How to be Successful on Twitter

I get asked a lot, how can I increase my chances of being successful on Twitter? So I thought that I would write down what I consider to be the four most important things you can do on Twitter, which when done properly, will give you the greatest chances of success.

What do I mean by Success?

That in itself is an important question, as to each person, success can mean different things. So before you start on Twitter, I would suggest that you think through exactly what success may look like for you, and how you are going to go about measuring it.

Success, may mean more sales, more website traffic, more sign ups to your newsletter, more people to collaborate with, more PR about you or your company… It may mean a combination of the above, or simply may mean more people to talk to.. Thats 100% up to you..

I have broken down the 4 things to do to achieve success:-

1. Commitment - this means adding a good photo, perhaps adding a bespoke background, adding your website URL, and writing an interesting Bio. Try and differentiate yourself from so many others in the same line of work as you, and make sure that the Bio, contains keywords, so that others can find you.

2. Consistency - this means showing up each day, and tweeting. Whatever time is available, it is far more important to do a small amount each day, than doing loads 1 day, and then nothing for a week or so. Twitter is a long term thing, much like any forms of networking. Very little will be acheived in days, when thinking about Twitter, you really need to be thinking long term strategy, rather than quick fix win..

3. Be Interesting - this means what you are tweeting about.. Try and tweet 3 types of messages. Social chit chat, the sharing of: resources, links, tools, info, ideas, opinions, use of photos, being humorous, and adding value and the tweets that answer peeps questions, which demonstrates your knowledge, which in time will build your brand and credibility … aim for a nice balance.. too many of 1 category is not recommended….

4. Be interested - this means engaging with others. Adding value, answering questions, joining into conversations. Find conversation to enter into via http://search.twitter.com and then engage with those people where you can help, or have the ability to answer their issues. This is not about selling things.. It may well be that many of the answers, are on your website / blogsite.