Some Thoughts on Twitter

by Sister-Diane on November 30, 2008

in Biz How-To's, Online Marketing

So, the Twitter thing. It appears that we’re all ending up on there sooner or later. I’m a huge fan, and this post by Tim O’Reilly beautifully expresses why.

I’ve been watching more and more people join, and I’ve been getting notices that people are “following” my Twitter stream. And I’ve been noticing that I’ve evolved a little process to help me decide whether to follow them back.

Since Twitter is so new, and so many of us are trying to use it to market crafty businesses, I thought that perhaps a user’s perspective would be useful. Please don’t take any of my comments personally – these are only my opinions.

First, don’t follow everyone! Some Twitter-related websites tell you that, to use Twitter effectively for marketing, you should follow and be followed by as many people as you can. In fact, there are “rating systems” out there that rank Twitter users higher if they do more following.

Personally, I think this is a bit of bunk. (Read that O’Reilly post for more on why.) If you’re genuinely trying to keep up with the people you follow, then I don’t see how you can follow thousands of people. I follow 175 now, and it’s almost more than I can successfully read each day. So, if a new person follows me, I may not follow back. This is not to be rude! This is to keep Twitter useful to me.

Here’s how I decide who to follow back:

Do I know you? So when a new person follows me on Twitter, I go look at their Twitter profile page. If I know them personally, or have exchanged emails or blog comments, I’ll definitely follow back. It’s lovely to Twitter with people you know.

What are your numbers? Next, I take a look at how many people this new person is following, and how many people are following them. If this person is following thousands of people, I probably won’t worry about following back – they have enough Tweets to deal with as it is!

Conversely, though, if this new follower is also new to Twitter, and is only following/being followed by a handful of people, I’ll usually follow them back, because everyone has to start somewhere. I like to welcome new folk to Twitter and help give them a good starting experience.

What kind of Tweeter are you? Then, I look at the person’s last dozen Tweets or so. What kinds of things are they Tweeting about?

- If all the Tweets are notices of new Etsy shop listings, I generally won’t follow back. It’s like when a blogger only blogs about their upcoming sales – the message I get is that you’re interested in me only as a customer, not a friend.

- On the subject of blogs, if all the Tweets are notices of new blog posts, I also won’t follow back. Why not just put your blog in my Google Reader instead?

- If all the Tweets are @replies (or, direct replies to other Twitterers), I’ll think twice about following. Perhaps this Twitterer only Tweets to their friends – so I’d probably be left out of the conversation anyway.

- Now, if the Tweets are an interesting mixture of things, I’ll usually follow back. For example: some funny updates on what the Tweeter is doing throughout the day. Some sharing of interesting links. Some @replies. Some observations on events of the day. This is the kind of material that makes Twitter sing.

Periodic Housekeeping. I will, from time to time, re-evaluate my Twitter stream and un-follow a few folks. Generally, that’s only if someone has started Tweeting only marketing messages, or if their Tweets have become overwhelmingly negative. Again, this is nothing personal! It’s just an effort to keep Twitter as useful as possible. And I also scan tools like Mr. Tweet and Twubble periodically to find interesting new folks to follow.

If you want some really great Twitter info, try digging into TwiTip, which is loaded with useful posts. Some faves:

10 Easy Steps for Twitter Beginners

Defining Twitter Goals: A Tip for Successful Use of Twitter

Do You Converse or Broadcast? How to Build (or Kill) Relationships on Twitter

…And I’ll see you in the Tweetosphere.

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Make sales (instead of noise) on Twitter and Facebook. Check out Social Media for Your Crafty Business, an easy-to-use marketing ebook written just for crafters.
  • Great article. I love your blog - I've been following you for quite awhile and always find something interesting. I follow very few people on twitter even though I started twittering awhile ago. I'm a serious lurker - I guess I'm afraid I won't have anything valuable to add. Need to work on that.
  • I just got into twitter and facebook, mostly managing to connect with college and high school friends and other people I already know via blogs and groups. SO far it is a fun distraction. I am still trying to figure out how to find people.
  • Great intro article! The only thing I would add to it is that Twitter is VERY addictive. I only recently started tweeting, and I'm having so much fun with it that it's hard to stop! It's like the new "crackberry"!
  • I agree with you completely, Sister Diane!
    I started out by joyfully following everyone and anyone without any thought. Then I noticed my timeline was about 80% advertising, so I cut back. I love supporting other independent crafters, and I will often check out their shops if they have sales on, etc. But if someone's timeline is nothing but ads, then my timeline gets boring, and Twitter is supposed to be fun!
    I absolutely love Twitter! I have it open most of the day at work and I post the quirky little thoughts and ideas I have. If it weren't for Twitter, I'd go completely stark raving insane from boredom.

