Why you shouldn't IGNORE TWITTER - hmm, a great title considering how far behind I am with my own Twitter accounts. 😛 lol.
(No worries, I'll catch up! I always do...)
This is a great topic for the week though, as Twitter Power 3.0 was just unleashed on the world today... and it's making a HUGE splash!
So let's talk about Twitter.
In more than 140 characters, even. 😉
What I'm going to say might offend you, hurt your feelings, make you think I'm a social media SNOB -- or it might just enlighten you and make a few light bulbs go off in your mind. Or all of the above! LOL...
"I Hate Twitter"
I had an interesting discussion on Facebook yesterday with someone who said that. She said, "I hate Twitter." It's not the first time I've heard that, or heard it about Facebook or Instagram or Google+ even - or just Social Media in general.
Everyone has their preferences, right?
That's totally fine.
Love what you love, don't what you don't.
Who Cares?!
I'll tell you the answer: YOU. That's it. You're the only one that cares whether you like Twitter or not - or anything else for that matter.
The fact is, your target market could care less about your preferences.
They don't care which platforms you like or dislike.
They just know if you're there, and they don't know you if you're not! It's your job - your duty, your obligation (as a market leader or publisher) - to meet your market where they are, and where they like to talk and find cool content.
If you're not there, you're content is not there to share!
YOU... are the only person your preferences are affecting.
And not in a good way...
I personally don't enjoy Instagram or Pinterest. I have zero "pinterest" at all in either of those platforms. My low carb market is all over both of them though - so really, what choice did I have?! None, that's what. I had to suck it up.
Hang on - let's backtrack for a second...
How DO you know WHERE your target market is hanging out online? How can you find out where they're talking, and what they are saying?
Fortunately there's a free source for that. 😀 It's called Tagboard.
All you have to do is go to Tagboard and type in any one of your main key words. I am a low carb blogger, so I'll type in one of my most popular hashtags - lowcarb:
A quick look at Tagboard shows you that my market LOVES Instagram. It's where they are. Why in the world was I not there?! Because I didn't like Instagram.
Well that's stupid. 😛
So what did I do? I hired a savvy young lady (that actually LIKES Instagram) to set up my accounts, and I paid her to "be me". (That's called outsourcing.)
I now maintain those accounts myself. It was worth every penny to get them kick started, though - because people don't leave their favorite platforms. They won't come to you... until they know you.
Does this mean I should ignore all other social platforms and focus strictly on Instagram and Pinterest? NO. It just made me realize that by giving in to my own preferences (my own dislikes), that I was missing out on a HUGE opportunity...
Twitter's Second Boom
Like it or not, Twitter is in a second boom, many thanks to mainstream media. You can't watch CNN without seeing a tweet or a hashtag. You can't watch a favorite show or sporting event without seeing hashtags on the screen.
The general public is tweeting, and reading tweets, and retweeting. They're already there, and primed by mainstream media. All you have to do is show up and jump in.
Consider that for a moment. How can you use that to your advantage? What shows is your target market watching on television? What media are they interacting with live, and what hashtags are they using to do it? How can you LEVERAGE that? Meaning: join the conversation, increase your exposure (not spam the discussion, lol).
Tip: Make a list of channels and shows relevant to your niche and research the hashtags and live discussions. Brainstorm ways to become "part of the conversation" in your niche! Again, the mainstream media is doing all the work for you. They are priming your market. All you have to do is SHOW UP.
"I find Twitter frustrating, and limiting!"
This is another common argument or dislike when it comes to using Twitter. I mean, how much can you really say in a Tweet?! A lot, actually...
Those limitations can really work in your favor. It allows you to be more meaningful in less words. It teaches you "quick copywriting" skills - which come in handy in other areas of your career - quick meets, elevator speeches, phone calls, etc.
Learning to "matter" in 140 characters or less is a cool thing.
Sometimes less is definitely more. Twitter teaches you how to edit yourself down to the message that matters most. How can you make the biggest impact in the fewest words? It's no different than meeting someone in line at Starbucks, getting a quick introduction to a big influencer, etc.
Learning to make BIG statements in a short sentence or two... is GOLD.
Twitter Power 3.0
Today marks the official release of the brand new Twitter Power 3.0 book by Joel Comm and Dave Taylor.
These two men aren't just brilliant, and both men that I consider personal friends, they are also two people who have TONS of experience building an audience online and marketing on the internet - successfully.
You may know one or both of them as "internet marketers", but their experience goes way beyond that...
Dave Taylor has the #1 attachment parenting blog on the internet. Joel Comm started WorldVillage.com back in the early 90's.
Dave and Joel both still actively work in their niches.
With the launch of Twitter Power 3.0 you can not only learn "how to dominate your market one tweet at a time", you can also get cool bonuses for grabbing this book - if you get it this week during the big launch.
One of the bonuses for getting this brand new book on Amazon is a professional Twitter Profile Design - a $97 value! NICE. 😀 You'll also get a guide on mastering LinkedIn - and more. I got a free review copy of Twitter Power 3.0, but I'm buying my own copy today... just for the awesome bonuses!
Go to: TwitterPower.com to learn more about it.
... and then spread the word. 😉 *cheers*
I think I've made the point on why you shouldn't ignore Twitter, like it or not. Or any other social platform for that matter. So if you're going to get out there and expand your business across the web - you might as well learn how to do it right.
Next, see: Why You Should Be A Social Media SNOB...
