How infatuated are you with the number of people following you on Twitter?
I used to think my value in the Twittersphere was directly correlated with my Follow stats. WRONG! It’s extremely tempting to think you can become some sort of high-flying stud by commanding an audience of 10,000 or more…but first you must consider who makes up this audience.
For example, as of this posting I have over 2,500 people – I use the term ‘people’ loosely – receiving the messages that inspire me to hit ‘Update’ throughout the day. Nothing to sneeze at, right?
Well consider how many hundreds are spammy marketers, porn stars (not kidding), or college kids who think it’s fun to spread a virus Online (also not kidding).
What is our major malfunction thinking bigger is always better? When we make the decision to forsake quantity for quality, that’s thinking strategically.
Twitter Strategy – Lead, Follow, or Get out of the Way
Alright troops, the Follow-Happy contingent just stopped reading, so listen close and I’ll share some tips that help turn ideas into real life change Online and off:
- Be like Indiana Jones: Choose Wisely
Remember the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade? He had to choose the right chalice to drink from, and if he didn’t, he’d dissolve into a watery mess. Take your time learning about the awesome people who microblog and start pinging them (share something cool and they will respond).
- Shrink Twitter Down to Size!
One of my friends said yesterday that he gets really exasperated trying to categorize all his new followers into ‘groups’ and ‘lists’. I told him categorizing people doesn’t really bother me because I follow communities more than individuals (with a few exceptions).
Check it out for yourself, just track the conversations going on in your hometown and if that’s the extent of your Twitter use, good on ya! (Example: My community, Burlington, VT uses the #BTV hashtag).
- Don’t Get Caught Watching the Paint Dry…
This post is about Twitter Listeners, people who value your ideas enough to stop a tick to read them. You won’t develop any listeners just spewing out the same garbage as everyone else (OMG! Britney Spears just dropped her burrito at Taco Bell…[pic]).
Be different! Challenge friends and aspirational contacts of yours with bold ideas. Personally I respect the hell out of anyone who throws down the gauntlet with a juicy dare. Disclaimer: I have a short attention span.
These may seem like simple ideas not worthy of a Twitter pro like you, right? Hey, I follow these guidelines myself every single day. If you don’t have a plan for meeting new people and starting conversations with listeners as opposed to spammers, Twitter becomes a lonely place.
SMC Readers: Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to follow one new person today and start a conversation. About baseball. Or Scrabble. Topic doesn’t matter to me, just choose something that matters to you.
Commando Out.
Regroup after you have completed your mission by updating the Commando on Twitter.
Send an ‘@’ reply and he will respond!
