Advanced Twitter Tips for Writers #WriterWednesday #AmWriting #AuthorToolboxBlogHop
There’s no way around it – if you want to build a writer’s platform and cultivate relationships with your readers, you have to be on Twitter as part of your author toolbox. Although I didn’t really see the purpose in Twitter, I followed this advice and worked hard on building what I thought was a solid Twitter following with over 10,000 followers.
Like many busy authors, I used Twitter to project myself. I tweeted about my books, found articles I thought my followers would find interesting, and – every so often – did a search for funny or interesting tweets to retweet. Every once in a while – usually as part of my work on a re-tweet team – my tweets would gather some sort of following, but more often than not, I felt like my tweets were disappearing into that place where all Internet rubbish disappears to (please note: I’m not really sure where this is, but I hope never to go there).
What was I doing wrong? I was doing all the things I was supposed to do. *Stomps foot* Why wasn’t all that work having any results? The answer is actually quite simple: I wasn’t engaging with my audience. Despite liking and re-tweeting every once in a while, I was phoning it in and the twitterverse knew that. So, how does a writer truly engage with its audience?
Don’t just retweet. When you retweet someone’s blog post or tweet, add a comment. Twitter makes adding a comment quite easy:
Adding a comment, shows you are engaged with the content of the tweet. There are also a lot of book bloggers out there who refuse to follow twitter profiles that are largely made up of retweets. If you add a comment to a retweet, you avoid this problem as well.
Tweeting articles. I usually spend around an hour per day reading various articles to find content my followers will enjoy. If I just tweet those articles, nothing happens. I don’t know if anyone actually sees them, but no one certainly responds to them. Once I started adding my two cents and hashtags to the articles I was tweeting, then I started seeing responses. In the example below, I merely added the words: “LOVE this idea!!” and the hashtags #amreading and #library and ended up getting several re-tweets and likes.
Hashtags are your friends. For some reason, there are those on twitter who oppose hashtags. While I agree a tweet composed almost entirely of tweets making it nearly impossible to read is annoying, one or two hashtags should be included on every tweet you post. Without hashtags, your tweet is not searchable, and isn’t that a waste.
Time of day. This is a difficult one. Twitter is hopping twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, but a writer needs to sleep! The vast majority of my followers are in the US while I’m in Europe – a minimum of six hours ahead. If I only tweet when they’re sleeping, my twitter feed looks like the land of the lost. I use tweetdeck to ensure I have tweets being sent out in the hours when I’m sleeping (or just need a break!).
Really engage. This is the most important advice to follow but also the most difficult to do. How do you ‘really’ engage with followers? Isn’t it enough that I followed back and liked some tweets? I wish. The truth is you need to have conversations with other tweeters. I had two problems with this idea. First of all, I didn’t think anyone would want to read my comments. Who am I to them? I actually mentioned this to a fellow introverted blogger, and her answer was essentially: why wouldn’t they want to hear my comments? So, if you see a tweet that makes you laugh, tell the person who tweeted it. Have a comment? Go ahead – get it out there. You can always hide in your writer’s cave afterwards.
The second problem is the one we all have: time. There just isn’t enough time to engage with 10,000 followers every day. I solved this problem but spending time on twitter several times a day BUT for just a few minutes per time. By spreading the time around, I was able to engage with followers spread throughout different time zones. Limiting my time on twitter to a few minutes per time allows me to avoid being sucked into the social media black hole.
And what about you? How do you engage with others on twitter? Any other tips you have?
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This blog post is part of the #AuthorToolboxBlogHop. This is a monthly blog hop hosted by @raimeygallant. Make sure to stop by the other author blog posts in this month’s blog hop to fill up your author toolbox!
I do a lot of this. I probably don’t use the ‘retweet with comment’ function enough, though, and I should. I get on this Twitter high around nanowrimo when there are so many writers discussing everything, and pitchwars season is also a great time to interact with writers. But other than those seasons, I find that the main writerly hashtags, which used to be useful, are so overcrowded, and most people are posting on them but not searching on them and interacting with them anymore. Every so often, a new writerly hashtag pops up, and it’s good for a while, but then it, too, becomes overcrowded.