Best,
p.s. I would love to hear your thoughts on Twitter. Love it? Hate it? What is YOUR experience with Twitter? Leave a comment below - including any questions you have on how to best leverage Twitter for your business!
About Lynn Terry
Twitter is probably my favourite social network. I never used it until I started working online 5 years ago and once I joined up I was hooked. I have a personal account which I use for one of my blogs and I have a business account. I've noticed less action on Twitter in the past year although I haven't changed much on how I use it. I feel like maybe people are spending more time elsewhere like on Pinterest and Instagram. Twitter has changed a lot over the years and I assume because it's trying to compete with all the other networks. I do spend the most time on Twitter and it's where I get the majority of my traffic from. I've met lots of wonderful people on Twitter and have built relationships with quite a few people. It's a very powerful tool, and everyone should be using it.
I agree, it's definitely a powerful tool! The use varies by market. I notice that the market leaders in my niche use Twitter and Facebook more heavily, but the consumers are using Pinterest and Instagram more.
Even then, some of them have personal preferences - many of my Facebook Group members complain about how hard Pinterest is to use, while others "live" on it. I've made it a point to share my content across all of the platforms equally to serve my market - outside of my Facebook Group of course, which takes the majority of my social time.
I hate Twitter too! But I understand what you are saying about being on a platform if your audience is there 🙂 I'm definitely going to check out Tagboard!
The great thing about Tagboard is that you can use it to seek out micro-topics too, so you can find people who are talking about the same topics. Going by your recent updates for example:
https://tagboard.com/eastercraft/search
Or: https://tagboard.com/declutter/search
You can also search directly on Twitter, which is ideal. Right after you post a topical update - find other people talking about that topic and get involved in those discussions. 😉 When they check out your profile summary (click on your username) the last link or update they'll see is relevant to that conversation. Bingo!
I've never been a big tweeter and apart from Pinterest I've been a bit slack on all my social platforms (yes guilty as charged). BUT the past week or so I've been reevaluating my whole strategy and realize how important it is for me to be everywhere so I've been making twitter lists and will slowly pick up the speed.
I agree though, before the general public weren't on twitter but now every TV show asks for tweets. So no excuses to leave it out right?! They are there so we need to be there too 🙂
Twitter is such a great place to connect with the brands, bloggers and market leaders - or it has been for my own food/health blog. So I think you'll get a lot out of your time there! 😉
I recall about 8 years ago, John Reese and Mike Koenigs saying that you really need to be 'everywhere'. Have your reach expand as far as possible, so you're truly exposing yourself on all the platforms.
I agree with that BUT... only if you have the funds to outsource people to keep that vast exposure and interaction active and consistent. I highly doubt the average Joe has the money to afford themselves that luxury. Otherwise, the average Joe simply doesn't have enough hours in the day to maintain their presence on multiple venues, all the while connecting, interacting and/or providing value.
With that being said, I actually lean toward what a few expert social media pros proclaim - "Don't go wide, go deep." I MUCH prefer that methodology - in spades. I think if you can't afford to outsource to 3, 4 5 platforms, stick with just a couple or so. You then have the time and energy to truly give value to your audience and interact with them more personally and build quality relationships.
I can't imagine doing that if I was trying to manage G+, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin. Yikes! My niche is very visually oriented, so I only use YouTube and Pinterest, but will consider stretching out to Instagram if time allows. I think 3 max is a nice comfy number. 🙂
You make some great points, Mark. I do make it a point to update all of my social profiles almost daily, but I tend to "go deep" more on Facebook than the others - due to my growing and super active Facebook Group there.
That said, I can't ignore the distinct benefits of each of the other social platforms, so I make it a point to share my content there too - along with fun updates - and simply focus on keeping up with the notifications (responses / connections).
The outsourcing of social marketing isn't very expensive, especially if you have a very clear objective on each, and done right it will pay back well over what you invest.
Time is definitely an issue though. The thing that helps me most is the use of Time Blocks, and not wasting time on the activities that produce the least results - but rather focusing on quality connections and on serving my market on those platforms.
Thanks for reply Terry and you have very valid points on all fronts.Y
Yes, indeed, it's wise to go the places where they have their own distinct benefits related to your own market. I do however, respectfully feel the term 'not expensive' is very relative. It really depends on the person and their budget. A Starbucks coffee might not that be that much to somebody, but may very well be to others.
But yes, if you DO have the means and can stretch out your budget, the returns you may gain may very well indeed pay off greatly in the long run. I totally agree for sure!
Good points Terry, and thank you again for taking the time to respond. 🙂
Mark
It's simply a matter of turning it into an investment, vs an expense. 😉 That said, I am not currently outsourcing any of my social media (though I will be again in the very near future) and I do not use ANY automation either. So it can definitely be done!
Yes indeed, it should be considered an 'investment'.
Thanks for the link Terry!
Have a great weekend. 🙂
Just ordered the book Lynn. 🙂
Been looking for some Twitter training for a while now.
Thanks for the recommendation. Looking forward to checking it out.
Kerry
I love Twitter! I've been on it for years and have used it to reach people I couldn't have any other away and have even made some money on the platform along the way. For a while I started to fall out of love with it, when I was following too many people, but then I simply started utilising lists and unfollowing accounts that were no longer relevant. Looking to get started with advertising on there too now so picked up the book and plan on documenting my adventures online!
Hi Lynn,
I love twitter since I am not using regularly but I am tring to manage my schedule and to be regular. You are absolutely right doesn't matter what we like or not. We have to go every where for our audience. How can we ignore a platform if our audience exist there.
Regards,
Jyoti