Submitted by Sabina Hitchen on | 0 Comments
To know me is to know that I can't say enough about the power of Twitter in terms of business growth and success! It's one of the only places where you can join a conversation, grow a relationship and even pitch your business - all without leaving your desk! Often when I record podcasts on social media power strategies I encourage people to find their business targets on Twitter (whether they be retailers, media, stylists or influencers of any kind) and make an effort to work at building "virtual" relationships with them every week. I tell you to be authentic while also being active. Then I give you a loving tap out of my digital nest and encourage you to go for it!
That said, it's not always as easy as it sounds, once we've found someone on Twitter. For those of you who find you're often left staring at your Twitter feed with nothing to say, for those who need a little bit more support when working to really connect with people on Twitter, I've created a list of four types of communication that can make that possible.
1. Retweet Only What Speaks to You: There is nothing less authentic (at least to the naked eye) than someone who simply spends the entire day (or much of their time on Twitter) randomly retweeting what everyone says. In terms of your targets, you want to retweet the things they say that really do move you or impact you. Bonus points if you write back after you retweet it (even if it's only to say "right on!") double confirming your support. BAM you are now on their radar, now wasn't that easy.
2. The Twitter Compliment: Again, you only use this when you really mean it, otherwise you're the guy at the party who is telling every girl within reach that her eyes and smile are amazing (you know, that guy...) For example if you love following a certain bloggers tweets because she is so darn funny, let people know: "Want a guaranteed laugh till you cry every morning? Follow one of my favorite feeds by @FunnyBoneJones" "Want small business news that will impact your business daily? Check out the @TinShingle feed" or "I don't know where I'd be every day without the spiritual widom of @SpiritualSarahAndCompany". Not only are you sharing an awesome feed (that you really enjoy) with your followers, but by saying something nice about someone's Twitter feed and including their handle, you're more or less guaranteed they will see it and perhaps even write back. If THAT happens (a response) you can begin a bit of Twitter Tennis (tweeting back and forth from time to time).
3. Respond to What They Post: As my father always says, there are certain universal truths to the human condition: people want to feel loved and people want to know that what they do and say matters. That also proves to be the truth in Twitter. After all, Twitter feeds are for the most part operated by real people. So when a target you are following says something that you agree with, disagree with, you have a question about or have a witty or interesting response to, simply write back! Not enough people do this and it's the easiest way to begin a conversation and online relationship. Remember, this response you're giving them should have nothing to do with you or your needs, it's a response to the "conversation" they're having on Twitter. It should not be interpreted as a subtle request or humble brag about yourself. We're talking relationship building right now, and that means participating in conversations that are as natural (as possible) as real, in person conversations.
4. Make it Easy & Strategic: Staring at a full Twitter feed trying to decide who you should do the above #1-#3 with isn't always easy! That said, you can make it easier by organizing your Twitter strategy in the following ways:
- Group people in lists that you create by category such as Media Contacts, Sales Outreach, Bloggers I Love, Stylists, Speaking Engagements, etc. This will help you find the people quickly instead of staring at your full Twitter feed and trying to make sense of it.
- Don't try to do it all at once! If you only create one or two solid conversations, or Twitter Tennis Matches if you will, a week, they're going to be more impactful than 6 half-assed efforts.
One last note about creating these power relationships online: change your mindset when interacting on Twitter. Don't just keep your end goal in connecting everyone at the front of your mind at all times! Instead, make your end goal to create a relationship that is authentic and (gasp) fun! The best ones are in life and on Twitter!
Have any power moves that help you grow your Twitter relationships? Enter them in the comments below!
