This semester, we have explored multiple mediums of digital communication and social media. We have been given the opportunity not only to educate ourselves on mediums such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Pinterest and Parasite, but also actively engage with them through personal posts and interactions. However, when we sat as a class re-capping our experiences, we collectively discussed the distance and unfamiliarity we still felt from Twitter. Despite the fact that its 140-character limit platform appears to be sheepishly simple, there is a great deal of pressure that accompanies the average Tweet. So, I have taken the liberty of doing some research on what qualifies as a strong Twitter account.
Variety: Despite this sounding as though it contradicts the importance of consistency, what variety means in this context is variety of content, rather than variety of topic. For example, posting photos, links from various sources, individual thoughts and opinions, retweets, interactive conversations, podcasts, endorsing brands, asking questions, and so forth are just a few of the ways that individuals can create variety within their posts. This is pivotal in keeping one’s followers interested.
Constantly checking @mentions: Monitoring Twitter regularly is important not only to stay up to date on what is being shared and discussed, but also to allow yourself to engage in social media conversations. Not only can you check in to see who is mentioning you, but in doing so you will find who wants to start a conversation with you and in turn, who you may want to start a conversation with. It is important not to let a full 24 hours pass from the time someone sends them an @mention to the time that they respond, “whether they’re an individual or a business running a customer service Twitter account.”
Updating who they follow: It is key to pay attention to who you follow, and to ensure that one is not simply following everyone who followed them. Helpful applications such as “Who Unfollowed ME” and “Manage Flitter” allow users to determine if they are losing followers or not and why, and in turn allows you to unfollow those who have unfollowed you. Check your “list” regularly to ensure that your followers are still relevant and that your ratio is balanced.
Monitoring their links: As mentioned earlier, when maintaining variety on your Twitter account, a key component of that is regularly sharing links. However, one must ensure that the links are effective, and take users directly to where you want them to go. In order to stay within your 140 character count, you can use a service such as bit.ly or HootSuite’s ow.ly to shorten every single link that you send out. They crunch the links down as well as track them. This way, you can utilize these programs to monitor who is sharing your content, how frequently it’s being retweeted, the time of day that your content gets shared most, and more.
Sparsehashtagging: “Hashtag stuffing is a big no-no.” One should only use a hashtag when it is relevant to the content of your tweet and especially when it will add additional meaning to your tweet, either through the hashtag itself or the tweets the hashtag will be linked to. The rule of thumb is to include only one or two per tweet.
After this helpful 10-step lesson, I myself feel much better equipped to take on the Twitter scene. Watch out Twitter, here I come!
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