I had a friend call me the other day, to see if I could give her a quick Twitter tutorial. We talked about developing her strategy for Twitter. She’s a very smart marketer herself so I was surprised when she said after our conversation:
“Okay great, I’m going to be a voyeur for a few weeks and then I’ll start getting into it.”
To which I replied: “No, no, don’t wait, just start now! Find 10 people you want to get to know, and THAT will make Twitter more interesting for you.”
Almost everywhere I turn these days, people ask me how I got my followers, what do I say on Twitter and once you get through the sign up process and are staring at that blank update box:
How do you get started on Twitter?
Here below, are my 8 R’s for Twitter newbies:
1. Read.
Once you have your 10 people to follow who may be friends, peers, mentors, influencers or potential clients, you’ll now have an interesting Twitter feed to read. To best enjoy Twitter, pick people who are tweeting often so you can see how they interact online. Most likely these people are sharing valuable information, so read the articles they share.
2. Re-tweet.
To get your feet wet if you can’t figure out what to say, simply re-tweet what you just read even if you only have one follower! The person whose article you just shared may see this and perhaps thank you for it (I personally try to thank as many people as I can who RT my stuff). If you can, add a thought or phrase in addition to the RT. Even something like “love how you think”, or “I like your point #5” can spur a conversation. And isn’t that the point?
3. Relate.
This is the biggie and where I spend the most time. People also use the terms engage, build community and so forth. At the end of the day, it’s about relating as one person to another.
Building relationships online is just like building relationships offline.
If someone does something nice for you, thank them.
If someone asks a question and you can help, answer them.
If someone shares something that solved your problem, acknowledge them.
If you can connect people who need to meet, introduce them.
And so on. And no, this doesn’t always happen over public tweets. Some of my most interesting conversations happen in DMs (direct messages), which then cross over into email, and then if we want to take it further, we do a Skype video call, or if we’re in the same city, we meet in person.
As an entrepreneur who sometimes lives in two countries, and an island, online networking has served me well. Twitter is a tool I use to meet people I wouldn’t otherwise have the pleasure of meeting. And it has made my world a lot more colorful and creative.
4. Rejoice.
Now this is one place where it can be better online, than in real life! If you have a happy event – your book comes out a bestseller, you land a new client, your son finishes first in a race – on social networks, people you may not know congratulate you and rejoice with you. In a real-life networking event, it would be a bit strange to get on stage and make such announcements right?
It’s also about attitude. I rarely rant or share my frustrations. Of course I have them, we all do, but I choose to have a positive presence online. If all you did was complain “woe is me” and cut people down with nasty blog comments – do you really think that would win you over clients? Sharing your opinion and being authentic is one thing, being argumentative and having a negative vibe is another. Take the high road whenever you can.
5. Research.
You’re on social networks because of business, right? Then it’s also great for research and seeing what people are saying about you, your company, products or services, your competitors, your customers, your industry. When I first started on Twitter two years ago, it was great to answer the questions I had about blogging, autoresponders, creating infoproducts like ebooks, webinars and the like. I learned so much from those I followed, and I got so many ideas from those on my Twitter stream. All in real time, all for free.
6. Relax.
For goodness sake’s. Just use your common sense (don’t drink and tweet!) and don’t feel like every tweet you issue has to have thought leadership. Doing so just makes you look like a robot, or a very uptight, high-fallutin person… which I know you are not. If you’re still stuck, check out 15 types of tweets to get you started.
7. and 8. Rinse and Repeat.
Yup, just like washing your hair, day in and day out. You get to start over and every day you have the possibility of having a great-hair day. Again, like networking in real-life, it takes showing up and being consistent. It takes giving as well as receiving. And it takes time and patience to build lasting relationships.
I’ve been on Twitter for two years now, and I’ve often heard the description of social networking sites as getting “friends with benefits.” I like to think that I came on Twitter for the business benefits and I’ve also come out with some great friends.
Which of these tips did you find more helpful? Can you think of other tips for those who are just starting out on Twitter?
Share your thoughts in the comments below. Or, if you prefer, @ me on Twitter or post a comment on Facebook.
