This post on being yourself on Twitter is by Shawna Coronado from The Casual Gardener - (follow her at @ShawnaCoronado).
My grandmother used to say, “Honesty is ALWAYS the best policy.” Where there are some exceptions to this rule in life, I have found it to be the most effective way to gain Twitter followers.
Within a few months I have gained over 3,000 followers on Twitter. How? I am honest and I am myself. Tweeters see a real photo of me when they communicate with me too, which I believe encourages a more intimate view of a Tweeter. Intimacy and building a connection is important to building a friendship.
Aren’t you tired of reading these type of messages: “I am the most effective ‘life-coach’ on Twitter,” “Entrepreneur and money-making machine,” “I will make you money!” or the very familiar, “Want a message like this when people follow you?” These bios and messages tell me that you are not interested in starting up a true relationship; you are just interested in sucking the life out of the rest of the Twitter universe and making as much money as you can. No one wants to befriend someone who’s all about himself.
In my opinion, Twitter is not about making money, it is about building relationships.
These relationships might be business or personal in nature. Regardless of the type of relationship, being overly “sales-ish” or pretending to be something that you are not seems to turn people off and will discourage Tweeters from following you.
What works? Be yourself. Be honest. Give good advice and thank people who are giving you advice when you need it.
Honestly, why I am on Twitter is because I want to make new friends and business connections. Self promotion is okay on Twitter if done tactfully, and I do self promote by sending Tweeters to my blogs. However, the blogs are filled with helpful and sincere information based on the subject matter of my platform. I am trying to teach people about greening and building community. I am also a horticulture expert and have another blog based only on gardening. So I have two separate blogs I sometimes promote on Twitter, but my followers do not seem to mind as long as I continue to be “myself.” More importantly, in between any self-promotion tweets I try to sincerely help other people on Twitter.
Sometimes we just tweet about the weather – which sounds boring to some – but the Tweeter I am speaking with might be lonely and simply need company for a few tweets. I have authored a book, Gardening Nude, and Tweeters will ask me about it occasionally – I answer the questions, but do not shout, “BUY MY BOOK!” I am honest, and keep it simple so Tweeters are not put off by too much promotion.
Often I have found that helping answer a question on Twitter might connect me with another person in friendship and somewhere down the line that person will remember me when they need a guest-blogger or a business partner. They know that I am honest and upfront and hold the friendship in much higher esteem than I do a business connection. Sometimes the business connection might not work out, but that is okay because you will continue to have me as a friend and I will do my best to help and work with you in the future.
I have gained Twitter followers by following my grandmother’s advice and being my honest self – not everyone is going to like me – but the followers who DO follow me find me on their own and want to follow someone who is being genuine. Back in my grandmother’s time, this experience was not called “networking” or “twittering,” it was called “building friendships and helping people in your community.”
In the end, that is all we have in life, so treating other Tweeters genuinely as friends and neighbors seems to be a great way to gain friends and neighbors. Be yourself!
@brandofthefree
Very impressive article and simply stated, it made me want to go to your blog and Twitter account to learn more about you. Thank you!
@JoelDrapper
Great tips, Shawna!
Be yourself, add value, interact with others, follow people.
That’s how I get by.
@chadengle
I think this is great advice. I have always tried this myself and try to connect instead of just getting numbers! I have a solid group of followers.
@sizzler_chetan
Tip to learn and moral of the story: Be Honest!
Good post there Shawna, and you are very right, Twitter is only for Building relationships, and this would in-turn build your business indirectly.
@retroriver
on the button as usual Darren .. soul and integrity is the go …
@xen_yasai
I fully agree. I go by the same rule.
@erin_bury
Great post Shawna. I especially like how you say that back in the day it was called “building friendships”. I think that’s where people are thrown off with Twitter – they think that just because it is an online relationship building platform they can throw out the rulebook of good manners and tact. I don’t mind hearing about someone’s business, heck I have my own to promote. I just hope any discussion has some degree of relevance to our conversation. I think you’re correct in saying that Twitter is not about making money, it’s about making relationships – but build those relationships effectively and your business is bound to benefit.
@journik
Shawna, kudos!
Ad execs still think like the vaaccuumm cleaner salesmen from the 50s. Interruption based marketing. Thinking that twitter is for marketing is like peddling amway at a dinner party.
