Twitter

 

Twitter is a social media platform that focuses on sending brief messages out into cyberspace. (Wow, that word dates me.) Twitter is a public forum for posts, conversations, news, pictures, and videos. Members can chat live through tweets (posts) and direct messages. Twitter is PUBLIC. Anything posted on the site—pictures, comments, videos—is available for anyone to read. It’s free on both desktop and mobile.

Using Twitter is easy. Create an account with a unique username. Add pictures to your profile and avatar. Make sure your description tells about you and your books. Tweeting is also easy, though you must learn to construct your messages in short bursts. Twitter still has a limit of 280 characters. But you’re a writer and can work with these limitations. Think Flash Fiction. If you have more to say, create a thread on Twitter by replying to your own posts. Find friends and new people through searching names, topics, or hashtags. Once you follow someone, their tweets will show up in your feed. On the app, there is a stream of tweets from people you follow in real-time. The more you follow, the more you see.

How will Twitter help me as an author?

Twitter seems to host more authors than readers. (Of course, authors are readers, too.) But you may not find the bulk of your audience here. So beware, as you tweet, you are talking to colleagues more than customers.

To get the best use of Twitter, learn the hashtags for your books and brand. Hashtags are words or phrases with a # sign before them with no spaces or punctuation. Example: #writingcommunity Hashtags allow users who might not follow you to find your tweet through the common interest of your hashtag. These tags are part of your 280 characters so use them wisely. I find using tags such as #amwriting #authorlife #writerproblems help others find me on Twitter.

Like hashtags, you need to learn the language of Twitter. A tweet is a post. A retweet is reposting something someone else has tweeted. DMs are direct messages. And mentions are when someone tags you in their post by using the @ sign with your screen name. If a topic popular with a certain hashtag, it can be trending. Click on the hashtag to see the tweets about the topic.

Be aware of Twitter’s etiquette. “Don’t spam” is the biggest rule to adhere to. That means do not run through and retweet someone’s entire stream of tweets. Also never direct message anyone with sales pitches or similar nonsense. Remember, these are more your peers than your readers. Also, if someone follows you, it’s nice to follow them back. In the past, people have made long lists of thank-yous when someone retweets them. This practice became old fast. But thank-you posts are sweet.

Tweets are forever… kinda. You can delete them but not edit. Be aware of your typos and missteps. Also, the lifespan of a tweet is very short. Expect thirty minutes before your tweet is lost in the shuffle. (It’s probably even less than that.) What does that mean? Time your tweets to best hit the audience you are aiming for. Lunchtime tweets are great as are 7 pm for older audiences. Also, get some friends/fellow writers to retweet your post. Retweets refresh the information, giving your post a longer life.

Tweets come fast and furious if you follow many others. (And you should follow other authors, publishers, agents, fan groups, etc.) Keeping track of tweets in the single feed on the app is tough. You can make lists within the app of users you follow. Several other apps that work with Twitter and allow you to divide up your follows into manageable chunks. I use Tweet Deck, and I have several columns of interests and users so I don’t miss a tweet. There are other supplemental apps to assist with Twitter, too. Search for your specific need to get the most from the app.

If tweets are short-lived and there are so many, how do authors use the platform effectively? Retweet others. Start conversations. Hashtag well and often. Put pictures/videos/GIFs in your tweets. Images catch the eye in this world of text. Use management tools to create a spectacular platform.

And guess what? This is just Twitter 101. There are tons of ways to use this app beyond just putting your words out there. As I mentioned, there are many apps to assist with marketing, follow trends, analytics, chat, and more. There are marketing trends, publishing trends, events such as PitMad.

Twitter is an excellent tool for your author tool belt.