Regardless of how experienced you are in the business world, social media can still be tricky to get the hang of. It’s particularly difficult if you’re relatively successful and well-known in your industry but you’re a novice on Twitter or any other social channel. That’s what we wanted to discuss on our chat today—how to deal with social media and how to grow more comfortable using your unique voice. We invited social media strategist Kelly Kostanesky to help us understand how we can use Twitter better. Here’s a summary of our chat.
Guest: Kelly Kostanesky
Topic: Becoming confident on social media using Twitter
Format: Eight questions directed at the guest. Everyone’s welcome to share.
Twitter is great because it has a relatively low barrier to entry. As our guest pointed out, unlike other social channels where you’re often under the pressure to share images or videos to initiate meaningful conversations, on Twitter you can start a discussion with anyone just as easily as talking to them in real life.
A1: Twitter is designed for starting conversations! It's the easiest platform to find others who share a common interest and you don't have to feel forced to share photos or audio/video content like other platforms to start a conversation. #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/yade6b6SVp
— Kelly Kostanesky (@kmmkcomm) April 8, 2021
This also ties into what Dana said about Twitter being such a fast-action platform. Because there are a lot of back-and-forth conversations happening in real time, it’s a lot like a dinner table discussion—everyone is welcome to contribute. What’s more it’s also easy to discover new people and topics because of the thriving networks of hashtags and chats.
A1. The fast action on Twitter is very close to a conversation. That enables you to interact with others and see whether you have something in common almost immediately. Hashtags & Twitter chats will help you find others who have similar interests. #TwitterSmarter
— Dana Lemaster (@DanaLemaster) April 8, 2021
It’s common to feel overwhelmed by the rapid and vast amount of information people exchange on Twitter. Sometimes you’re so lost in all of that that you don’t really know what to say. In such situations, take your guest’s suggestions and re-share someone else’s content. If it’s a topic you’re familiar with, reply and engage with them. Or find questions and discussions about topics you know about and answer others’ questions and concerns. In both cases, not only will you have something to say, but you’ll also add a lot of value to others.
A2: If you feel like you don't know what to say in your own tweets, just find someone else talking about something you know well and reply to their tweet. Or look for people who ask a question because they will appreciate you sharing your advice. #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/Z8JfYNAcCK
— Kelly Kostanesky (@kmmkcomm) April 8, 2021
It’s also helpful if you learn to manage your Twitter feeds effectively. As Alberto pointed out, create lists so you can have completely customized feeds based on topics or interests. And most importantly, don’t be afraid to turn off notifications. Twitter now sends you push notifications for recommended tweets as well, and if you’re easily distracted, these notifications can add up quickly and overwhelm you.
A2
Short answer: Twitter Lists, Topics and turning off notifications.#TwitterSmarter https://t.co/fiy2B8OeFk
— ? Alberto Gómez (@alberMoire) April 8, 2021
It’s important to remember that though a large following looks impressive from the outside, Twitter’s algorithm can easily differentiate between a highly engaged community and a community that never responds to your content. That’s why it’s crucial to have people who interact with your content—and even if that’s only a small number, it’s completely fine.
A3: Like all platforms, Twitter values engagement. It's better to have a small following that interacts with your messages vs a large one that never likes or comments on anything. No matter what your long-term goals are, quality really is better than quantity! #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/tnlA9kpDON
— Kelly Kostanesky (@kmmkcomm) April 8, 2021
Zen added another great point about treating your followers not as buyers but as friends. It’s a good way to identify how many people consistently interact with you because they genuinely want to engage with you.
A3 ?
?
?
Always!! ??
Think of followers as potential friends not buyers!!#TwitterSmarter
Sorry I'm late to the party!! May I join in? ??? pic.twitter.com/eC82IFNZOF— Zen Yinger (@ZenYinger) April 8, 2021
Most of us battle with imposter syndrome. It’s when you think you don’t deserve the praise you get—when you think that you’re not good enough. That’s the negative mindset we need to overcome.
As our guest pointed out, we all have more value to offer than we realize. A good way to unlock that potential is to find an article or a few pieces of content that you resonate with and tweet out what you gained or learned from it. Whatever the topic, if it speaks to you, chances are it will speak to many others as well.
A4: We all have something valuable to share! You know a lot more than you think. A great piece of advice I learned is to find an article you are passionate about and tweet your thoughts on what you learned from reading it. It's an easy way to find your voice! #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/7rTZ7DkBZH
— Kelly Kostanesky (@kmmkcomm) April 8, 2021
Another good way to build confidence of Twitter is to start small, as JMatt suggested. Start tweeting out to friends and close contacts—that way, you’ll become comfortable having real-time conversations. You can slowly build out from there.
A4: While you can always have a 'private' account, it is difficult to use Twitter effectively.
Instead, start with who you know and then expand. Tweeting a friend is just 'talking to a friend'.
Take that approach to your interactions with new people on Twitter. #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/UgLQ68NwzD
— JMatt (@JMattMke) April 8, 2021
The most important thing about Twitter, and any social platform really, is that you shouldn’t be afraid to make mistakes. As our friends from Interpose told us, go read up on how you can get the most out of Twitter but also experiment. The more you practice and try new things, the better you’ll get.
