How to Use Twitter to Your Advantage

There are so many writers on twitter that your first course of action should be to connect with as many of them as possible. Regardless of what route you’re taking, or where you’re located on that journey, the opportunity to build a community with likeminded people has never been easier. Now that you’re on twitter and have started following writers, review these five steps to learn how to use the 140 character platform to your advantage:

Step 1: Set A Follower Goal- I suggest taking this in baby-steps. If your goal is 50k you’re not getting there overnight. Set smaller goals to meet until you reach your ultimate number.

Step 2: Create Relationships– Don’t just talk at people, talk with them. Find out what your followers like and dislike, where they’re from, what they’re writing. That’s the fastest way to make lasting connections.

Step 3: Provide Interesting Content– Tweet things that your followers will want to read, retweet or respond to. This content could change depending on what your purpose is on twitter (ie- making friends, promoting your book, providing help to other writers, etc).

Step 4: Stay Engaged– You can’t drop the ball halfway through the game, so continue shifting and testing your content to change with seasons and current events. Keep at it and you’ll see a return.

Step 5: Develop Relationships– It’s most important that you keep in contact with the people you connect with. These people could become reviewers, beta readers, confidants, reliable go-to’s for suggestions or best friends, so invest in them.

This isn’t a foolproof plan that will work for everyone no matter what you’re saying in order to create a strong twitter presence. However, if you’re conscious about your plan and execute it in a poised manner, you’re likely to succeed. The biggest thing to remember is not to overload on any of these steps and know that twitter success comes in moderation.

I hope these are helpful tips to anyone looking to improve their experience on twitter. What have you found that’s worked for your twitter platform?