Twitter is a great tool for connecting with others and sharing your work, but how can writers make the most of it? How can you maximize your return from the time you take away from writing to devote to social media?
We asked the TWL community to share their best tip to help writers use Twitter most effectively. Here are their answers:
Use tools to maximize your impact
I like using the free version of Social Oomph to schedule tweets for different periods of the day. This helps me extend my reach, prevents me from flooding everyone’s feed, and keeps me from spending too much time on Twitter.
Be generous — retweet, comment, favorite. You can’t expect support if you don’t give it. And make an effort for folks that include you on a #FF and other trending tags.
Treat Twitter like a cocktail party or a bar; what works at the local watering hole will work on Twitter, and what doesn’t won’t.
Many Twitter users pad their updates with a much healthier dose of exclamation points and shameless and uncreative self-promotion than they’d be bold enough to unleash in person. All conversations aren’t wonderful just because they are conversational; some are created more equal than others.
Use Twitter to help you get to the point quickly. Paste a lead into Twitter and if it’s longer than 140, consider how to tighten it.
–Steve Buttry, Digital Transformation Editor at Digital First Media, blogs at The Buttry Diary and tweets @stevebuttry
Be real
My best tip is to treat Twitter the way you would treat a real space, with real people in it, including — but not limited to — people who might want to buy (or publish) your books.
Don’t be afraid to show your interest in other people, to engage in conversation and to share what you find useful, inspiring or entertaining. Have fun!
–Marianne Elliott, author, blogs at Marianne Elliott and tweets @zenpeacekeeper
Make it a party
One way to promote your book is through a Twitter Party. Find a relevant topic, offer a few books for prizes, and have fun!
Twitter is about conversation & connection — if you use it to just syndicate links, you’ll get no return on your investment.
Turn off anything automated. Look for people who are interesting to you: potential new clients, collaborators, like-minded souls. Say hello. Strike up a conversation. You might be surprised at who you find!
Consider how you want to engage with people. What can you offer you followers? Are you funny, informative, chatty, or are you just spamming your book links?
