Twitter = relationships and communities

I LOVE Twitter and the unlimited opportunities it offers to build relationships and communities.

I hate Tweets that say “300 followers in one day, follow this link xxxxxx” or “thousands of followers if you xxxxxxx”.

I do NOT want 300 or 1000 followers in one day or ten days.

I want to know the people who follow me and I want the people who follow me to know who I am.

Twitter is about building relationships – personal and professional.

Twitter is not a mass marketing toy to blast your message to thousands of unknown people and spam them all day – or it shouldn’t be in my opinion.

Twitter is an amazing way to connect to people. It is one of the best ways to find a community of people, regardless of geography, that have similar interests, goals, and dreams. It is a unique and wonderful way to support others and find the support you need. You have the equal opportunity (and obligation) to contribute to, and benefit from, this community.

There are no magic Twitter formulas to find followers, not if you are sincere about creating meaningful relationships with others.

Joining Twitter is like moving into a new neighborhood. It takes time to meet people, connect with people, figure out where all the best places to hang out are and to find your way around.

The more time and sincere effort you put into your Twitter experience the more you will get out of it.

Here are some Twitter Tips that can make your Twitter experience better, regardless if you are a newbie or old-school veteran:

1. First things first… Who are you? Post a bio, tell us a little about yourself-the important stuff. Where are you located? You don’t have to be exact, but give some idea of where in the world you are located. And, include a picture of yourself, it makes you real.
My Twitter ID: (@SandyDFromNJ)
My Bio: Writer, artist and entrepreneur using the written word to communicate, teach, share, and help heal the world, one word, one idea, one person at a time.
Location: Southern New Jersey

2. Next…What are your interests? What kind of communities are you interested in participating in? What do you want to know more about? What do you want to share? These answers will help you find people to follow. And, if you share some common interest, people will have a reason to follow you back.

People who follow me and people I follow – artists, writers, entrepreneurs, film makers, web designers, and other ‘creatives’; vegans and vegetarians and people interested in healthy, natural holistic living.

3. Don’t know who to follow? Pick a few people you find interesting and see who they are talking to. Click on their Twitter ID, read their Bio, read some of their Tweets and choose to follow or not.

4. Once you do start following people, remember it is about community and relationship building, it is about communication – two way communication.

*Share what you are doing.

*If you have a website or blog, share links to your site when you have something new or interesting to say.

*It’s okay to share links to your products and services, just don’t make this your only reason for being on Twitter.
(Think of it this way – if you were out with your friends and you were selling a new product, or teaching a new class, you’d probably excitedly share your good news with them, but this would not be the basis of your entire relationship, just a small part. It’s the same on Twitter.)

*ReTweet (RT) what others are doing and sharing-things you personally enjoyed or found interesting.

*Reply to someone, say hello, make a comment, ask a question. Be sincere, be interested in what the other person is doing, saying or sharing.

*Balance your Tweets – Sharing, ReTweeting and Replying

*Don’t crowd the airwaves. Space your Tweets. Don’t Tweet twenty times in two minutes.
(Twice I tried to follow and support an aspiring writer, but she Tweeted every 30-seconds, all day, about every single thing she was doing and thinking. You can only offer so much support. Unfortunately I had to ‘unfollow’ her – twice. Not all relationships work out.)

*It’s okay to un-follow people and people will un-follow you. There are over 2.5 million Twitter users. You can’t expect to connect with them all, nor would you want to.

*Block spammers, ‘nudies-xxx’, and other undesirables. If they are really bad, report them to Twitter.

I honestly believe that Twitter and other social networking sites like Facebook can play a huge role in developing relationships and communities that transcend traditional cultural, geographical and political boundaries. The opportunity to reach out and learn from one another in a supportive, open environment like Twitter is unlike anything we have ever seen.

Some people will vehemently disagree with me. They see Twitter and the other social networks as pools of fish to be caught, like giant marketing oceans. Well, good luck to them. I won’t be following them, and when I find them following me, I will block them.

What do you think?

To read more about the positive benefits of Twitter and how you can make the most of your experience these two articles may also be helpful:

Twitter Time Management Techniques
Are you in the Twitter Conversation?

To help you get started or improve your Twitter experience here are some interesting people you may want to follow. These are some of the people I have met and had recent conversations with on Twitter. (This list is not in any particular order, and my apologies to anyone I have been chatting with and forgot.)

@joblessmuse -
Bio: Passionate about creative self-employment & personal growth
Location: Las Vegas, NV

@kathymagrino -
Bio: I’m Kathy Magrino – a writer, marketing consultant and adjunct instructor in the comm/journalism dept. at Rider U. I own my own biz: The Write Way, LLC
Location: New Jersey

@heatherplett -
Bio: writer, photographer, creative thinker, artist, professional communicator, happy wanderer, domestically challenged mom
Location: Canada

@KirstenOlson -
Bio: I help multi-talented creatives get their act together.
Location: Missouri

@leahcreates -
Bio: heart-based creative handygirl. web and graphic designer. web developer. mixed-media artist. treehugger extraordinaire
Location: Portsmouth, NH

@TerriBelford -
Bio: I teach artists and aspiring entrepreneurs how to turn their passions into profits and make a difference in the world.
Location: Cambria, California

@Maureen318 -
Bio: Passionate entrepreneur, owner of Lyssabeth’s Wedding Officiants, traveler, author of Common Sense Courtesies blog, love to brainstorm and share ideas w/ others
Location: Denver, CO

@bizauthor -
Bio: Author, speaker, CEO of AuthorityPublishing.com. Love writing, reading, roller skating & classic rock. Ready to LEAP? (New book coming this September!)
Location: Sacramento, CA

@DirtyFootprints -
Bio: Artist, Art Educator, Yogini, Costa Rica Dreamer, Blogger living the Creative Juicy Life!
Location: Arizona

@pencilbugs -
Bio: Award-winning 13-year-old entrepreneur, creator of Pencil Bugs at age 9, donating to children’s hospitals, Forbes Top 10 list, writing book
Location: Temecula, CA

@jonathanfields -
Bio: Dad, husband, author of Career Renegade, entrepreneur, marketing maven, small biz & lifestyles blogger, Social Media Sponge
Location: NYC

@sallyaevans -
Bio: Mom, Wife, Creativity Coach, Jewelry Artist, Entrepreneur. Love creative expression and thinking, positive outlooks and good food!
Location: Denver Area

@artcetera -
Bio: Photographer. Artist. Blogger. Vanilla latte drinker
Location: Seattle, WA

@melhocking -
Bio: bohemian seeking freedom & set costumer
Location: las cruces, nm

@HSPCliff -
Bio: I’m an author/publisher who provides inspiration, information, and products specifically for Highly Sensitive People.
Location: NJ

@lgesin -
Bio: Mom, Educator, Social Media convert, Web/Flash Developer and World Traveler currently enjoying summer at the jersey shore & teaching animation
Location: New Jersey

The Dreaming Café’s newsletter ‘new friends’ section will also introduce you to new and interesting people, many of whom I have met on Twitter. If you are not a subscriber you can sign up here: Subscribe

What did you think of this article? Was it helpful? Do you have any Twitter Tips you’d like to share?
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