How to Tweet Like a Pro

I had an interesting discussion with a colleague earlier today (that's you @CT_Will). We were talking about Twitter and its uses and how it would factor into an evolving social media strategy the company I work for is fostering. The discussion took a bit of a turn when he mentioned how he, though using Twitter admirably for a few days while he attended a recent conference, invariably was having trouble getting back into the swing of things without the “in your face” subject matter that one finds at conferences.

Now, I’m no expert on Twitter or its uses and I will never claim to be. However, as we progressed through our conversation a interesting strategy emerged, one that I figured I’d toss out there to see what others thought.

1. Don’t try and sound intelligent. I struggle with this every time I post a blog or send an update to Twitter or Facebook, much less whenever I open my mouth to speak. I read a lot of blogs, and I’m just beginning to start building my own portfolio of Twitterati, so it’s very difficult for me to NOT try and sound like so many others. There are a TON of interesting and highly intelligent people out there, but trying to emulate them is dangerous as too often you can talk yourself into a corner. For example, I once referenced Zoroastrianism in a blog post, but I’ll be damned if I know what it is. If anyone had called me on it I would have been at a complete and utter loss. The lesson? Being fake or feigning knowledge and understanding of a subject can instantly ruin any hope of credibility or authority on that subject, and possibly on any subject thereafter. Therefore, speak what’s on your mind, speak of what you know, and understand (and maybe even identify) your limitations.

2. Personality is important. I follow people I wouldn’t know from Adam, and I follow people I know very well. What’s surprising is how the people I know go about sending out updates (pardon the digression here, but I'll use "update" instead of "tweet" from here on in as...well...using "tweet" just makes me feel uncomfortable for some reason). Some send updates just as if they were bumping into you in the break room – they are very personable, very believable, and very much being themselves. Others are robotic and unemotional in their updates, but face-to-face are entirely the opposite. I tend to prefer following and reading people in the first category. Be yourself, express yourself, and let people get to know you. Besides, some day you may meet one of the people following you in person. Being yourself in your updates means there’s no second guessing or disappointment once the conversation with that person ends.

3. Try and find the angles. This is a tough one, especially considering I advise trying NOT to sound intelligent as my very first tip. As many of us want to follow and be followed by others in the Twitterverse, you need to try and find an angle if you're posting about a news item, a new product launch (unless it's your own product), or some tidbit you read on Techcrunch (or TMZ for that matter). Unless you want to keep your circle of followers confined to friends and family, much of what you might say is being said by thousands of others. To use my colleague as an example, one of the updates he sent from that conference he attended was about how Microsoft just announced the release of Internet Explorer 8. Well, that's cool and all, but he was at a Microsoft conference surrounded by Microsoft employees, tech bloggers, media outlets and other member of the technology intelligentsia - that topic was covered by all of them. Instead, I suggested he should have sent an update about a feature of IE8 that appealed to him, maybe the "compatibility mode" it has, or it's greater support of internet standards. An angle on a well-covered topic can be your voice in the wilderness. It doesn't necessarily have to be intelligent, but it should be unique. Heck, sometimes if it's just to the left of intelligent it gets more notice.

4. Keep a handle on your links. Someone who recently started following me mentioned in one of his updates that he thought Twitter should set a limit to the frequency of updates one could send out that contained links. I’m actually on the fence on that thought: on the one hand I send out  links to articles and clips that I find informational and intelligent (with some nonsense thrown in for good measure), and sometimes those come fast and furious. On the other hand too many links, much less links in every update you send, can seem forced, almost like you're trying too hard. Have you ever been to a party and there was the one guest that was just a bit too excitable, maybe dressed just a bit too stylishly, that was laughing at every joke like it was the funniest thing they'd ever heard and that was always around and involved in every conversation whether invited into it or not? Please understand that you do not have to be that guest. Try and strike a good balance between your thoughts and ideas, questions and observations, and links to the good stuff you find as you go about your daily life. Maybe that balance is one in five, or maybe it's one in three. I don't know that there is a hard, fast rule for it, just try and use your best judgment, but don't try too hard.

5. Mix it up once in awhile. As I said above, I send out links to information that I think others will benefit from, but I also like to send links to less professional items. Nothing smutty mind you, but YouTube clips, cartoons and jokes, song lyrics, and more mundane things like the occasional non-sequitur: “I like pie!” I’d suggest trying not to be too stodgy, too formal, too boring. Even the big guys like pie, and they’re not afraid to say so. So review #2, above, and don’t always post like you’re in a custom-tailored Armani suit when you’re actually in shorts, Birkenstocks and a tie dyed t-shirt.

In addition, adding in pictures or short videos can really set you apart. One thing I like about following Tony Hsieh from Zappos (@zappos) is the fact that he's not afraid to take a picture of the plate of food in front of him and send that out to the thousands that follow him. Is it kind of odd? Sure it is, but it is a change of pace from his normal updates, and it helps give a sense of  his personality and the way he goes about the day-to-day (see Tip #2).

6. Have fun with it. Probably the most important point to be made: while there are definite, serious benefits to using Twitter, that doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun with it. One blog I read has Twitter writing contests. This entails many different things like writing a short story in exactly…yes, EXACTLY…140 characters. There’s no reason you can’t do something similar with your followers. Besides, when you start having fun using Twitter you'll gain greater comfort with it.  Once you're comfortable with it you'll get a better understanding of how to use it more effectively for yourself, and maybe even for your business.

So, there you have it. Hopefully, this helps some people. As I said, I’m no expert, just a guy who is trying to find his way in the ever-changing world of media and communication. I’d really be interested to hear what others have to say…