If you've been following along, you will have already read my post on why social media sucks for bloggers and content producers and read my tips on how to make Instagram fun again and less sucky. But since you're here now, you're probably a Twitter lover like me. Yes, I love Twitter despite the title of this post.
Why Twitter Sucks for Bloggers and Content Producers
If you're like me then Twitter can be a huge time suck, whether you're actually using it productively or you're reading pointless dribble. But let's face it, is anyone really on Twitter anymore just to read other people's tweets or even talk? Hardly. The majority of people on Twitter now are business owners simply playing the social media game and posting crap about their product or they're some kind of content producer, a marketer or blogger, posting about their latest blog. Does anyone get much reach from Twitter anymore? I'm not talking about just retweets and hearts that the slightly more clever Tweeters use so that they're not just spouting on about their own stuff, I'm talking about real engagement.- When was the last time you had a real conversion on Twitter?
- When was the last time you made a great connection there, that you wouldn't have otherwise?
- When was the last time you scrolled through your feed with a majority of tweets that actually interested you?
When Twitter first started, this was what it was like. I remember it well. Birds were singing, it was a time of romance and joy. Not quite. But it was a heck of a lot better than it is now. Now it's a yawn. So what can we do about it?
Kids are using #SocialMedia the RIGHT way. Theyre using it to communicate. @TedRubin https://t.co/8l8BOnqAkC— Juntae DeLane (@JuntaeDeLane) February 15, 2016
How to make Twitter fun again for bloggers
Follow because you like their tweets
I make it a point to only follow Twitter accounts that you actually thoroughly enjoy and get a lot out of. You're probably not going to love everything a tweeter has to say but if you like the majority then that's good enough and frankly it's getting harder and harder to find accounts like that in my opinion. If you use Twitter partially for business or work then you may need to follow some accounts that you don't love but need to in order to connect with that Tweeter. I think that's fine so long as you have a good balance between the stuff you like and the accounts you have to follow otherwise it's simply not going to be fun. If you really need to follow a lot of accounts for work, then consider having a separate work account to do so. That way, your professional Twitter friends will probably follow back and enjoy your tweets more in return.Create lists
On the other hand, if you need to follow people that you'd prefer not to hear from on the daily and in your personal feed, consider creating separate lists of those your following. I don't use lists personally. Not yet anyway because I have a pretty specific niche (unlike my blog) for Twitter. If you follow me over there you've probably noticed I don't often post about my DIY projects, instead keeping those to IG, Facebook and Pinterest. Instead I mostly only talk about social media, blogging and content marketing over there. If you stick to a particular niche on Twitter then it's pretty safe to go without lists unless of course you want to follow different subjects without often posting on them yourself and adding it to your main feed. Use lists wisely though. I know a lot of people use lists to simply try and get followers when they're listed. Not exactly bad form but it does bring me to my next point...Don't follow for a follow
Not only will this method clog up your feed and fast, it's usually quite obvious to those you're targeting so the savvy and best tweeters likely won't follow back anyway. One of the worst Twitter offences is being someone that follows, unfollows, follows and unfollows again and again. It's annoying. Tweeters DO notice and they will be annoyed, I promise you that. And of course it means you're obsessed with numbers!Don't obsess over numbers
Social media is NOT a numbers game. At least not the way most people play it. Everyone cares if they're liked and everyone cares how many followers they have to a point. The problem is not getting obsessed or carried away with it. After all, they are simply vanity metrics. You can't honestly tell how much influence a tweeter has only by looking at their follower count. It's all about engagement numbers rather than followers. How many of your Twitter followers are you actually engaging with?Engage with your followers
Not just with your followers, engage with anyone you want. That's what Twitter is all about. Starting a conversation. If you're regularly talking to your followers then you're using Twitter correctly and to the benefit of your blog or business. If you're just posting aimlessly into the void, you're doing it wrong. You need to engage with your followers by talking to them. Not just yelling at your followers to click link after link.It's FAR more effective to use Twitter is as a one-to-one medium for growing relationships, not as an ad billboard. pic.twitter.com/t0eVga81jF— Jonathan Gunson (@JonathanGunson) February 7, 2016
Don't just post your own crap
If you're regularly sharing outside content to Twitter (let's face it that's basically all tweeters do now), then at the very least you need to share quality content that's not your own as well. You should go for a mix of at least 80% of links that aren't your own. 20% at most can be to your own content. Twitter shouldn't be used as a loudspeaker for your blog or business but as a tool to engage with your fans.
My top 10 tips for making Twitter not suck
- Follow because you actually want to
- Do not follow for a follow
- Don't obsess over your follower number
- Obsess over your engagement rate (if you need to play a numbers game)
- Talk, don't just post into the void
- Don't just post your own crap
- Post other people's crap too (make it high quality crap ha)
- Keep a ratio of at least 80% links to others content, 20% your own
- Keep your following list clean with accounts you love
- If it's getting too messy create lists or have a separate account for professional use
What do you think? Have I missed any reasons why Twitter sucks or any great tips to make Twitter fun again? And of course, if you're interested in blogging, social media, content marketing etc. be sure to follow me over there!
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