Twitter has become one of the most powerful free marketing and public relations tools on the internet. But how do you gain that elusive quality following? Especially in a niche market like photography? This article will provide you with three must have tips to boosting your credibility and building a quality Twitter network.
Twitter Tip #1: Craft Your Message
The most important part of crafting your message is knowing what it is. You should know why you want to use Twitter before you sign up. Otherwise, you may become discouraged as your profile sits with three followers.
Ask yourself the following questions before you sign up:
- What would I like to accomplish on Twitter?
- Will my Twitter profile be professional or personal?
- Will my Twitter profile be straightforward, a little bit funny or full of sarcasm?
- How can I craft a message that builds my business?
- How much time do I have to devote to Twitter?
You want to discover your reason behind your interest in Twitter. These are 5 great questions you can ask yourself to get started.
Limited Promotion
Don’t arrive on the scene like a hardcore salesman. Slow down. Many people make the mistake of instant marketing on Twitter. Never jump right in and start promoting. Twitter is an opportunity to build relationships. Don’t damage them by beating people over the head with your product. You may be online but people still don’t want to feel used.
Twitter is all about finding value in the expertise of others. It takes time to build good relationships — on or offline. Take the time to research people who may be interested in your niche. Follow people who already have a solid standing in your market. If you peruse their followers, you’ll find out what they’re talking about. And if you play it smart, you may be able to develop a targeted product offering.
Mastering the 140 Rule
140 characters is a very short writing form. Master the art of getting your message out succinctly. With so many people tweeting, it’s hard to wade through the trash and find good information. If you don’t want your information to be deemed trash, then start by building a trustworthy relationship and avoid spamming your followers. Don’t forget to offer help when you can.
Twitter Tip #2: Manage Your Network
Many people join Twitter and follow everyone that follows them. If you plan on using Twitter as a goldmine for marketing research, this is a bad strategy. While there are tools like Tweetdeck and Twitter lists that cut down the chatter, there’s nothing like good old fashioned discretion. Make sure you only follow people you are interested in hearing from. Have you ever noticed some tweeters have 10,000 followers and they’re only following 200? That’s a smart strategy. They only follow those individuals that interest them and add value to the constant stream of information they see daily.
While it may seem rude not to follow all of your followers, how will you manage 10,000 x 20 tweets x 24 hours x 7 days? Would you follow every Joe you met on the street? Then don’t follow everyone on Twitter. In addition, Twitter has rules that will only allow you to follow so many people. So make sure you manage your Twitter network like you manage your offline network — with discretion.
After you have found people you are interested in learning from, ease yourself into their conversations. Introduce yourself and find common ground. Don’t jump in on Jim’s conversation about his fifteenth anniversary gift. Do jump in on Jim’s conversation about healthy eating tips. Especially if this is your market. Leave the personal conversations between people who feel comfortable with each other.
The Photocritic blog has a great database full of must follow photographers. Check them out here.
Twitter Tip #3: Promotion in Intervals
The biggest turn off for many on Twitter is the constant stream of promotional Tweets. There’s nothing worse than someone who constantly toots their own horn. Remember, Twitter is about building trust by providing value. Manage your tweets consistently.Try sending promotional tweets with links to your product or blog once for every five or ten helpful tweets you send. Feel free to experiment with your own intervals. Twitter is a value based venue. Only those that provide valuable information consistently are successful in gaining a large targeted following.
Twitter will only be successful if you spend time building quality relationships. So, when you’re on Twitter, make sure you spend your time wisely. Don’t go in with a strictly promotional motive. Seek people in your niche you can learn from. Be careful who you follow and always remember to have fun!
7 Great Twitter Tools
- BackType: If you run a WordPress, blog this is a must have plugin to bring relevant information to your readers.
- Grouptweet: Send direct messages to groups you define. Tip: Select your photography mentors and DM them your newest photos for feedback.
- Snaptweet: Share your Flickr pictures on Twitter. Tip: Try your skills using your cell phones camera. Upload your pictures to Flickr and distribute to Twitter.
- Splitweet: Manage your brand. Period.
- Twaitter: Schedule your tweets.
- Tweetdeck: Download. Install. Manage. If you don’t have Tweetdeck, you’re missing the point.
- Twitpic: Share your photos on Twitter.
For a comprehensive Twitter resource go to Prevential Blog. You don’t want to miss this.
Tags: photography, twitter
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Hey, Good post about Twitter. I think Twitter is going to be one of the stronger networks because of the fact that it is supported by so many industries. I also think when Twitter reveals some of it’s new functions, returning traffic will go up to show the real growth of the network. Keep up the good work!
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@Joey, welcome and thank you for commenting. What would you like to see moving forward?