10 Ways to be a Twitter Jedi

Jan 28, 2013Work Uncaged

twitterjedi

Just this weekend, I told my husband, “I love Twitter, and this is why.” I went on to explain that I’d needed to find a bookkeeper in my home town that someone trusted, so I put up a plea on Twitter. An hour later, I had my answer. I’ve hadAmerican Airlines help me refund a ticket that I had to cancel because of my daughter’s illness. I’ve received some free products too because of my Klout score.

But the best thing that’s happened has been the ability to encourage others and find commonality and connection. As a relational person, this part of Twitter makes me exceedingly happy.

And since I’m a Star Wars geek at heart, I thought I’d share with you how to be amazing at Twitter so you achieve Jedi status, so you can walk proud on the Twittersphere, displaying your Jedi Twitter Tricks for all to see.

Here are 10 Ways:

  1. Incorporate your tweeting into your daily lifestyle. If you’re on your computer all day, this is pretty easy. If I find a quote I’m using in a book that I think might bless people, I’ll copy and paste it into Twitter. Don’t let Twitter interrupt you. Instead, you interrupt Twitter.
  2. Don’t overtweet everywhere else. When you’re using a secondary service to tweet like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck, resist the urge to share it on Linked In, Facebook, Google +, or any other social platform. While this is a great time saver (and certainly not wrong to do sometimes), you’ll find less engagement on your other sites as a result. Facebook has an algorithm that demotes posts that come from an outside source. And it’s always better, particularly if you have a link, picture or  video to post on the actual page instead of using Twitter to import it. You’ll get better engagement that way.
  3. Don’t be a Me Monster. Be a You Jedi instead. Twitter is not for you to be that obnoxious person at the party using “I” and “Me” in overbearing abundance. Twitter isn’t about you. It’s about blessing the people who follow you. Treat them as you would first time guests to your home. Offer them something they need. Keep them comfortable. You wouldn’t hard sell a first time guest, would you?
  4. Retweet cool content. If you see great tweets, share them with others. This will help your followers and make the initial tweeter smile.
  5. Use hashtags (#) with stealth and purpose. A hashtag is that little number sign # that allows your tweets to be seen by others who use it. For instance, I used #Everythingbook to refer to my latest book release for Everything: What You Give and What You Gain to Become Like Jesus. I gave a list of quotes to folks if they’d like to share them, along with the hashtag. I also included the hashtag in the book to make it easier for people who tweeted about it. Don’t be afraid to use funny hashtags too, just for color. But don’t become a hashtag crazy person. You can turn off readers if you constantly use them.
  6. Be grateful for others tweets. Thank them publicly. If someone retweets you and you have the chance, acknowledge them and thank them. In real life if someone did something kind for you, you’d thank them. Don’t let this overwhelm you, though. Don’t make it a rule. But when you have the time, share your gratefulness.
  7. Don’t freak out over personal Twitter encounters. I’ve met some AMAZING people via Twitter IN PERSON and I didn’t die. So many are scared of strangers and worry about meeting people they’ve never “met.” But I’ve had some amazing friends result from a first touch on Twitter, particularly in business.
  8. Introduce people who need to know each other. One of the most satisfying aspects of Twitter is cyber-introductions of people I know who should meet. Tweeting an informal introduction opens the door for great relationships.
  9. Once a week (or more) take note of your favorite tweeters and admire and encourage them publicly. I have a group of people I follow. Often I’ll see their picture on my Tweetdeck and have this overflowing heart for them. When that happens, I enjoy publicly praising or encouraging each one. It’s one of my favorite things to do on Twitter. It surprises people, makes their day, and helps me keep my focus on others an not myself.
  10. Tweet amazing content (including your own). If you run into an amazing blog post or product, by all means, share it with folks. And if you’ve written a blog post you feel will help people, by all means, tweet it. Twitter is a wonderful source of traffic for others and for you.

BONUS JEDI TRICK THAT RULES THEM ALL: Be yourself. If you’re stressed about Twitter, let it go. If you feel like you’re being slimy, don’t do it. But please don’t find someone cool with tons of followers and try to be just like him/her. Simply be who you are. View Twitter as a great, big, fun party where you’re chatting with new folks. Be you. Share your life. Share what’s bugging you. Offer assistance. Be willing to be vulnerable. Honestly, the tweets I get the most action on are the ones where I simply talk about my life and my struggles.

It’s late, and I’m tired. I didn’t carry the Jedi metaphor throughout this whole piece, but I think you get the gist. These ten (eleven!) tips come from several years of experience. I don’t have hundreds of thousands of followers. I have about 17,000 people at my party, but they’re engaged and a blessing to me. They came to the party slowly, but they came. And my heart is to write things that will change their lives for the better. May that be your wish, too.

If you’ve liked this post, resonate with the Luke Skywalker shenanigans, and have an inbox bigger than the death star, you might like this post: Become an Email Jedi in 7 Steps. You Can Zero Out Your Inbox (Really!)

Q4U: What awesome tips would you like to share about Twitter? Or what is hard about Twitter? Any cool stories to tell?

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