by Tim Bursch. Follow him @timbursch
So, you’ve been on Twitter for awhile and realize it has some value beyond updating others on your every move.
You may have followers and conversations, but most of your tweeps are on the surface. So, how do you build stronger connections?
Here are 6 ways to take your connections deeper:
1. Add Value
One big theme here is giving value on Twitter. People do not want to be sold, spammed or overwhelmed with tweets of little value. Think before you tweet. Ask, will this add value? Will this help someone?
2. Listen. Really? I thought Twitter is where I get to talk and tell people stuff.
- Use the Favorites to save things you are listening to and might want to talk about later.
- Try to read your tweet-stream in batches rather than watching your Tweetdeck all day.
3. Get engaged. Start conversations.
- If someone in your stream asks a question? Reply. Share your knowledge.
- If someone is looking for help? Offer your help or make an introduction to someone who can.
- Like what someone said? Tell them. Re-tweet.
- Introduce yourself to others and ask your own questions. Engage.
4. Give Thanks. Who doesn’t like to get thanked?
- When people Re-Tweet something you said, thank them.
- For easy follow-up, use Tweetdeck or set up an RSS feed with your Twitter username.
5. Be generous, it’s contagious.
- Is there such a thing as twarma (Twitter Karma)? I do know that when I give on Twitter (contacts, valuable information, encouragement) it seems to come back.
- Give away your network and knowledge. You’ll be remembered.
- Share what you find. Highlight others.
6. Go beyond Twitter.
- Click on links in personal profiles.
- Read and comment on their blogs.
- Friend them on FB or Linkedin.
- Organize a Tweet-up or face-to-face meeting when the time is right.
Bonus TwiTip: Try my 2 favorite questions or ask your own: What are you most excited about right now? What is your biggest challenge?
Go deep. You never know what you will find.
Image credit: mrallwrighty
@ericatkins
I’ve been ignoring conversations and not been a good listener to my followers in the past. I’m changing that now and it’s been enjoyable.
@Sheamus
Being polite, courteous, receptive and thankful on Twitter goes an enormous way. Much like in the ‘real world’, too.
@Sherri_Meyer
Thank you for taking the time to put this excellent list of tips together and sharing it!
@LaterBetty
Thanks for this information. I find Twitter overwhelming at times but am determined to “figure it out”. Guess I’ll start by adding the Tweetdeck…I was trying to avoid yet another thing staring at me on my screen.
@CathyBend
I love twitter and have developed some wonderful friendships on there. I only recently stated retweeted things I hear from others that I like & it does seem to go a long way in cementing relationships. And it makes me feel good to do it! Thanks for the great tips.
@markdykeman
I’d also suggest that selective use of the DM function, to share relevant and important items or to send the occasional message direct to another user, is another way to help build a deeper connection. You still have to follow the guidelines suggested in this blog post, but the DM can add a touch of finesse and power.
@brianlinton
Yes, giving thanks is so powerful.
I use Tweetdeck and it is always nice to see a thank you tweet with @brianlinton in my Reply column. After seeing how nice it is to get a thank you over twitter, I am much more inclined to give mention and thanks to anyone who does anything for me. It’s a nice way to say thank you and showcase that person to all your followers.
I’m glad I folow this blog, it keeps me up to date and in tune with how to use this awsome tool we call Twitter. Thanks for keeping me informed.
Gary McElwain
@gfriese
One of the thrills of twitter for me is having conversations with and learning from people outside of my professional and geographic circle. Some of the people that have followed me out of nowhere have really added value to some of the things I am doing.
@iamkrissy
I love your two questions, Tim! I’ll have to think of something I’d like to ask myself. Something that will be to the benefit of everyone as your questions are — something that will give everyone something profound to think about. Thanks for this post!
@mgingerich
I really appreciate the valuable information you guys post. This is always a must read for me.
Mike Gingerich
@emailcopywriter
You can leverage of the inspiring, gratitude-inducing power of quotes.
It’s nuts. Human beings in general love little snippets of text that inspire them to do something and brighten up their day. It’s like they fill up a “Gratitude bank account” that one day you can cash.
And it doesn’t have to be your own. Keep giving inspiring stuff from http://brainyquote.com or RT from someone else and you will get your followers’ allegiance!
@twitya
Check out: http://twitya.com/
Enter your username or bookmark http://twitya.com/#username
See which of your last friends are following you back, and then reply to their last tweet (or any of their most recent tweets) – all from the site itself, quickly without page loads.
@juicyinfo
I still consider myself a novice with Twitter, so thanks for this. I really want to start engaging more with people so you’ve given me some good food for thought.
@hectorhenry17
Hey than you for the pots its great, some times you juts forget and you tweet and tweet and tweet things that might not value as think really think on what you will tweet
@BILL_ROMANOS
Excellent post. I would add that people should not unfollow people just because they Tweet a lot. Most often someone will Tweet a set of tweets over a short period of time, but then refrain for a while. I wish people would understand this.
@timbursch
Thanks for all the comments and additional thoughts! Very gracious. Cheers.
@DaniMcDonough
I like the idea of Twarma… and people are paying attention. Abuse the line & you get unfollowed quick. At least I’m careful about who I follow. Time is precious and should be respected. Thanks for the great post. Thanks to @TimeToBlosson for retweeting this!
