Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't is my mantra of life. I am who I am take it or leave it.
From the moment I hopped on Twitter I found engaging conversation and some of the best peeps I have met in my life. Twitter has helped us grow our business, enhance our relationships. I have established large and small clients thanks to a Friday Follow recommendation from someone I don't know and even secured speaking engagements and book deals thanks to the 140 character medium.
I spent a ton of time doing social listening and started out as a curator. I do my best to stay in tune with my audience via conversation, listening, learning and providing them with relevant content and conversation.
There is not one way to tweet, Facebook, Link or circle. The only way to do social media is the way that works for you. Below describes what works for me.
I get asked a lot how I tweet, what I do, if I answer DMs, why I don't auto tweet on Triberr and the list goes on. It was time for a blog post to provide those interested in how a social nut tweets. I'd love to hear your comments and if it is similar or different to what you do or don't do.
1. You get me always. There is only one me so that is what you get.
2. I rarely automate tweets. If I do they are inspiring quotes or reminders for our #GetRealChat.
3. I review every article and post I send. I am a member of Triberr and this also includes the posts from my tribe as I set them to manual.
4. Yes, I probably have tribe mates in a couple tribes who get frustrated I don't tweet their posts. I care about every tweet and link I send and will not ever lower the quality of my content, the relevancy to my audience nor the conversation just to get more tweets and retweets. I love to help new bloggers and will share good content regardless if you have 10 followers or 100,000.
5. I only tweet content that I find interesting, inspirational, unique, educational or simply fun.
6. I will often tweet posts from bloggers with different opinions than mine. I love the sociology aspect of social media and welcome a good debate.
7. I don't believe in required 100% reciprocation. It all starts to lose heart and meaning when we begin to expect reciprocation vs appreciate it.
8. I don't tweet to influence my Klout score nor do I let the goal of an incereased Klout score drive my motives and behavior online.
9. I don't prioritize who I talk to, who I thank, who I retweet based on Klout or other influence metrics. I love replying to someone with a zero Klout score who is a newbie learning! Had I only had conversations with those with high Klout scores I would have missed out on some of the greatest friendships and business partnerships to date.
10. Yes, I care about numbers. However, I care about quality more. Therefore, I will not trade number of following for bad quality.
11.I don't follow everyone back automatically. I follow back based on engagement. Make me laugh, cry or think and chances are I will respond to you as well as follow you back.
12. If I am not following you and I should be then pls just ask!
13. I use custom social ninja tools only us and our clients benefit from. We use these tools to help us target the right people to follow. Our top criteria is engagement, not a high percentage of link tweets and interesting content.
14. I do not track who follows and unfollows me. If you unfollow me chances are I will never know as I really don't care. I care more about the ones who do.
15. I auto unfollow based upon specific criteria. Number one is if you don't follow me back you will automatically be unfollowed within approx. 7 days. I do this to keep the percentages healthy and keep and engaged following that likes to have a conversation. I focus on conversation, not follower numbers. I have found by default if you have good conversation and provide relevant content that connects you with your audience your followers will grow organically.
16. If I unfollow you and I shouldn't have please don't take it personally. It is probably something gone wacky in the unfollow tool or you may have hit one of our criteria. It doesn't mean I unfollowed you on purpose. I have very rarely unfollowed people manually unless they spam or really bug me.
17. I use formalists to find cool peeps via their awesome Twitter lists.
18. I do not auto tweet anything from Facebook.
19. I do not auto post my tweets to LinkedIn.
20. I am a tweet chat addict. I host #GetRealChat on Tuesday nights 9pm et. Some of my other favorite twitter chats are #SMManners hosted by @DabneyPorte, #LinkedInChat hosted by @LinkedInExpert, #CMChat hosted by @JessicaNorthey & #blogchat hosted by @MackCollier.
21. I never click on links in direct msgs unless I know you.
22. I auto purge DM's that include words like “thanks for following” or “mafia
23. I try to respond to DMs. However, if it's important do not depend only on DMs. At least send a tweet & let me know its there.
