Oh, Twitter. Full of so many different types of content. Videos, photos, screenshots. Not to mention the mood of some users. The current US President has weaponized Twitter to the point that many don’t separate the two. But there’s much more to Twitter than being the official and non-legally binding soapbox for a world leader. Let’s look at some of the ways you can make your Twitter work for you.
Unfollow People
This is even easier than it is on Facebook and it will have a dramatic effect on your feed. Try right now. Go through your Twitter followers and unfollow 5, even 10 people. Then refresh your feed. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: social AI wants to work for you. GIve it something to do. Tell it to change things up. The only real way to do that is to tell it what you don’t want. The best way to pick people to unfollow is to find people saying things that don’t entertain you. Some of the people you follow retweet fun things. Keep them! Some people just share thoughts at random that don’t improve your feed. Unfollow them. It’s not a ‘bad’ thing to to. It’s a great way to get control of what you see.
Follow New People
Get some new content! See new videos, new thoughts about the world. Take some of those suggestions about people to follow. This is all part of making the AI work for you. It will also help you really think about the kind of Twitter feed you want. Do you like celebrities? Do you link super sarcastic tweets? Do you like following news outlets or the journalists that write the news. Do you want a feed completely free of politics? Your social media is yours. There are people of all kinds on Twitter. Follow more of the people that tweet the things you enjoy.
Share Your Insights
When you retweet something add some thoughts about why you retweeted it. You have a unique voice and your opinion matters. If you disagree with the sentiments in the content you retweet say why. If you agree, say why. Adding your insight to the tweet makes the content you are sharing more valuable for your audiences. It also helps develop your personal brand. People will start to look to you as a subject matter expert because of the amazing things bring to the conversation.
Don’t Tweet Angry
You may think it’s going to feel like a good way to get things off your chest. Everyone else does it, right? A Twitter rant may be a “thing”, but it’s not a thing that makes the world a better place. You can certainly tweet a thread that shares a long an complex thought. It’s important to get your ideas out there and Twitter can really help with that. Before you tweet consider the balance you’d like to see in the world. Your anger will probably not help make things better. Your considered and well-composed stand against an issue will get better engagement.
Tweet that Article
When you read something interesting – tweet it! Use that sharing link provided on the website you’re looking at. That not only helps build your personal brand but it also increases the metrics for the website you enjoy. Which enables that website to continue to create content. Sharing is caring, so they say. Share those stories that make you think. That make you smile. That make you want to be a voice for changed in the world. When you share be sure to add some insight into why you’re sharing that content.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Twitter gives you very few characters (280) to get an idea across in one tweet. An image helps communicate whatever idea you are trying to share. You can always search for a GIF to include with your tweet as well. That’s many thousands of words added to your tweet since most animated GIFs are about 30 pictures long. Find just the right one and the thought you are sharing will reach many more people.
Check Your Metrics
All tweets include a ‘tweet activity’ button. Use it! See how many people have engaged with your content. Find out what’s working best for you and keep it up! Find out what people don’t engage with and share less of that kind of content. Using metrics is the best way to grow your audience. You can go even further and keep a spreadsheet of Twitter metrics. Track your growth over time and you’ll be even more successful.
Twitter is a tricky platform to master. It is deceptively simple to use. Getting the right content in front of the right people takes work. Having a Twitter feed that entertains you is important. Take control of your Twitter and you’ll find it helps you have a much more joyful day.
-Andrew Cassel
Andrew Cassel is the founder of Haunted Desk. He’s received top prizes for his marketing work in social media PRSA-Alaska and for his presentations by the Higher Ed Web Association.