@peteej
So true. While I don’t particularly mind having to deal with marketing messages from people, it certainly doesn’t earn them any attention. Substantial quality, not quantity, of Tweets draws most of my attention.
Well… I love ya, and you have ALWAYS been honest with me!! Today I would love to go back to the summer of 79… we had a lot of fun that year! Besides, it was WARM then!!!
Totally agree with you about “being overly “sales-ish”” on Twitter. Think of Twitter like a cocktail party – there’s nothing wrong with discreetly promoting your business and mixing what you do into the conversation. But you wouldn’t walk around the room shouting “Get rich! Sign up with me now! I’m John, and we’re goin’ to kick some today!”………..well maybe some people would actually!
@greenpep
You’re so right, Shawna. It’s all about building relationships. You have to be yourself if you really want to connect with people. Great article, thanks
@lemonpoof
Have to agree with you.
I have only been on Twitter for a few weeks and there are a few people who ‘follow’ but when you look up their homepage they are just there to sell something. I know we are all (or most wanting to have some income from online projects but I am not a ‘hard sell’ dont understand how to really.. but I know when someone is just trying to sell to me!
I like the difference between Tweets and Tweeters. I have a variety of people I follow.. not just the professional bloggers who have some useful info.. especially for newbies.. I also follow people who have such different lifestyles and viewpoints from me.. but they are interesting to talk to.. and the truth is I’m just nosey!
Sue
@Bloggeries
There are so many people on twitter that whoever you are you’ll find like minded individuals. Honesty is always the best policy. First read so far for the day; thanks for getting it started well.
@thedailyblonde
YES! YES! YES! You “get it”. More people need to read this. I stress the same thing daily….you’re great!
@scottwilliams
I totally agree… there are so many fake coaches and gurus on Twitter it’ sick.
Be yourself, put your real picture on your profile, keep it real…
@scotmckay
I’ve come to the realization lately that just about anyone on Twitter can be deemed as “ruining Twitter” or “spoiling it for the rest of us” by anyone else on Twitter, based purely on opinion.
While I personally agree that coming off like an overly-aggressive Amway rep isn’t going to be interesting to most people, they have the right to present themselves as such.
And people who believe that “social networking” should be limited to only the handful of people they know in “real life” have their right to feel that way also. And they’ll probably continue to respond in distrust/disgust to anyone who reaches out to them outside their local social circle.
And people who talk about drugs and/or post NC-17 links in their Twitter profiles will likely continue. That’s not exactly my cup of tea, but therein lies the irony: The diversity of messages AND intentions within Twitter is not ruining it, it’s what makes it great.
The issue almost always seems to arise when someone believes everyone else on Twitter should be like them…whatever that means.
Heck, there are even tons of people who think that having the desire to add as many friends as possible is “ruining Twitter”.
And there are people who think using Twitter to build any business relationship at all is egregious. But there are people who think using Twitter to build romantic relationships is inappropriate too. Who’s to say which point of view is “correct”?
One thing is for sure. If this was only about “What are you doing” in the most superficial sense, Twitter wouldn’t be growing. But when “What are you doing” becomes a deeper level, we’ve got to brace ourselves for the response we get.
Ultimately, it’s like anything else in life. If you’re interested, partake. If not, avoid.
@ArunBasilLal
Wow, Honesty really pays off, Thats what @TheDailyBlonde always says,
Guys out there, Read Daily Blonde’s Breaking the Twitter Etiquette’s too:
http://dailyblonde.blogspot.com/2009/01/twitter-etiquette-i-break-rules.html
Cheers
Arun
@shawnacoronado
WOW – thanks all for the awesome commentary! Yep – we are all on Twitter “for a reason”. I’d like to sell more of my books, for instance. But ultimately, building relationships with people is what makes life worth living. It helps build your businesses, it helps you be less depressed, it helps you focus on what’s real.
Be genuine, right? Take care all – and friend me – we can chat in the future!
Shawna
@penelopeelse
Very nice article, thank you!
I’m guessing, though, that the people who are genuine in life will be naturally be genuine on Twitter, in business, in their sales brochures.
And…the people who wouldn’t know a real relationship if it smacked them on the nose are treating their girlfriends, husbands and family members in pretty much the same way as they do their Twitter connections.
