Having a Beginner Mindset on Twitter
When was the last time you did something for the first time? Could be today or perhaps a while ago. Regardless, we’re all familiar with the thrill that comes with doing something new and succeeding at it. That’s because when we do something we’re unfamiliar with, we challenge ourselves to have an open mind, learn, and apply what we’ve learned. The same principle applies in business too—having a beginner’s mindset can help you go from strength to strength.
Interesting isn’t it? That’s why we asked Jeremy Linaburg, a long-time #TwitterSmarter member and content strategist, to help us understand more about having a beginner’s mindset. Here’s a summary of our chat.
Guest: Jeremy Linaburg
Topic: Having a beginner mindset on Twitter
Format: Eight questions directed at the guest. Everyone’s welcome to share.
Q1: What do you mean by a beginner mindset?
A beginner mindset is the perspective you develop when you delve into something new, either within your industry or outside of it. You may or may not know some details about it already. However, even if you do know what you’re dealing with, having a beginner mindset helps you see things from a point of view you hadn’t seen before.
A1: A beginner mindset is the mindset that you have when you are starting something new in your life or industry. This could be some knowledge you already have or maybe none at all. #TwitterSmarter
— Jeremy Linaburg (@jeremy_linaburg) March 4, 2021
As Rhea pointed out, a beginner mindset is about accepting that you still have a lot to learn and experience new things.
A1. When you have a beginner mindset, you know that you have so much more learn and will take any experiences on board #TwitterSmarter
— Rhea Mathew (@rhea_mathew) March 4, 2021
Look at it like Steve. He considers it as resetting his mindset every day. That helps him to continue to learn.
A1: Every day, I have to "reset" and go into "curiosity mode". Helps me continuously learn new things and away from becoming an expert of nothing. #TwitterSmarter
— Steve Diaz (@sdiazca) March 4, 2021
Q2: How can a beginner mindset help you grow your network?
A beginner mindset eliminates any preconceived notions you may have about people and things. This is good because you enable others to be their authentic self, and give yourself a chance to form genuine impressions about them. When you have a beginner mindset, you don’t have any negativity sulking in the back of your mind.
A2: A beginner mindset is the best mindset to have because you don’t have any preconceived notions of anyone or anything. You are able to greet people with your arms wide open. You also have a thirst for knowledge which inspires you to reach out to new people. #TwitterSmarter
— Jeremy Linaburg (@jeremy_linaburg) March 4, 2021
When you don’t have negativity, as Yewande pointed out, you’ll realise that so many people on Twitter share incredible value and guidance. You’ll see the value of people you didn’t think are valuable to you.
A2: A lot of people here on Twitter are here to give value, share inspiration or educate so if you're willing to learn and engage (and not just stalk people's pages) your network will keep growing #twitterSmarter
— Yewande OLAMIJU (@YewandeOlamiju) March 4, 2021
Of course, as Jim reminded us, a beginner mindset is about approaching things as you are new to them. This means you’re always asking questions. Which is a good thing, because that helps you make more lasting connections with people who’re truly helpful.
A2 A beginner mindset is inquisitive. The more questions you ask, the more likely you'll generate replies and build engagements. #TwitterSmarter
— Jim Katzaman – Get Debt-Free One Family at a Time (@JKatzaman) March 4, 2021
Q3: Beginners make mistakes. How is that a good thing on Twitter?
Making mistakes is always a good thing. That’s how we learn what’s right and what’s not. If you don’t try two versions of your email subject line, you won’t know what works and what doesn’t. That’s why mistakes are important—as our guest said, what you take away from your mistakes defines you and your community.
A3(a): As with any mistakes you learn from them. Mistakes help you to better define your community as well as identify your areas of weakness. Mistakes a part of starting out! Without making mistakes how are we to learn? #TwitterSmarter
— Jeremy Linaburg (@jeremy_linaburg) March 4, 2021
And of course, when you make a mistake on Twitter, you can always reply or tweet a follow-up message that offers more context.