Yes, a lot tags are overused. The amount of times someone uses #mondayblogs for a non-blog tweet tends to make me scream
Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
Thanks!!!
As a shy sort of person, I came to commenting a bit late in the day, but very glad I found the courage to do it. Actually talking to people makes all the difference in the world, a bit like adding sugar to your coffee!
Agreed! Glad you found the courage
So am I. I’m writing better too, I think…
Yeah!
Great tips! I’ll definitely start adding my two cents to articles I tweet — I never thought of doing that before.
Thanks! And thanks for stopping by
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog.
Thanks 😊
Welcome 👍😃
Great tips: I really need to add comments more often when I re-tweet.
At the moment I mostly participate in writing prompt hashtag games, and run my own on Sunday to engage with others and share lines from my short stories.
There are also hashtag groups on Twitter you can join to chat to other like minded writers. I’m a member of #turtlewriters, where all of us who write more slowly than others come together to support each other. It’s a great community 🙂
I don’t think I qualify as a turtle but am not a hare either 😬
Reblogged this on Viv Drewa – The Owl Lady.
Great tips to share! Engagement is the key for sure. I also really enjoy it. Bonus! 🙂
I find it difficult but I’m trying
I struggle to get into Twitter. I guess I’ll add more comments to my retweets, though I had stopped doing that when I saw little to no engagement when I did. And I’ll try to be more active. Thanks for the tips!
I’ve struggled as well! Timing makes a difference as well as there’s just so much fodder on twitter. I haven’t figured out the timing part quite yet 🙁
Funny I can stand in front of a crowd and speak publicly and it’s no big deal. But I never–never–know what to say on social media and it’s very hard on the ego. 🙁
Anna from elements of emaginette
Same here.
Good points . Many I haven’t been good at following. I will definitely start commenting more on retweets.
I use a combination of Buffer, Hootsuite, and repins from Pinterest to populate my Twitter account. I like your idea of adding a comment. I seldom think to do that, assuming the headline in the original Tweet would be enough.
Thanks for your insight.
Thanks for stopping by
I struggle with twitter, so this was quite helpful. Thanks!
You’re welcome. Thanks for stopping by
I was doing a lot of this but am shamed to say I dropped off the social media sphere recently due to personal reasons. I will be using your amazing post and your advice as the much needed push I need to get back out there and start engaging again. Thanks for the advice and the push. 😉
You’re welcome! Hope it helps.
I think every author needs to be on Twitter. In fact, I wrote a blog post with something like that as the title. It’s not just about you/me as an author. It’s about readers as well.
Lots of readers and reviewers are on Twitter, and they will often Tweet their book reviews. If an author isn’t on Twitter, they miss out on that promotion and interaction. Let’s face it: retweeting someone else’s 5* review of your book provides social proof that no spammy ‘buy my book’ tweet will ever manage.
Like you, I’m not in the US, so I use Buffer and SocialJukebox to manage my tweets. I even have an #AuthorToolBoxBlogHop jukebox that sends out a couple of Hop posts every day (as many of you have noticed – I appreciate the Likes and Retweets).
I’ll check our SocialJukeBox
I’ve never noticed retweet with comment before. I’ll have to try that as I retweet a lot – including this post that I didn’t add a comment to. Now I know! Thanks for the tip.
Hope it helps!
Thanks for stopping by
Twitter and I have had our ups and downs. I do know, the personal touch works best with comments and interacting. I do wish I had more time and I do wish I wouldn’t freeze when I post something showcasing my life 🙂
Time is a HUGE issue.
Thanks for stopping by
Reblogged this on DSM Publications and commented:
Check out this helpful post with advanced twitter tips for writers from D.E. Haggerty’s blog.
Thank you!
You’re welcome.
Reblogged this on Angie Dokos.
Thanks!
Great post. I really need to start doing some of the things you mentioned.
I need to do more as well. Working on it
Such awesome and well written advice, thank you!
Thank you 😊 And thanks for stopping by
Good ideas!
Thanks! Hope it helps.