.
- Host or attend tweetups, conferences, events, etc., where your Twitter friends and contacts are participating.
- Share visuals that capture your attention or better help you tell a story, as long as it will appeal to your community. I use Twitpic and BrightKite.
- Respond to negative criticism as well as the accolades. Don’t feed the trolls.
- Be helpful.
- Make this about conversations, sharing, and learning. Tweetcasters and self-promoters are eventually tuned out.
- Ensure that your bio is representative of the brand you wish to convey. In addition to your bio, consider strategically branding your Twitter background as well. Here’s how…
- If you witness a series of RT’s regarding a post that sings to you, consider following the source.
- Do you follow everyone who follows you back? Some say yes, some say no. There are those who follow everyone and that may work for them. There are also those who create an alternative account to simply listen to those individuals whom they appreciate and respect.
- Relationships, whether they’re on Twitter, Facebook, or any other social network, are held to the same guiding and ethical principles of those we cherish in the real world.
For a deeper discussion regarding each point as well as a long list of valuable tips from the Twitter community, please read the full post here.
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