A3(b): It is quick enough on Twitter that you can push another tweet or message that helps explain your mistake. #TwitterSmarter
— Jeremy Linaburg (@jeremy_linaburg) March 4, 2021
For instance, we’ve all seen software providers tweeting out about an outage. They’d follow up with more tweets explaining exactly what went wrong and what they’re doing to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Not only does that help them explain their situation, but it also helps their customers develop a trust with the brand. It gives them an opportunity to show they’re transparent and responsible, as Janette hinted.
A3. I think mistakes are ok as long as they are taken in context. If you tweet something you shouldn't have. You can always admit error and it's an opportunity to be transparent and honest. #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/UuQjA5vxzQ
— Janette Speyer – Digital Marketing Strategy (@JanetteSpeyer) March 4, 2021
Q4: Can a beginner’s mindset help you create content?
Totally! A beginner mindset is when you know you’re not a now-it-all and you’re keen to try new things. This experimental mindset encourages you to identify new content ideas and new ways to present them. For instance, if you’ve always shared text-based tweets with occasional images, perhaps you’ll see someone do a video reply and want to try that. From there, you might take it to pre-recorded videos and even live video streaming. All that progress comes from having a healthy mindset about willing to learn and experiment.
A4: Absolutely! You are in the experimentation stage of your content creation which has been the most fun for me. It allowed me to take more risks and produce fresh concepts to my communities. My main formula: Beginner mindset = Content Experimentation #TwitterSmarter
— Jeremy Linaburg (@jeremy_linaburg) March 4, 2021
As Alyx from Charlie Appel Agency said, when you have a beginner’s mindset, not only are you open to trying new things, but you’re also broadminded about receiving and implementing feedback. This is a crucial skill to growing your brand, because you can’t improve unless you’re willing to listen to what your audience wants. If you’re unsure, just try a few polls and your audience will tell you what type of content they want from you. Whatever you do, willingness to learn is key.
A4 Sure
I've noticed people with a beginner's mindset are more open to suggestions/feedback, have more engaging content, and are more concerned about how their content helps their audience
They invite convos, instead of talk AT people
-Alyx #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/fg1lK9bN3g— Charlie & Alyx – Charlie Appel Agency (@ColfaxInsurance) March 4, 2021
Q5: How does a beginner’s mindset impact your Twitter strategy?
Even though a well-defined Twitter strategy can help you plan out your content and drive your social media efforts, it’s important to understand that a beginner’s mindset is about being flexible. You may have to loosen up a bit and embrace the uncertainly that comes with not having a clear strategy.
A5: You are always playing the risk game. You are living on the edge and trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t. You don’t have a clear strategy which can be so fun and exciting! #TwitterSmarter
— Jeremy Linaburg (@jeremy_linaburg) March 4, 2021
However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a strategy at all. As Marianne told us, the beginner’s mindset keeps you in check with reality so that you don’t assume you know everything. And so, create a strategy where you have the leeway to keep testing and change things as you need. Incorporate a beginner’s mindset even as you begin to develop your Twitter strategy.
A5: I think it makes you more open to testing, rather than thinking you know what works.#TwitterSmarter
— Marianne Avery | Social Media Manager (@sociallymaz) March 4, 2021
Q6: How do you develop a beginner’s mindset on Twitter?
Put yourself out there! The best way to develop a beginner’s mindset is to constantly try new things that’ll help you realise you have more to learn. Keep an open mind about whatever you’re trying and make sure your opinions are your own and aren’t influenced or biased. It may take a while to cultivate the habit of looking at things from a beginner’s mindset, but keep at it, and you’ll get better at avoiding prejudices.
