I have been using @djgreer on Twitter for a year or two, but this year I have made a concerted effort to use Twitter as a platform to:
- Let people know about my writing and thinking about Communication, Collaboration, and Business.
- As a way to connect with other thought leaders on the same subjects.
I have been successful on both counts. Readership of this blog is up. As I wrote in Connecting People, I have discovered many new people whose readings are challenging my thinking and several that I have personally connected with.
Here are some of the techniques that I have used to make Twitter work for me:
- Choose who you follow with a goal in mind. I try and follow people who write and share their experiences, especially as it relates to business, teams, and leadership.
- Carry on a conversation. Steady posts every day are better than a blast of posts once a week.
- Remember that Twitter is a stream of conversations. There is no point trying to keep up with them all. Just dip your toe in the stream flowing by and comment on what is happening in the moment.
- Choose tools that work for you. I find the Twitter app for the iPhone and iPad much more effective than the web interface. I can easily do a quick check of Twitter and make a comment in one or two minutes.
- Retweet postings that you find meaningful. I try and always include an additional comment when retweeting showing why I think the tweet is meaningful.
- Thank people who retweet your tweets.
Twitter is still new enough that many of us are still figuring it out. In my case, I’ve been able to effectively use the platform to achieve meaningful communication.