24. I report and block all spam tweets I catch that include my name and you have 10 to zero followers.
25. I tweet what I am thinking, feeling and believe you want to hear.
26. I tweet a combo of business and life tweets. I try to minimize tweets about our business to less than 20%.
27. I know within five minutes of hopping on Twitter what the tone and mood of my engaged followers are. The mood definitely influences the language I use, content I tweet and tone of my conversation.
28. If you are a twitter bully chances are low I will respond to your mean tweet unless I am in a really good or bad mood
29. I have made good friends with many peeps that started with a bit of a sarcastic tone.
30. I love to learn on Twitter. I like to ask questions, take polls and learn from those who engage and inspire me.
31. I tweet a lot on some days. I do not tweet to make my tweet stream look like a piece of 1987 corporate collateral. To me social media and Twitter is a conversation, I try to keep it that way.
32. I do Twitter for business and life. I have received first contact from a few of our biggest clients via a Twitter DM.
I do my best to remain positive on Twitter while still remaining real. I am not an information source for negative news, bomb threats etc.
33. I tweet links to my blog posts several times a day. Yes, I have a business to run, mouths to feed and goals.
34. I do not believe in random acts of marketing or social media. I work under a plan with goals and objectives. I use an editorial calendar for our blog and marketing content that supports our business and marketing plan.
35. Even though I work within a plan I still remain 100% dynamic to the needs and tone of my audience. I think a balance of both is a key to success.
36. I use social media and Twitter as a listening tool every day.
37. I try to show the social love and let people know I am thankful for their comments and retweets. I have been very busy with a new partner lately & fallen behind on these things. I do my best.
38. If you want to work with me or my agency don't send me a DM telling me you think you might want to work with me and then send a tweet complaining I didn't respond to your DM. If you really want us to spend time on the phone with you then please take the time to fill out a quote request or contact form on our website.
39. I have met amazing people on Twitter, many of which I now consider good friends as well as current or soon to be business partners.
40. My clients get their own strategy No cookie cutter plans come from this nut!
41. I only tweet and retweet interesting content that is relevant to my audience.
42. I tweet the word “Woot!” when I am excited, which is quite often. It was recently added to the dictionary.
43. Twitter is an integral component and has been one of the top platforms enabling the growth of our business and the transformation to a new life away from corporate.
44. I left corporate two years ago after fifteen years of success in high tech marketing and product management. Much of my tweets enable me to connect with those taking the same bold steps into entrepreneurship.
45. I share the ups and downs of my business and life. I will share my losses as well as my wins. I like it when you do the same. It's not bragging if we have a relationships so let's help each other up when we fall and celebrate the wins together!
46. If you want to get to know me even better join my Facebook Page at http://www.pamsfanpage.com. I am on it daily and answer all questions usually within 24 hours.
47. If you plagiarize my blog post and copy it in full without attribution to me I will more than likely comment on the blog and tweet you, kindly asking you to remove. If you have no problem plagiarizing my content publicly then I have no problem telling you to take it down publicly.
48. I do not tweet and drive or tweet at red lights. I was hit at a red light by a woman who was texting. She totaled both of our cars and it would have been much worse had I not seen her coming and been able to get out of the way some.
49. Twitter is my favorite social communication platform.
50. Yes I have made many good and in real life friends on Twitter. We talk on a daily basis and I know many of them better than my neighbors and some friends.
51. I will not follow you back just because you send me an auto tweet telling me I unfollowed you. It probably decreases the chances versus increases them.
52. I tweet and write blog posts with tips, suggestions, deep thoughts and more. I offer my opinions. You can take them or leave them.
53. We only work with clients who want to invest in people and conversation. If you are looking for an agency to help you figure out how to spam your followers, that's not us, sorry.
54. There is only one way to do social media and that is the way that works for your business and life.
55. If you don't like any of the above and think I am doing it all wrong, I don't care what you think, sorry.
How do you tweet?