A6: You need to try new things! Get involved in conversations! Just jump into the game! It is also important that you stay open minded. Don’t try to be like everyone else. Every beginner has an unbiased and clear mindset. Do you? #TwitterSmarter
— Jeremy Linaburg (@jeremy_linaburg) March 4, 2021
As Dana said, find things that bring you joy. To do that, you have to engage with people constantly. Join Twitter chats, jump into other people’s spaces, share your thoughts, make mistakes, forgive yourself for making mistakes, and learn from those experiences. Repeat.
A6. Keep engaging, sharing, and asking questions. Try new features and chats. Each day, find at least one thing that gives you joy. #TwitterSmarter
— Dana Lemaster (@DanaLemaster) March 4, 2021
Q7: Is being a beginner the same as having a beginner’s mindset?
Not necessarily. However, the idea is similar. Let’s say you’ve hired an intern. They are a beginner.
A7: No. You can know a lot about social and marketing but can enter that industry as a beginner. That doesn’t mean that you have a beginner’s mindset on those topics. #TwitterSmarter
— Jeremy Linaburg (@jeremy_linaburg) March 4, 2021
However, even though you’ve been working in the same industry for 15 years, don’t let ego get to your head. Don’t get complacent as Marianne put it, and don’t assume that the new intern doesn’t know better than you. Perhaps they do. Give everyone a chance and give yourself the opportunity to learn from them. That’s the real beginner’s mindset. Hopefully, that intern has a beginner’s mindset too.
A7- Everyone starts out as a beginner but sometimes we become complacent. It’s better I realize that anyone can have a beginners mindset- It’s all about being open to new possibilities and wanting to learn and grow through the process. #TwitterSmarter
— ?Marianne Bornhoft ? (@spokanehouse) March 4, 2021
Q8: Share some tips to sustain a beginner’s mindset in the long-run.
The best way to always have a beginner’s mindset is by surrounding yourself with beginners. Because they’re still learning the ropes, they’ll inspire you to keep asking questions and finding solutions.
A8(a): MY PRO TIP: Surround yourself with beginners and those that are wanting to learn in different industries. You may think that the people that you follow on Twitter are pro’s but I bet they are learning. #TwitterSmarter
— Jeremy Linaburg (@jeremy_linaburg) March 4, 2021
Join people who are not from your industry. That challenges you to constantly be learning new things as you try and engage with them in conversation. And when you make mistakes, take it as an opportunity to improve yourself rather than giving up.
A8(b): Majority of the people that I am friends with have a beginner’s mindset.
Extra Tips:
-Continue engaging in different industries.
-Earn to learn more and experience new things.
-Be willing to live on the edge with your content and take risks. #TwitterSmarter— Jeremy Linaburg (@jeremy_linaburg) March 4, 2021
As Rachel put it, consider setting time aside everyday to read about new things and find new people on Twitter. Go out of your routine to identify people and concepts you can learn from.
A8: To maintain a beginner’s mindset, dedicate time to seeking out new info.
You can do this on Twitter by spending time reading about current trending topics that are outside your usual scope. Peruse the profiles of folks who stand out. Absorb, process, repeat. #TwitterSmarter
— Rachel Wendte (@rkwendte) March 4, 2021
Finally, let’s close this summary with a reminder from Avery: be humble. We’re all learning.
Q8: Keep learning and stay humble! Never think you know it all! #TwitterSmarter
— Avery Morris (@AveryNCMorris) March 4, 2021
Well, folks That’s all from me this week. Thanks for reading and for more great thoughts from our chat with Jeremy, have a look at this Twitter Moment that our #TwitterSmarter team member, Joana, put together. We’re always glad to see new faces and hear various experiences and opinions on our chat. So if you’re looking to kill some time on Thursday, join us at 1pm ET for our weekly chat.
About me, Narmadhaa:
I write all the things—technical and marketing copy to fill the pocket; haiku and short stories to fill the soul. A social media enthusiast, I’m a member of the #TwitterSmarter chat crew, and always happy to take on writing gigs.
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