My goal for twitter is to create interactions. This is a critical piece in putting the “Social” back into social media. I have been on twitter since 2008 and I have seen the ups and downs of chasing followers and listening to silence. Twitter was not designed for this empty self-promotion. Twitter was designed to be as a global “text message”, so let’s communicate!
There are three ways that I have found to improve interactions on twitter.
1. Post frequent and consistent—Posting frequently and consistently is the basics of “showing-up” on twitter. Are you going to continue to visit a friend who is never home? Of course not. So, show up on twitter to build relationships and interactions. The definition for “frequently” is different for different people. It could be once a day or once an hour. The main part of posting is to actually showing up and posting something.
2. Respond to others—Responding to others on twitter is a way to let the writer know that what was written was read. We all like to write something that people relate to, so respond! Sometimes responding is as simple as clicking on the link provided. Other times, you can click the “like” heart or “retweet” the tweet itself for others to read. Many times, I like to add my own interaction with the tweet before I retweet, so the author knows that I really did read it and I am not a robot. A final way to respond is to “reply” to the tweet. Use the reply to answer a question or offer support. It is a great way to increase interactions with other people on twitter. As you build relationships, the interactions will grow as well—just like in real life.
3. Participate in “Tweet Chats”—Participating in “Tweet chats” are a fun way to increase the interactions that you may have on twitter. This is not the time to market something, just like going to a party just enjoy the interactions. If people like you, they will look at your profile and get the information there. This is the time to simply interact with others over a common topic. My favorite time of the week is when I am on the #runchat tweet chat on Sunday nights. During this time, I am able to get to know other runners who enjoy talking about running. Many of these friends will continue to interact throughout the week as they are training for the races on the weekend. There many such tweet chat for many different hobbies and groups so google “Tweet chats” or “Twitter chats” and find one that you can relate to.
Interacting on twitter is a great way to meet new people and learn about the world around us. As a Christian, it is also a great way to share the gospel to people that may never know another Christian, much less make a Christian friend. Interacting on twitter is key to becoming more social active in our digital world.
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Feel free to interact with me on twitter!! @chaplainandrews
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