But we’ll keep trying.
Pen
@bejarana
Well put, your grandma is a smart lady! You might also mention, do not be afraid of letting the real you out for people to see. While some will be turned off by your views / believes, others will be attracted to them.
@gadhill
Shawna,
Your insights are fresh and real. Thanks for the great advice and best to you in book sales in ‘09!
Julie
@GlobalPatriot
What I find rewarding in building relationships is how they develop richness over time after multiple interactions. That’s true for classic in-person relations, as you get to experience the true nature of someone’s personality, but true in a different sense with Twitter, as the medium is structured so differently.
You may not meet many of your followers, but the frequent conversations that occur on a variety of topics provides a multidimensional exposure to who they really are. At times I’ll see a stream of replies that may cover technical issues, personal advice and what food they like, all within a 10 minute period, with each tweet directed at a different person. In that way you get to appreciate someone’s diversity much faster that face-to-face contact.
@IsaacSweeney
I totally agree. That’s why everyone should visit my website (just kidding). Use Twitter for relationships, not sales pitches. It’s also a lesson in who to follow and not to follow, or who to un-follow.
@Duchess_O_Blunt
Your grandmother’s policy works well in most things in life. I have to say that on Twitter and any other social media site this approach certainly gets my attention.
The number of opportunities are enormous and just the volume can suck the life out of a person if they are not careful – people just don’t have the time to listen to sales pitches.
It’s always appropriate to practice good manners and “The Golden Rule”. Practicing these principles, you will likely meet some amazing, helpful and knowledgeable people.
Thank you for sharing.
@hectorhenry17
thank you for the self confident post.
@forsakenZen
Aye, all great tips I do my best to do the same on my site.
@digmo
Great post. Sincerity is the best way, be nice and people are nice to you. Tweet them to death with ‘click this link’ and you will be very lonely in twitterland.
@ajtivol
Excellent post. I think I’ll tweet the link to people whom I unfollow, after having given them the benefit of the doubt, because they are only trying to sell to me.
My viewpoint on “real picture” instead of another image: if I put my picture up, then I’m not being the real me. I am extremely protective of my photographic image after having people not respect my beliefs and wishes and I don’t share my image with just anyone.
@ToddSmithPhoto
Amen to this!! I feel the same way exactly. Twitter is not about making money it’s about building relationships. And what a great forum it is to meet creative, professional people!
Great post Shawna. I agree with your comments; communicating with and learning from others can help you grow a business much faster and larger then just spamming 24/7. And if it doesn’t, at least you’ve made some friends along the way!
@ShaneEubanks
Well said! I guess to put it simply is to treat people on twitter (or any social network for that matter) like friends rather than customers. Build relationship and trust…that lasts so much longer than a “sale” ever will.
By not being honest you are lying to yourself and chipping away at your potential to do great things
@daveydz3
I agree somewhat. Honesty isn’t the best policy, because you know what policies change. Like my philosophy teacher always said, “honesty is right.” I’m not always right and I’ll be honest telling you that.
As subtle as it is, this post has plenty of self-promotion, but that’s all right, it doesn’t shout, really. Even if “Gardening Nude” appears on the page so close to “BUY MY BOOK!”
@Infusionsoft
Honestly, if you can’t be honest, I don’t want to hear you. Honesty is probably the safest route to go when facing difficult moments or even for personal gain. If someone is straight up with me through interactions.
Social media is about authenticity and communication. Honesty (both truth and self-actualization) is the foundation of that; without it, it’s pointless.
~Joe (@JoeManna) … I also operate our company’s Twitter account.
@WarrenWhitlock
All true (has be, you are so honest).. but don’t forget that Twitter’s bigger power is the ability to listen to the conversation coming to you.
Followers are nice, and provide a platform to communicate. Learning from those you follow is even better.
If it hadn’t been for a follower.. I would have never found this post!
@createtomorrow
I’m pretty new to Twitter, and just getting my ’sea legs’ there, so to speak. This article was therefore a timely read for me. What’s the right balance between just plain old conversation (like a dialogue going on within one’s own brain about anything from the weather to the price of a good red wine) and a focused messaged about something I am doing and/or a project I am involved in? How vague or specific should I be? It’ll probably take me a bit more time to find the right solution for myself, but because of your article (and many of the comments it received), I’m sure it’ll be a worthwhile endeavour!
