7 Essentials Every Author Needs to Know About Twitter

Hmmm, looks like a ticket to TWITTER JAIL

Hmmm, looks like a ticket to TWITTER JAIL

I’m still delusional that I might finish NaNoWriMo. I can write 16,000 more words in five days, right? Sigh. I’ve been away from the blog because I’m in the trenches with the fellow Nanos. Also I really needed to take a bit of a break. To help me with my pseudo-sabbatical? The AMAZING Social Media Maven Marcy Kennedy is here to help you learn how to use Twitter effectively. 

Using Twitter effectively is important. Twitter is a tool, but we can look like a tool or act like a tool if we rush in not knowing what we are DOING.

Great news is I have done all the dumb stuff so you don’t have to. Marcy might have, but I can’t speak for her (and she is kind of a Hermione) so she probably was smart enough to learn from MY dumb stuff…..

Screen Shot 2014-11-25 at 12.03.38 PM

“Marcy”

Take it away, Marcy!

***

Twitter often gets a bad reputation from people who don’t understand it or don’t know how to use it to its full potential to build an author platform. If we’re misusing it or not using it to its full potential, not only will it not help us, but we also won’t be having any fun. And social media should be fun!

So today I want to walk through the seven essentials every author needs to know about Twitter. When used correctly, Twitter can be one of the best tools for increasing traffic to our blogs and gaining new readers for our books.

Essential #1 – Which Tools Work the Best for You

Social media can feel a little like THIS...

Social media can feel a little like THIS…

When we are new to Twitter, we might not realize we have options for tweeting other than using the twitter.com website. Hint: You don’t want to actually use Twitter.com to tweet. It only gives you one column and very few options. We need something more effective to manage our tweeting.

There are two basic choices—TweetDeck and Hootsuite. (There are others, but these two are the best.) You’ll hear from people who love one or the other, so the important thing is to choose the one you like the most.

Essential #2 – How to Use Hashtags

Using hashtags allows people we’re not already connected with to see our tweets (and vice versa). Effectively using hashtags is one of the quickest ways to build relationships with new people on Twitter…if we use them well.

Since I don’t want this post to be as long as a novel, I’ll direct you to a post I did for Kristen earlier called “Twitter Basics–The Proper Care and Feeding of Hashtags.”

Essential #3 – How to Use Lists

SO ME!

Organize ALL THE TWEETS!

One of the most common complaints I hear about Twitter is that the amount of tweets is overwhelming. There’s a simple solution—Twitter lists. A Twitter list can be added to a column in TweetDeck or a stream in Hootsuite so that we’re able to watch only the tweets made by the people on that list.

Once you know how to use them, they become a powerful tool not only for making Twitter more enjoyable, but also for building a viable author platform. Twitter lists can help:

  • Make connections with agents, editors, or book reviewers
  • Build relationships with other writers in your genre
  • Keep track of subject matter experts; connect with writers who live in your area
  • Reciprocate for people who regularly retweet your tweets
  • Stay in touch with fans who contact you about your book or say something good about your writing.

Essential #4 – What to Tweet 

Screen Shot 2014-11-25 at 11.46.28 AM

We’re writers, so the temptation is to be the “all writing, all the time” channel. Tweeting about writing some of the time is fine because it helps us connect with other writers, but it won’t help us connect with readers.

Connecting with readers is about joining in conversations and tweeting links to material that your potential future readers might be interested in. If you’re writing science fiction, tweet about new scientific inventions, for example.

If you’re writing romance, your audience might be interested in posts about love and relationships, about the latest fashions, or about exotic locations. If you’re writing thrillers, you could find true crime posts and interesting tidbits from the news to share.

Essential #5 – Avoid Connecting Facebook and Twitter

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We won’t have success on any social media site unless we’re there, actively participating and building relationships. That means that connecting any two sites so that what we post on one automatically shows up on the other is a bad idea.

But connecting Facebook and Twitter so that your tweets carry over is also a terrible idea because what people look for from the two sites is different. You might think you’re saving yourself time, but you’re risking coming across as a spam bot instead.

Essential #6 – What Can Get Us Sent to Twitter Jail?

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When it comes to Twitter, there are three big no-nos that can land us in Twitter Jail. Consider these the equivalent of speeding, driving down the wrong side of the road, and driving under the influence.

  • Follower to Following Ratios

People hit the magic number of 2,000 people they’re following and suddenly Twitter won’t allow them to follow anyone new. This happens when we don’t have enough people following you compared to the number of people we’re following.

If this happens, you’re going to have to go and clear out some of the people who aren’t following you back using a tool like justunfollow.com. If your ratio is so far off that you’ve been thrown in Twitter jail, you’re not going to get out just by begging a few more people to follow you.

