Joana Rita
context, content and consistency are a fundamental part of building up a community.
you will need to define what you are going to talk about (content), you will have to plan ahead with evergreen content and an active presence (consistency) and you should listen to what people are saying and what's happening on the platform (context).
⚠️ this is an article I wrote for a specific twitter training I was asked to give. I will not have time to review it, so please forgive me in advance for any english mistakes.
https://twitter.com/JoanaRSSousa/status/1154447387487682560?s=20
define your purpose
ask yourself: what do I want to do on Twitter?
here are some options:
- to be a lurker and stay silent
- to be part of a community that already exists
- to create a community around a specific topic (for example, I created #twitterchatpt)
- to be recognised as an authority on a certain field of expertise
depending on your answer consider using a scheduling tool like tweetdeck to help you gain a consistent presence. warning: don’t rely ONLY on schedule tweets. define how much time you will spend daily on Twitter (it can be twice a week, for example).
https://twitter.com/JoanaRSSousa/status/1339644363484360707?s=20
listen and search
write down some lists:
- of the people you admire the most on your field of interest
- of the people that are your competitors
- of the people that you don’t admire but that are relevant to the topic you’re interested
search for those people on Twitter and create a Twitter list with their handles. you don’t have to follow them to know and read what they are tweeting about.
listening, searching and watching other communities is a great way to learn the “how to”. this was how I learned how to create my own twitter chat.
https://twitter.com/JoanaRSSousa/status/1207729239371517952?s=20
engage
define the # you’re interested about and do a search, now and then, for tweets with those #.
this is a great way to meet new people and to engage in conversations where you can add your 2 cents to. also, it can give you content to tweet about – use this tactic in a curator kind of way.
https://twitter.com/JoanaRSSousa/status/1210268510884179968?s=20
create your own #
having your specific # can be a great way to build a community around a topic. take a look at Madalyn Sklar’s work with #TwitterSmarter.
Madalyn had a podcast a few years ago, about Twitter and it turned out to be a twitter chat. now it’s more than that: it’s a symbol of a community that dedicates time to learn and share about Twitter (and marketing).
https://twitter.com/JoanaRSSousa/status/1339643058347008000?s=20
remember The Fab Four
context, content and consistency are a fundamental part of building up a community.
you will need to define what you are going to talk about (content), you will have to plan ahead with evergreen content and an active presence (consistency) and you should listen to what people are saying and what’s happening on the platform (context).
https://twitter.com/JoanaRSSousa/status/1189960459212017668?s=20
focus on quality over quantity
Aim for high-quality tweets. They help you understand your audience. It isn’t easy, though. It takes time and persistent effort to continuously post useful content that’ll entice your followers to respond and engage. The more quality tweets you post, the more conversations you’ll initiate with your community. (Madalyn Sklar’s blog)
I hope this article can help you jump in a community on twitter or to consider building a new one.
remember to have fun. let’s tweet & shout.