@Christie
Great post! A definite must-read for all new Twitter users and a refresher for existing tweeps
@brian_austin
Nice article to help everyone get more social. My biggest turnoff with followers is Auto DM. In my opinion this is nothing but nosie and and hassle to deal with.
@CuriousDina
Perfect timing. I’m learning (and enjoying) Twitter more so this post really helped me a grip on my twilosophy- the whens & whys of tweeting- as a book author. Thanks.
Interesting point by Bill about following. Not only have I heard of people un-following because of too many tweets/day, I’ve also had people un-follow me presumably because my tweets aren’t as frequent or focused. Not to get too anal, but I’m developing a few general guidelines so my tweets are useful and have a good balance between fun/business, being helpful/asking for help.
Oh, I loved your questions. Here are a few that might start showing up from me:
What’s your favorite romantic gift to get?
What’s the sweetest compliment your honey every gave you?
What’s the best romantic give you ever gave?
What’s your mate’s most endearing quality?
@GraftFinder
Great post and excellent advice! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
@jayphilips
Great tips and I agree with each one of the.
@AnnRan5
Excellent post – positive advice and useful tips.
Interact with and engage your followers and others (they don’t necessarily have to be following you).
For me, I want to see tweets that tell me who you are, what you do and how you think. Seems like a lot to ask in 140 characters, but it’s not. Don’t just post links to your blog or shop or web site all the time – I’m not likely to follow that. Tweet some little insights about yourself.
@eduguy101
Great post. I think you hit it right on the mark and I do try to do these things. It is strange how early on, in my use of Twitter, I tried to read everything that transpired from the last time I posted. I spent a ton of time scrolling back. Reading in batches is something I have been doing, as more people retweet things I miss less.
@Factor77
I like reading my stuff in batches but a lot of the time Tweetdeck puts me over the API limit!
@Mjamme
Excellent Article! Well done!
@RebeccaZwar
Great tips! I think TweetDeck is definitely a tool needed to keep track of conversations better – between setting up groups, and it monitoring people that retweet you so you CAN thank them (which twitter.com does not do), it made a huge difference for me in connecting vs. posting and not knowing if anyone else cared!
@timbursch
@AnnRan I like your point about following. I don’t think you can follow everyone effectively. It’s fun to start conversations with non-followers.
@mysticdiva
Great tips. Will look into the tips I have not used yet.
@peterjrday
Thanks for these tips. I’ve been on Twitter for just over a month now, but haven’t really properly grasped what I’m doing; so these tips are really helpful.
@steveborgman
I liked your idea of visiting your followers’ sites and getting acquainted with their blogs, leaving added value comments for them. It’s also a great way to learn from all the great content they provide.
@debsoul
Thanks Tim. My Twitterhood is important to me; it’s one of my circles of community and I take that very seriously. Deepening in purpose of conversation and service is my intention each time I tweet. …and if I can make a difference and brighten someone’s day/moment all the better!
@alexschleber
All good advice. I’d add (even though you implied it) answering ALL relevant/reasonable @ replies to you, the sooner after one was posted the better.
Here’s why: If you take into account ideas from behaviorism such as reinforcement of behaviors and extinction of behaviors, then you understand that nothing will be less reinforcing and more extinguishing than providing ZERO feedback to the sender of a message (spefically to you) or “taker” of an action.
They do something, including contacting you, retweeting you, and then… nothing happens. The likelihood of the behavior being repeated just went down. Time is also a factor, as in, if it happens hours later, the felt reinforcement will be somewhat lessened.
This is also why the Thank You’s mentioned under 4) are so important: Other than “merely” being a sign of politeness, they also serve the important function of making the behavior more likely the next time, of reinforcing it by means of a social “reward” gesture.
Add to that the reality that, on Twitter, beyond the circle of your own followers “you live” only in the @ replies of others (i.e. else no one new sees your Twitter username) , and it makes it doubly relevant to thank people for retweeting, #followfriday recommendations, etc.
You are in a sense repaying them with having their name (along with the social gesture) being seen by your followers. Social gestures in general obviously go a long way in SOCIAL media.
(One small kink here is the fact that many Twitter users don’t know about and therefore never change the default setting of “@ replies to the people I’m following” and not see these @ replies of you to others. I highly recommend changing the “Setting > Notices” to “all @ replies”.)
So, now you have additional good/scientific reasons beyond “merely” being social, polite, and a good “Twitizen”, for doing what’s right on Twitter.
Obviously it may not be possible for people with massive follower/friend lists such as (minor) celebrities to answer every @ and thank for every action, but the spirit of the above points still applies nonetheless. Brands especially should take careful notice.
Cheers!
P.S. Follow me at the Twitter link above, I follow back!
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@fadithoughtpick
Excellent points! I guess the most important thing is the giving value part.
Now this post is of a great value for me, thank you
@sichijuichi
Nice post. I’ll also add track your tweets trying to find audience niches that help you to grow, like for example, SEO.
@juliebmack
Great tips and I try to follow them all – especially the generous part! My biggest challenge is how to raise funds / awareness for a Cancer hike I am going on. I am NOT a celebrity and I get frustrated when I see the big celebrities raising awareness and getting RT’s and followers for their own agendas! GRRR.
Thanks for you tips!!
@vincestev
Invaluable advice for the thousands of twitter novices. I agree, it’s all about giving, giving, giving and supporting others. All the best – Vince