  • Tweeting Too Often

I’m still shocked that people have this happen given that the technical limit is 1,000 tweets per day. However, this is also broken down into hourly limits. So if you think of it that way, you’re limited to approximately 83 tweets per hour. That might sound like a ridiculously high number you’d never hit, but if you’re taking part in some kind of Twitter party (e.g., a launch party for a book), you may actually find you hit this limit.

With the growing popularity of those types of events, as well as themed chats, you need to be especially careful about this limit if you’re the administrator of the event.

  • Spammy Behavior

Most of you are probably already aware of the major spam behaviors to avoid. Kristen has done an amazing job of educating writers about what counts as spam, but in case any of you are new to Twitter or don’t read Kristen’s blog quite as dedicatedly as I do, I really think these are essential to know.

Spam = If you post duplicate content over multiple accounts or multiple duplicate updates on one account.

So let’s say you created an account both for yourself and for your book and you post the same updates to both. That technically violates Twitter’s spam policy. If you post the same updates over and over again on a single account, it’s also spam and Twitter will suspend your account for this kind of behavior.

Spam = If your updates consist mainly of links, and not personal updates.

This is another reason why the conversation aspect of Twitter is so important. This is a social media site founded with the intent of both sharing information and providing people will a quick, easy way to voice their opinions and chat with others. Be aware that if you’re only posting links, you’re technically in violation of Twitter’s user policies.

Essential #10 – How to Connect Your Website to Twitter

Original image via Wikimedia Commons, courtesy of FEMA

Original image via Wikimedia Commons, courtesy of FEMA

Our home base on the Internet should never be a social media network. We should have a website (and ideally blog on our website as well) because that is a solid foundation to build upon.

Part of what we want to do is create a circle between our blog and our social media networks. We share material on social media, which draws people back to our blog, and they enjoy the content, so they return to social media and share it with the people they’re connected with. And the cycle continues and grows.

You’d be surprised how many people chop a hole in this cycle because they don’t enable sharing buttons on their blog or website. Make sure you have a button that people can click to tweet your blog post right from your website.

Want More Help with Twitter for Authors?

Please check out my book Twitter for Authors: A Busy Writer’s Guide (available in ebook and print forms). Building a thriving social media platform doesn’t have to steal all your precious writing time or cut into your time with your family. Twitter for Authors is about building a successful Twitter platform that’s sustainable for busy people.

In Twitter for Authors, you’ll learn…
• essential Twitter terminology,
• how to set up your account,
• the differences between TweetDeck and Hootsuite,
• techniques for staying safe on Twitter,
• how to build columns and lists and use them to find readers,
• the value of link shorteners and hashtags,
• what to tweet about,
• the most common mistakes writers make on Twitter,
• how to run a successful Twitter event,
• how to manage your social media time,
• and much more!

Twitter for Authors contains helpful advice for both Twitter newbies and long-time Twitter users who want to take their platform to the next level.

 

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  1. Am so thoroughly daunted. My hat’s off to you for conquering the Twitter monster.
    #IAmTooOldForThis (not an actual tweet).

    1. Love it! I secretly think we all feel that way sometimes regardless of our chronological age. But knowing what we need to do is really the hardest part. It gets easier once you know. You can do it 🙂

  2. GREAT advice! Most of this I knew (or learned through screwing up) but some I didn’t and the thing about always posting links is well-taken! Sharing like mad, including #ontwitter.
    LIz

  3. Reblogged this on Memoir Notes.

  4. Love this List! But envious that people are taking the NaNoWriMo challenge! I’m writing a novel this month, but I can’t imagine it being finished by the end of the month. But hell…who knows? Off to try it now.

    1. I’ve been doing this with a RABID case of Shingles. I am officially stupid or insane.

      1. Oh no! That sounds painful! Hope you’re feeling better and hope you accomplished the goal!

  5. this is a very useful article!! thanks!

  6. Fantastic information here! Thank you. I’m going to check out Tweet Deck right now.

  7. So helpful! Thank you. I love how you broke this down into lists and bullet points. Starting out, I had no idea how quickly Twitter can go from manageable and fun to overwhelming and hard to manage. I find I’m in need of the lists!

  8. Thanks Marcy for this tips and reminders. I dislike Twitter jail, and use Just Unfollow to clean my list so I won’t be stuck at the 2,000 ceiling again. Love you remark about not just connecting with writers on Twitter by providing interest and interaction with readers.

    Kristen, you must be crazy. I believe in you and your brilliant writing. I’ve won NaNoWriMo twice, feeling I would not make it. Then I just stopped editing myself and wrote like a bunch of horribly ugly cowboys where after me, and all worry went out the window. I learned I could write so much faster than I ever dreamed. Wishing you a big WIN this month.