Wow, thanks for sharing all of that, Pam! Your post encourages me that I’m on the right track in many ways, and has lots more ideas that I can apply. Thanks for your wonderful contributions!
I really try to create a Twitter stream that would be my favorite on Twitter: one that I would be retweeting to my followers all the time. I’m also always striving for how to improve my content and engagement and grow my audience. I love being able to post links for everyone, then go back in my tweet stream and read them more in depth when I have the time to dig in.
I love what you share and all you’ve taught me already. Thanks again!
Glenn
@ImprovementZone
Thanks Glenn. So happy to hear. Keep up the good work. Focus on the conversation and relevancy and you’ll be just fine.
Have a beautiful weekend!
Great list Pam and you are the kind of person that I look up to as one who can help me learn as a relative Twitter newbie. I am a firm believer in getting to know each person individually. When i get an email alert about a new twitter follower, i take the time to go to their feed and look around. Check out their site, read their posts and look for a good one to retweet. If it is not there I do not re-follow.
I am looking at ways of making this quicker, but will not jepordise relationship and real interaction. What do you suggest is the best resource to purge your follows / followers. You mention that you have this automated. Do you use Tweepi, Tweetspinner, or something else? I am ready to commit to a service but which do you recommend?
These two points have been a topic of debate with some people I follow lately:
I only tweet content that I find interesting, inspirational, unique, educational or simply fun.
I will often tweet posts from bloggers with different opinions than mine.
I like your view here, and I would add, what is inspirational or educational to me is often a matter of mindset when I read it.
For example, I shared a post earlier this week that really struck me, even though the advice in it was, frankly, routine. However, the way it was written and my mindset at the time opened my eyes to something beyond the scope. I shared it and commented, which sparked (1) a great discussion with someone new and (2) flack from someone else for sharing a post that didn’t add new perspective.
We are all building and serving audiences and it creates an interesting balancing act. Thanks for sharing and sparking more thinking!
I agree Eric. I think what we tweet, retweet and share in any regard in social media should be set on the conversation we are already having with our audience. For those of us who are working within a plan we have an editorial calendar (even though it may be in your head) of what you will be sharing when. It should be aligned to biz goals and objectives and the other activities in your biz both offline and online.
So often times even though I may see a cool post about a cool topic, I may not tweet it unless it 1)adds something unique I think my audience would be interested in or could learn from 2)says it in a different way as you describe or 3)It’s just too cool not to.
I can’t share every thing I read, see posted on Triberr etc. or else it would be redundant. Some topics I have pounded weeks or months back with my followers. Those who follow me closely would be thinking “Pam, we already know this… you wrote 10 blog posts on it 3 months ago”.
So glad our life and tweet paths crossed Eric. You challenge my thinking and I have a lot of respect for you. I am sure one day we will do great things together.
Hope you are having a blast on your vacay! :-)
Great post. I love the focus on ‘conversation’ it is exactly how I tweet for my company twitter @underwoodwines and I also feel that more success is gained through this method.
Your point on strategy and goals has got me thinking too….
Thank you
Todd.
Hi Todd! Yay! I love to get people thinking on strategy and goals. Trust me, it will be time well spent.
Appreciate you stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend.
This is really helpful -informative and much MUCH is so new to me.
Thanks Sheree.
I feel that Social Media is the cheapest and the most effective option of connecting with potential customers. It is certainly here to stay. We have got many new small business clients and also professionals(doctors), who are using Social media to connect with their clients…and to collaborate…It is important that the business decides before hand what they want to acheive – Branding, Word Of Mouth, or Just Sales…and then take the approach that best matches these goals…
Online Business
Virtual Assistant
I only have two words for this post. LOVE IT! ;)
#6 resonates with me, as I think that the ego can sometimes get the best of us in the social space if not careful. It can be quite refreshing to share other points of view. We learn so much more from the people we disagree with than we ever will hanging with the choir.