Thanks!
@Mark_Ayers
aarrggghh! twitter twitter twitter……. I get that is it about relationships and sometimes I can’t help myself I still have to blurt something out. Most of the time it is about my newest blog post. I am not selling much yet online and trying to build a blog following. So it seemd natural to promote.
Tonight tho I did start to get into some ‘conversations” and just had fun with it, learned some good blogging info. Hard to spend the time like I would have in a chat room, but gave them up long ago because of the craziness there. Yet this still reminds me somewhat of a chat room.
I watch the blatant sales promoting and I do not pay much attention to most of it, but some of it I have to go have a look.
Thanks for the post, I am learning.
Mark
@datter
Great article, we think alike and that’s always encouraging. This actually inspired me to finish writing some Twitter tips of my own. Hope they prove as helpful to someone as this article did to me.
@neoblog
Wow… our grandmothers must have been friends! Great advice and hard to pass on to guys driving BMW’s & Mercedes because they suffer from inadequacy deficiencies (you know what I mean – I cleaned that up for the sake of the post)
Just trying to get people to follow you because your going to make them money, help them w/ business, etc… is BS plain and simple how much real coaching / business help can take place in 140 chars? I think twitter is best used as a platform for building relationships… everything else will fall into place if your heart and mind are aligned.
.02
db
@selcom60
This post is spot-on. Too many people play twitter like a numbers game.
@Happytown08
A smile, a little kindness and honesty make for a great tweeter.
@ahsimpson
BINGO! Be yourself! And hey -do you spam your friends with links to blogs etc etc etc at parties? Nope -therefore – twitter aint the place for it either LOL
Way too many marketing tweeple jumped into twitter and see it purely as an ad serving platform. (Hence megpie!) It’s purely a communication tool. If you can’t keep it real – you’re wasting a lot of valuable communication time you could be using to PROPERLY make friends with potential clients, buyers, people on the street etc etc …
AHsimpson over and out “Keepin it real since 3162 updates ago
@josephgelb
this is deffinitely a good article that tells alot about making friends online in general. many people have to sell stuff and do affiliate links to make some money but even they may benefit just laying off the marketing a bit. thankyou for the great information.
@forestpolicy
Honesty is always essential… You have to be true to who you really are… The author above has given me some advice via twitter and that’s how I ended up here to read this. I got into using Twitter full time about a month ago to promote my new photo-blog about forest protection. And I’ve found twitter to be the fastest growing network in terms of informing like minded forest defenders about forest issues. And the constant flow of new follows and twitter responses I get every day do so much to keep me inspired to make a difference for all life that still lives on this planet! That’s who I am, and I’m honest about it.
The author referred this article to me to explain how she got thousand of follows in a handful of months. And after reading what she wrote here I think the author of the above piece needs to be more honest with herself about the fact that she is a very attractive women who wrote a book called “gardening in the nude.” And maybe the more trite, more titillating aspects of how she’s been successful in building follows / friends on Twitter need to be triangulated in relationship to her grandmother’s old ways? I look forward to learning and sharing more! Be well, Deane
@heidimiller
Amen! Even when pitching Twitter to clients, I argue that it is a way to put a human face on the company and to be real–NOT a way to make money directly. If I must make a case for using Twitter for marketing, it’s so that people get to know you. And people tend to trust and do business with people they know, like and trust.
But really, why NOT be yourself? If someone dislikes you, don’t you want her to dislike the real you, not some whitewashed, marketed-up version of you?
@ecstewart
Honesty & Reciprocity is my motto. Subscribing to the practice of honesty is my mainstay. Reciprocity on providing good info, support, or even being gracious in light that someone’s having a tough day is always welcomed.
@JessicaOjeda
Sure, I agree that honesty is always best. And I’m for sure honest on Twitter, but honestly I don’t want “friends.” I am a loner in my real life, happy staying home, gardening, and playing with my nieces & nephew.
What I want from Twitter are only business relationships. I love helping others. I do sale but mainly give. I give 80% and ask 20%.
Anyway, being myself since I’m a natural loner doesn’t work on Twitter to get more followers. I suck at Twitter.