Archive for September, 2009

You’re on Twitter and you’re active. That’s great. It does not, however, mean that you can abandon your blog for this brave new world of micro-blogging. Here’s why you need to keep your regular blog up and running.

First, you’re getting different audiences. Your blog is capable of generating search engine traffic in ways that your Tweets aren’t. You also probably have some RSS subscribers and daily readers who may not have an interest in Twitter. You can’t kiss a good chunk of your readership and potential traffic goodbye by quitting on your blog.

Second, your blog offers more flexibility. You can handle denser subject matter because you don’t have that 140 character limit to deal with. There are things you can address and statements you can make with a blog that just aren’t going to happen with Twitter.

Third, we know what blogging can do. We’re still learning what being an active Twitter user is capable of generating. You started blogging for a reason, right? That reason was based on evidence about what blogging can accomplish. Unless you know something the rest of us don’t, there’s no reason to think that Twitter is going to capture those same advantages.

Feel free to Tweet away, but don’t give up on your blog in the process.

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Twitter is a micro-blogging platform, right? Well, that must mean it’s really nothing more than a tiny blog.

Structurally, that’s true. Your Twitter URL does read a little like a tiny blog. It catalogs your Tweets chronologically and presents them that way. The similarities, however, end there.

Here are three reasons why Twitter use doesn’t really represent blogging.

First, there is a much-heightened level of interaction. As such, your Tweets are often part of a conversation, more so than being the kind of free-standing expositions that we associate with blog posts.

Second, the 140 character limitation really changes the game. This little blog post is around 200 words long. The character account is several times greater than that. 140 characters isn’t enough to do anything like what we’d usually consider blogging.

Third, the purpose of participation is slightly different. While the same goal may be in mind (increasing sales, branding, etc.), our objective for a single Tweet is usually going to be much different than our motivation for writing a single blog posts.

Yes, Twitter is micro-blogging. That doesn’t just mean it’s a smaller blog, though. The nature of the system really doesn’t bear much resemblance to blogging as we usually think of it.

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Many people don’t like the “personal” aspect of Twitter. They can see the advantage of creating a good social network for the sake of exchanging industry-relevant information, good links, etc., but they don’t really believe that those little “slice of life” Tweets are very valuable.

If that describes you, it might be time to adjust your thinking a little bit. They call it “social” networking for a reason. There really is a social aspect to the whole thing.

Twitter works because people want to make connections with other people. As such, a human component to your participation is actually going to make you more enjoyable to follow for many people. It also gives you a “flesh and blood” persona that is more magnetic than that of an automaton posting a series of links.

You don’t need to tell the world every random thought you’re having or to go into detail about the way that hole in your sock right above your big toe is bugging you.

However, it is a good idea to “round out” your self-portrait with some less professional and more personal Tweets. Let people get to know you. Be social!

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There are a few great ways to build your follower totals while you’re on Twitter. Creating great Tweets and following others come to mind. If you’re really looking to grow in the follower department, however, you need to take your game off the Twitter site.

Here are a few off-Twitter strategies you can use to promote your Twitter URL and to boost your follower count.

First, append your email signature to include your Twitter URL. Business contacts who participate in Twitter are likely to follow you and others may do likewise. This only takes a second and can make a big difference.

Second, make sure you include your Twitter URL in your forum signatures, if you participate in any forums. While you’re at it, add that URL to your profile, too.

Third, be certain that you’re indicating your Twitter involvement on all of your other web properties. That means you need to have your badge up on your blog AND on your static sites.

The more you can do to spread the word, the better. If you want to maximize your follower potential, take advantage of every opportunity you can.

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Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging tool. It doesn’t have an identity and it doesn’t have a personality. However, there is a prevailing set of norms that govern Twitter use. They’re created by the expectations of the user base.

If you’re just getting started with Twitter, it can be tough to develop a sense of the best way to use your newfound Tweeting power. There is a dominance Twitter culture and a “way of doing things”. Getting into the flow and learning the rhythm of the site isn’t always easy.

Here’s one way around the problem: Follow a few people with big follower bases and watch them for awhile. Learn how they use Twitter and recognize the techniques they use to be a real voice in the conversation.

If you watch a few of the “big boys” doing their thing, you’ll soon figure out how you might be able to use the site effectively in order to meet your online goals.

Learning from the best isn’t a new idea. It works, though. And it works very well when applied to learning the lay of the Twitter land.

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