    P.S. Anyone wanna follow me? I'm apartmentcat on there. ;)
  • Sister D,
    Thank you for posting about Twitter! I joined the other night and now have no idea what to do or even how to find my stream. In fact, I thought a stream was a body of water that runs down a mountain. Anyhow, I must save your post and the reader comments for a day when I am not in full production mode for the fast approaching holidays. You really are my cyberspace Guru. Thank you and Happy Christmas!
    xox
    Pam
  • Good article Diane with excellent refs.

    I use the 3 -blog, twitter, facebook for different audiences. Facebook is for communicating with 2 of my 30 yr old children; Twitter for short fun or quick info; blogging is...well a lot of things for me. I just started Twitter after BlogHer and yes I may sign up to follow someone/some org but if they are massive tweeters, it's a quick adios. About 2 0r 3 times a day I turn on Everyone but mostly I just have the people I follow...<20. I'll find my niche as both the blog and my Twitter evolve.
  • What a great post. I couldn't have said it any better myself! I'm guilty of posting New Blog Post tweets (not always) so I'll probably change that. I agree with someone else's comment about Twitter being more character revealing than a blog post. It's fun to see the thought process/mood that a person goes through in a day. I'll admit it Twitter is a LOT of fun.
  • Amy
    As someone still trying to figure out how to use Twitter effectively, I appreciate the personal insight and O'Reilly article. I'm especially interested in people's reasons for who they follow. Haven't quite figured it out for myself.
  • I'm already on Facebook and was thinking about registering on Twitter because so many bloggers have been talking about it. I'll add you as a friend when I'll do... but right now, I'm off to making gifts! ^-^
  • since i just joined twitter yesterday this insight is so helpful to me. thanks diane! i've totally been wondering about the etiquette of following strangers just because they start following you. i'm so much more interested in what people i know are up to on there. it's a lot to keep up with and i'm sure i'll find some balance. this helps! xo christina
  • Look - you've created a monster: http://twitter.com/geekxnerd
  • I don't Twitter yet but I shoudl look into it. I did Facebook but found I was a bit old for it. Great post and it has definitely got my mind thinking about Twitter
  • I could not agree with your article more. Though I admit that I have caught myself fallling into the routine of just tweeting when there is a new blog post. Other times when I have a new activity or idea to tweet about I am normally busy DOING the activity. Oh well...I'm learning to try and be more personal and friendly. I did the same thing on my stream though. I went through and made sure everyone I was following either is photography or craft related (or family). It really cuts down on the garbage that isn't helpful (and sometimes isn't interesting).

    As usual - great article Thanks for putting in the time!
  • Thanks for doing the round-up of Twitter aides. I am going to go read them all. I am liking Twitter but don't feel totally up to speed yet. Super interesting!
  • Great post, Diane. Lots of people are jumping into Twitter and it is hard to keep up with too many people. I usually stop following peeps if they start getting annoying - vague criteria, but it works. However, I love following your tweets! :)
  • Great thoughts, Diane!
  • Samantha - there is! I believe Facebook has apps that do this, or you can set up a Twitter Feed to pull your FB updates to Twitter: http://www.twitterfeed.com.
  • Samantha
    I Twitter, but do it so infrequently. I find myself keeping up with Facebook so much more. Does anyone know if there is a way to sync your Twitter and your Facebook statuses?
  • Beautifully done, Diane! And it's no surprise that this very subject (along with some of these same tips and thoughts) was on my mind THIS MORNING! (insert Twilight Zone theme here) I agree on all of it, though.

    One thing I'll add is that I sometimes take Twitter breaks/vacations. I love Twitter, and have a lot of fun connecting with friends (like you!) and sharing ideas through it, but the reality is that sometimes my daily schedule changes and I have to cut some of my computer time down to essentials. This week was a good example of that. Kids have been out of school, the holiday, etc. I've been pretty absent on Twitter the last few days. But I'll pop in as I can, and for the close friends I follow, once the kids are back in school (tomorrow! YAY!) I'll go back and read those friends individual tweet pages instead of trying to sift through dozens of pages of tweets from all my contacts.

    Make sense?

    I'd go hop on Twitter right now, but the kids are going nutty in the other room, so ..... :)

    Happy Tweeting!
    XO
    Rach
  • This is great perspective not only on Twitter, but all social networking sites, like Facebook. Your process is similar to mine, though I haven't really used twitter all that much yet.

    Although I have a little crafty business, at heart, all of my online activities (blog, facebook, twitter) are really about making friends and forging connections with people who share similar interests.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts and the article.

    Good stuff!

    :)
  • queenofsheba
    One thing that the O'reilly article misses is the spontaneous bursts of critical and not so critical insight. Honestly, I think you can learn more about a person from their tweets than most blog posts, because it is the minutiae of daily thought. Creative process translates better in twitter, I think. Inspiration, implementation, frustration, revision and finished work are easier to share at the moment when they only cost 140 characters of time.

    ha, so what does it say about me that most of my tweets are food related?
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