I was recently
asked how tweets could be more effective in creating conversations and
attracting an audience of followers.
The best ways
I’ve discovered can be expressed by envisioning each of your tweets to contain
at least one of the following elements.
E ~ ENTERTAIN
Think about the
sensational headlines in the magazines in the checkout line. They are designed
to grab your attention, create a question in your mind on how they can do
that. We are pulled into a title or phrase that will make us laugh or
think. Remember that entertainment is subjective – in general, people’s
behavior is predictable, but keep in mind that attempting to entertain your
twitter community with humor can land on deaf ears if not completely fall flat
on one’s face. If your tweet needs to be explained than that joke or
message will be lost to all, but a few who are on the exact same page as you
are. Think bigger audience – share: videos – music, comedy from
professionals, emotional stories that touch our hearts, messages that make us
think. Kids and pets are always huge hits and you’re encouraged to share them,
if they are in alignment with your twitter strategy.
E ~ EDUCATE
When we stop
learning we begin to die.
Imagine Twitter
as the town square of centuries long ago when people would gather and share
their stories of success, survival, and lessons learned from mistakes,
etc. Shift the focus to serving others and bring them tweets that educate
them in areas they are interested in to improve their lives. Keep in mind
that ‘educating’ tweets about your products is not what we are talking about
here. There will be plenty of opportunities to share your products after
you’ve established trust and rapport with your Twitter community. Share
third party articles that will educate and at the same time establish you as an
expert in your niche. When your tweople begin to see you as a valued source of
information then bring them something new to consider, and after creating these
relationships sharing your recommended products, it will be easier.
E ~ ENHANCE THEIR LIVES
We want to
share tweets that enhance the lives of our community that have absolutely
nothing to do with them getting better by buying something from us.
You’re probably by now seeing a theme of putting their needs first. Zig
Ziglar’s great quote best explains this – “You can get anything your want in
life by first helping others get what they want.” The
Entertainment & Education Tweets mentioned above are great ways to Enhance
your community’s lives, but there is more you can do. Motivational and
inspirational quotes are one of the most frequently ReTweet tweets because so
many people are looking for inspiration. Another Zig quote – People
often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing, that's why
we recommend it daily. Share Affirmations, Quotes, Keys for a Better
(fill in the blank with your branding opportunity).
E ~ ENGAGE
Share tweets
that Create Engagement.
Asking
questions that tweople are willing to share responses to is a great way to get
conversations started on Twitter. Some of the best questions I’ve seen
get tons of replies are general questions that do not pry too deep into
personal topics. Ex: What was your favorite concert? What was
your best vacation? How do you fix a problem? It will be good
practice to start by searching out and answering the questions of others.
When others begin to see your contributions, as helpful and honest, they will
be willing to follow you and begin engaging in your questions.
Effective
Tweeting is Easy, not always simple to shift your focus to looking for ways to
think how your audience is thinking and what problems they are looking to solve
in their lives. When we embrace these 4 E’s people will become attracted
to you and want to follow your account to see how you can continue to help them
– after all, we all get by with a little help from our friends.
Be helpful
& Happy Tweeting!
PS
To see the 4
E’s in action and have an opportunity to practice them in a safe environment,
join me at the #GaryLoperTwitterParty.
Now a twice a
month event: 1st Saturday of the Month beginning at
12 pm ET and 3rd Sunday starting at 8 pm ET. Stop by for
networking, relationship building, marketplace, and conversation, all in a
virtual Tweet up and Tweet Chat rolled into one three-hour party.