  9. Oh, I hate typos. “these” tips…not this, Love “your” remark, not you.

  10. Great advice. I am in the process (slowly) of figuring this stuff out, it’s almost overwhelming to even know where to start!

  11. Excellent post, Kristen!

  12. You amaze me with your energy. I’m 81, so slower. Started with Rise of the Machines last summer, now blog on my website, learning Facebook & have Marcy’s book to try next. Will have to get back to WANA, then self-publish my memoir. Found an agent at the 2013 PNWA conference, who found a publisher, who turned me down after 4 months because they have no marketing clout in Seattle. (I live in NC andMaine.) All a bit of a learning curve for me. Someday hope to get back to actual writing.

  13. This is such an informational post with great advice. Thanks!

  14. Been using twitter for about a year. But this was informative, never heard of Tweetdeck or Hootsuite before.
    Thanks Kristin.

    • CMG on November 26, 2014 at 1:33 am
    • Reply

    Thanks for this awesome information. I was just telling someone that I didn’t think I was using Twitter to it’s full capacity. This helps a lot.

  15. Amazing advice…thank you very much, Kristin

  16. This is great info. I wish I was a Twitter natural, like some of my tweeting friends seem to be. I’m trying to get better, though and these are good tips!

  17. Thanks loads for this post! I realize I’ve not been utilising twitter to it’s fullest in terms of publicising my blog, basically because I have no idea how to use it! So I’ve found tweeting such a pain in the ass with the really unorganised feed and such… But this post is really helpful!

    Anna x
    annasusanne.wordpress.com

  18. Love love love this post! Thank you for the insight. Very grateful for smart & savvy blogging like you!

  19. Reblogged this on A Way of Life: Faith, Family, Fitness & Health.

    • rod on November 27, 2014 at 4:00 am
    • Reply

    This was useful. Given a year or two I shall have caught up with it.

    • Michelle Twin Mum on November 27, 2014 at 8:50 am
    • Reply

    Great tips for beginners, despite using twitter for quite some time, I’ve still never created any lists so that is on my hit-list for December. Thanks, Mich x

  20. This is really helpful and full of sound and sage advice. Thank you.

  21. These are some great tips! I’m so glad that I didn’t connect my FB and twitter.

  22. Reblogged this on The Krystol Meth(od) and commented:
    These are some GREAT tips. Writers, please check it out!

  23. Well, you’re a lot further than I am. I told myself I was going to do NaNo this year and, of course, I didn’t. I am a direct descendent of Ima Procrastinator, so that may or may not have something to do with it.

    I love Twitter and I’m just starting to get the hang of the lists, which is a great feature, so I was glad to see this post. Thank you, this sounds like great advice. 🙂

  24. Reblogged this on Marknadsföring and commented:
    Intressant inlägg om hur man effektivt använder Twitter!

  25. Reblogged this on Ivy Moon Press and commented:
    Really helpful information on how to use Twitter effectively and properly.

  26. Reblogged this on cicampbellblog and commented:
    I haven’t really sussed how to use Twitter to best advantage, so was delighted to see this post, which I’m sure is going to help me make sense of it all. Thank you, Kristen Lamb.

  27. Reblogged this on Lace Winter and commented:
    I’m still pretty much a neophyte when it comes to Twitter, but already I’ve been able to recognize many of the behaviors that Kristen Lamb writes about in her fantastic book ‘Rise of the Machines’ (http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Machines-Human-Authors-Digital-ebook/dp/B00DP7II4A) (haven’t finished yet, but already can highly recommend), and which her guest Marcy Kennedy writes about here, in this post. I hope I haven’t been too guilty of them myself! Whether it’s constant spamming of the same post, or constant mindless retweeting, or spamming Facebook with dozens of Twitter retweets… Anyway, there’s a lot of it going on, and it definitely turns me off, so I’m sure it does others, too. Read on, for Marcy’s words of wisdom on the subject.

  28. Reblogged this on theowlladyblog.

  29. I have a question about Lists. I’ve heard of people setting up smaller lists within their twitter, and focusing (ie. only reading those)…so then what is the point of following all the other people? You could have 1,000 people following you but if only 10 of them are actually reading you, what’s the point?

  30. I wish I could spend more time on the Marketing of my book – and I have to admit Twitter wasn’t my first thought… but it still seems to hold some surprises…

  31. Reblogged this on TheKingsKidChronicles and commented:
    Important information worth repeating. Originally posted on warriorwriters.wordpress.com in Nov. 2014.

  32. Reblogged this on belleessenceblogs.

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