Clare,

I think that a modest following who actually care about you, is far more important than a massive following who only follow you because they connected to you using something like ‘Team Follow Back’ and don’t pay any attention to what you are saying.

Quality means more than numbers.

Wayne

Maybe the Big 6 needs to figure out a very different approach. I mean if it’s not working, then they need to change their ways. Otherwise, they’re like insane people doing the same things and expecting a different result.

Exoplanets and other geekery, you say? You can expect a new follower next time I’m on Twitter. 😉

To throw out some more examples: I tweet about writing, but I also tweet about knitting, science fiction and fantasy, books I’m reading, things I’ve noticed on my walks, and good blog posts or articles (often about writing, but not always). That’s when I’m not RTing or tweeting someone directly about a tweet they’ve made that resonates with me — all good ways to connect.

You can start watching a hashtag without tweeting right away — “listen” for a while, get a feel for the conversation, and when you have something to say, jump in (remember to use the hashtag in your tweet). I’ve never felt unwelcome doing this, and I’m “meeting” all kinds of cool people. #MyWANA is a good place to start. 🙂