It’s no secret ― social media is a powerful tool and can help you build your brand and get hired. It can also get you fired, but that’s a story for another post.
I’ve used Twitter to get noticed on more than one occasion, in fact, it’s the way I was able to appear as a guest on TODAY in 2011, without a publicist and without a reel.
How did I do that? Well, I tweeted, a lot. And no, I didn’t tweet what I was having for lunch or a slew of selfies.
As a social media strategist and content creator, I spend much of my day thinking about content and how to make it pop. Back in the day, it was easy to get noticed ― there were a lot of people talking about nonsense so when you added value to the conversation, it was quickly picked up. Nowadays everyone is a publisher and the “noise” on social is much greater.
How do you break through? Here are 5 ways I’ve gotten noticed on Twitter and tips I’ve shared with clients to grow their followings, get verified and so much more.
Find Your Five
Five is clearly one of my favorite numbers, but there’s a reason for that. Did you know that primary numbers - 1, 3, 5, 7, 11 - do better in titles and articles? If you truly think about it, it makes sense. Five, the number of fingers on your hand, is the best way to count something down and to help you remember key facts.
Why does this matter? Because your five need to be easily remembered, especially when you’re on-the-go.
Your Five refers to five people, brands or celebrities who you think are crushing it on Twitter. Maybe they get tons of re-tweets, maybe they’re sharing a fun content series that you relate to, or maybe, quite simply, their feed is #onfleek. Whatever it is about them that draws you to them, add them to your five. This list of individuals should be checked daily, and, in the very beginning of your Twitter journey, multiple times per day.
Find people who are your peers, at a mentor level and in a totally different field. This will allow you to see what works and then transform it, using a hook that is unique to you and your brand.
Pick Your Content Buckets
Content buckets may sound intimidating, but they’re really not. Once you’ve identified your five, you can start to think about what topics YOU want to cover and use Your Five as inspiration. Do not copy anyone directly, ever, but there are some things that everyone does to get noticed on Twitter.
For example, each and every Wednesday, #WednesdayWisdom is a trending topic. Are you an expert? Can you share some words of wisdom? If you’re trying to get noticed for a product or as a possible employee, it may be best to use this content bucket as a way to engage with decision makers in your chosen field. If you’re a writer, guest-blogger or author, this is the best way to share your unique words of wisdom with a broader audience.
Tweet, Tweet!
If you’re on twitter but not tweeting, does anyone know you’re out there? Of course not!
If you’re simply lurking on Twitter, it will be very hard ― if not impossible! ― to get noticed.
I know you’re probably thinking “but, Vix, how many times do a tweet? And when do I do it? And who do I tweet at? Do we even do that anymore?” All of these questions are correct and I know, as I’ve heard from clients, colleagues and friends, Twitter can be quite intimidating at times.
How do you streamline it? Don’t think about it in terms of x amount of posts, but more so in terms of x hours of engagement. What do I mean? Block 1-2 hours per day on your calendar to be on Twitter. Nothing else, just “be” on Twitter. Follow Your Five, figure out how they connect with their audience, read articles, check out Twitter chats and get a sense of what’s happening. And then, start to add your own opinion and personal flair. Stay away from topics that could get you into a troll war and focus on positive commentary on topics that are in, and around, your area of expertise.
Once you’re ready, join Twitter chats and jump in on on-going conversations. The best part about Twitter is that it is truly the party that keeps on going and going so there’s no limit to what you can do!
Guest Blog to Grow Your Following
Guest blogging is a great way to get noticed on Twitter. The publication will, usually, tweet your article with a tag of your handle which will alert their audience to your presence. This is prime time to engage. Make sure you’re RT-ing and answering anyone who re-shares your guest posts.
What if you haven’t been asked to guest post just yet? Or if you haven’t blogged ever? Well, start blogging? Tumblr, RebelMouse and Wordpress are a few great ways to get started witlittle-to-no-codingng knowledge. Find blogs, like The Snug, that take user generated content and share your knowledge with them.
Get started writing any way you can ― it not only gives you content for Twitter, it also allows you to have content to share AND increases your SEO rankings.
Curate Great Content
Let’s say you’re not ready to guest blog just yet. Instead, you can start curating sources and sharing those articles with your audience.
How can you be a great curator? Vet your sources! Share news articles from reputable sources and find influencers in your content buckets who are engaged with their followers. Reputable blogs and influencers who are engaged are a treasure trove for content curators.
The best part about this? You can schedule these posts! Take advantage of using Buffer, Hootsuite and Post Planner to find content to curate and share.
Pocket is another great app to save articles as you’re reading them for future shares.
Other ways to get noticed include driving followers from Facebook to your Twitter profile via a link in a shared post, taking a photo of a popular tweet and sharing it with your Instagram followers and making sure that all references on the Web include a link to your Twitter profile.
Remember, getting noticed on Twitter is about consistency, great content and community. Take the time to connect and you’ll be surprised with the results.
Have questions? Tweet me! @vixinthecity. I can’t wait to talk to you.