Hello Harrison. Glad you like it. I am glad we met on Twitter and Triberr. I like your content too! Looking fwd to getting to know you! Enjoy your wknd!
I have only been using Twitter for a few months and love it! This list is a great mirror as to how I would like to keep tweeting. I, too, love RT’ing posts that do not share my same viewpoints and love to follow those people even more! Great post! I enjoy following you!
Thanks so much Elizabeth. I agree, as hard as it may be for some to listen to other opinions, I try to listen as much as I can to different opinions. I have met some of the greatest people from a tweet that initially rubbed me the wrong way. I have found intelligent and confident people are not afraid to share their opinions but in professional ways. The trolls and bullies on the other hand can go suck eggs ;)
Honestly. You could be my twin. (would have been much cooler if twin didn’t already start with “tw”). As I’m reading your post and my heading is nodding and I’m thinking yep, me too, I’m twickled (there we go) by your cool list.
Awww twanks! ;) Nice to tweet you. Appreciate the kind words and glad I found another fellow tweet nut!
Amen! A social media tactic, page or activity of any kind is almost useless without a plan!
Hi Jason. I am glad you found the article and my other content useful. I try best as I can to listen to the needs of my audience and not only post what I feel like writing but what I know folks need.
As for tools, send me a DM and I can give you a few pointers. We also share some of our twitter ninja tips in our social media training courses. We have a new round coming up within the next 4-6 weeks.
you need to follow me so i can DM. @mibridgemi:twitter
Hi Pam,
I appreciate your article, especially the 55th point. Just discovered your blog via Summify. I’ll keep checking you out.
Best Wishes,
Dawn
http://www.yourproductivitysucks.com
Pretty new to all this social media stuff – at least in the sense of trying to get up to speed and take it all seriously. I’ve read shedloads of advice about form, content, workflow blah blah blah. Many of these 55 points echo where my intuition and common sense had brought me to and it’s so very encouraging to know that I am not wrong to buck the ‘orthodoxy’ here and there. As for the rest of the 55 points, well, I need to listen and think and take them seriously. Thank you for such valuable tips, generously given.
Hi Pam, #13 is powerful, I believe In the very near future, Keyword and key phrases placed in content and the all powerful backlink, while important, will no longer be the gold standard in optimizing content. It will be more about your “Social Influence” in Social Media… just sayin’ :)
[…] “How I Tweet in a Nutshell (55 behaviors from a twitter nut!)” by Pam Moore (@PamMktgNut) […]
[…] How I Tweet in a Nut Shell – 55 Behaviors of a Twitter Nut […]
To me 14 & 15 conflict with each other. You don’t track who follows you, but also stop following someone if they don’t follow you within 7 days? Could you clarify? Did I misunderstand?
@cathyincanada Hi Cathy. Good question. Basically I do not even look at WHO unfollows me. However, our proprietary tools are set to unfollow accounts based on a set of specific criteria based on our objectives. One of the objectives includes accounts that are actively engaging. One of the criteria we use is follow backs. It has worked very well to date and enables us to build a healthy, thriving and engaged community.
They may seem to conflict but in reality the two tips are different. One is addressing if we pay attention to WHO unfollows and the answer is NO. The other addresses how we keep ratio numbers healthy and an engaged community.
Hope this helps :-) I’ll be teaching many of these tips and more in a Twitter For Biz class we are launching this week.
Excellent and sound advice, and I like the way you think.
Pam – Mostly common sense stuff. I like that you make clear that there really are no rules. We make our own depending on our objectives, personalities, moods, etc.
I like that you don’t auto tweet. While I have respect for some bloggers/Tweeters who do, it makes me think about the motive? Sure I understand that you want your Tweets to post at varying intervals and at optimal times, but I also feel that if you don’t take the time and make the effort to do it yourself, it may be just a little disingenuous?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Cheers,Marc
Somewhat new to twitter – thanks for the tips.
I think #6 is healthy, unfortunately sometimes people don’t understand the difference between a reasonable debate and troll like behaviour. Thanks for the post.