Image by Rosaura Ochoa
Elena is founder of a technology PR agency that works with startups to billion-dollar companies. She is passionate about helping marketers and small business owners with practical publicity strategies.
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Great post! Thanks for providing the perfect response for my friends who have the same questions. Esp like #4 taking the high road & #6 Relax!
Thanks for this amazing post. I particularly love number 3, I know a lot of people who simply sign up on twitter and expect the whole world to follow them without them doing much effort to create a fan/friends base.They don’t see the socializing part to twitter:S
Wez Bailey´s last [type] ..How Your Tax Code Deals With Other Income
You’re so welcome! As someone just reminded me, common sense is not so common!
Thanks for stopping by Angela and Wez! See you on Twitter!
Nice and interesting topic.I am new on twitter and this topic helps me alot.
Point #3 (Relate) is a good advice for building a good relationship.
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Thanks for the great tips! I am still trying to understand the best ways to utilize Twitter and your article gave me some great suggestions. I also like #3…it shows how important is to be polite both online and offline as we network.
Absolutely! It’s all about relating to each other as people first and foremost – not companies or logos. When you think of it that way then you realize networking online can be similar to networking in real life. thanks for stopping by.
Love it! This is a simple-to-follow guide for getting a good network started. Thanks!
I like number 6 best – I encourage my friends to become active tweeters, but they are stymied by what to say, despite being intelligent business women! So I will remind them to exhale, relax and dive in, the less robotic the better.
Thanks Deanna. That’s exactly the point, just relax and talk to people like you normally would
Most of us are tweeting for business, so there is definitely a strategy to that but whether online or offline, people want to work with people they know, like and trust. Sharing some of your “real” personality is what helps people to connect to you.
An out’n'out great post, help for newbie. Love those points and the thought. Thanks for sharing, love to see more from you. Regards,
This is a really great article! I think the two most difficult things that I had to do (and still have to worked on) were the RELATE and RESEARCH.
Thanks so much for your great post!
Also, the things that I forgot to do are the Relax and Rejoice.
Thanks so much for your post, it has helped me a lot.
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Thank you Elena! Great resource to share with my friends who haven’t tweeted (yet!) Especially liked #3, Relate
~Sandy
[...] Elena’s blog is important for not only seasoned public relations professionals, but also people who are new to PR. Primarily this blog reaches out to those who own their own business, but regardless of that fact, her tips can be leveraged for anyone. Her thoughtful manner and insightful posts provide entertainment, as well as solid advice. Her post on April 12, 2011 identifies the 8 R’s of Twitter, which I have been able to use personally on my own account. “For goodness sake’s. Just use your common sense (don’t drink and tweet!)” [...]
Those are some awesome tips! I have been using Twitter more and more lately, I’ll try to keep those ideas on mind!
Hayley´s last [type] ..The Right Way To Find Your Singing Voice
Great post! I’m a newbie (couple of months now) and I was overwhelmed when I first started. But I’m getting the hang of it, although I did get listed in someone’s “raging retweeters” list. Oh well – haha. I especially like how you talk about just relaxing and diving in. I’m really enjoying twitter now.
I’m going to pass your post on. I think lots of people can benefit.
Elaine Sangiolo
Book Marketing Manager: Cathedral of Dreams and A Kingdom’s Possession
Booktrope Publishing
http://www.booktrope.com
http://www.booktropepublishing.com
@Inkdipped
[...] “The 8 R’s of Twitter for Newbies” by Elena Verlee (@ElenaVerlee) [...]
Thank you Elena for your article. Content was most helpful and my favorite was #3.
Courtesy has no boundaries, on line or off.
Pam Horton
http://callingtherealyou.blogspot.com/
http://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelahorton1
@PamGHorton
[...] The 8 R’s of Twitter for Newbies – You don’t have to be a pro to successfully manage your Twitter business account. The secret to this social media site is all in the R’s. Read, re-tweet, relate, rejoice, research, relax, and rinse and repeat. Once you read this article handling your social media will seem like a breeze! [...]