A4. Spend some time checking out best practices; read, read, read; and just do it. Practice makes perfect. And do forgive yourself if you have a few problems or clunker tweets along the way. It happens to the best tweeps. #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/2RMOCNbKVq
— Interprose (@interprosepr) April 8, 2021
Lists is a great feature to create custom feeds. As Kelly put it, you can create a list of users who tweet about specific topics and you’ll have a completely relevant feed based on a topic. You can also put together a list of people you think your community should follow—it’s an effective way to promote friends in your industry while making some valuable connections.
A5: Twitter Lists is my favorite feature! It's an easy way to segment who you follow based on a topic or category. Or even create one of your favorite people to follow. Use lists to make mini Twitter feeds around a topic and start building relationships. #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/YVO8H2KXqx
— Kelly Kostanesky (@kmmkcomm) April 8, 2021
Megan also pointed out that you can use Lists as a conversation starter as well. For example, whenever you add people to a public list, they will get notified. If you’ve named your list clearly and cleverly, you might gain someone who’s not only happy that you’ve added them to your list but who might also become a long-term friend.
A5. Cleverly naming your lists will make those you add to them feel good about it because they get notified! “#EventProfs who lead from the front,” for ex. #TwitterSmarter#GMID2021 https://t.co/D0Ta57Sl42
— ?Megan Powers of Marketing? #BlackLivesMatter (@meganpowers) April 8, 2021
The biggest benefit of lists, of course, is that it makes it easy to engage with people you want to, as Justin told us. Because a Twitter List only displays tweets from people added to the list, you can create smaller lists so you can manage your conversations more easily than trying to keep up with your complete Twitter feed.
A5: It's a great way to follow people in a select setting and it's easier to interact with them because you can just go to your list and comment/tweet to them #twittersmarter
— Justin Bienvenue #ModernDayPoe (@JustinBienvenue) April 8, 2021
You learn so many new things on every chat you participate in. However, that’s not the most important thing about participating in Twitter chats. The more valuable aspect of chats is that you get to meet so many great people, both from and outside of your immediate industry. It’s a great way to build friendships and business relationships because when you engage with people on a chat, you’re not selling—you’re instead answering questions and helping each other out. That’s a wonderful way to have first-time conversations.
A6: Participating in Twitter Chats is one of the biggest ways I have made more relationships here and gained more followers. It's also an easy way to find & share your voice because the question is right there for you to answer! I'm so grateful for the #TwitterSmarter community! https://t.co/st33QxQjkG
— Kelly Kostanesky (@kmmkcomm) April 8, 2021
As Lizzie added, if you’re a brand, participating in chats also automatically puts you on other people’s radar. It boosts your awareness even if all you’re doing is replying to other people’s comments.
A6: More people know of you which is great for brand awareness, and people learning a little more about you! #TwitterSmarter
— Lizzie | Social Media Coach (@LizzieRead) April 8, 2021
Fernando also pointed out that participating in chats forces you to practice conveying your message succinctly within context. It’s a good way to hone your communication skills too.
A6: Twitter chats give you a chance to practice expressing your ideas sharply and introduce you to people with similar interests. You’ll meet people you can learn from or potentially collaborate with. #TwitterSmarter
— Fernando Gros (@fernandogros) April 8, 2021
Quote Tweets are a good way for you to add context to your tweets. For example, when you reply to a tweet, your response will be displayed to your followers. However, they may not always click to read the whole thread. When you quote and tweet your response as a retweet, it’s easier for your followers to follow your train of thought. It works magnificently in Twitter chats, as our guest demonstrated throughout the chat.
A7: I love using Quote Tweets when I'm doing Twitter chats because it makes it easy for my followers to see what I'm tweeting about & it may inspire them to reply and share their thoughts, too. It's also a great way to share love for the great things others post. #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/IvKH0mtB7y
— Kelly Kostanesky (@kmmkcomm) April 8, 2021
It’s also a nice way to acknowledge the original author of a tweet you’re resharing. As Jim told us, you can quote retweet a tweet as a way of giving credit but also as a way to amplify the message. In many cases, you can say the same message of the tweet in a different perspective to show your audience how you perceive it.
A7. Amplify why you are sharing the tweet or give kudos to the original composer when sharing.#TwitterSmarter https://t.co/1u9tfS0NHi
— ? Jim Fuhs #MDMC21 #DigitalMarketing (@FuhsionMktg) April 8, 2021
Well, there are so many! Come participate in our #TwitterSmarter chat one week and you’ll meet a huge chunk of people who make this platform fun and welcoming. Led by, of course, Madalyn Sklar the host and owner of #TwitterSmarter.
Kelly also pointed out some more great people to check out and engage with, including Christine Gritmon, Nathalie Gregg, Christina Garnett, Alexa Heinrich, Gabriela Cardoza, and so many others you’ll meet if you pop into Twitter chats.
A8: Of course @MadalynSklar, @cgritmon, @NathalieGregg, @ThatChristinaG, @AHahnPeters, @FindTroy, @media_wholesome @brianne2k, @HashtagHeyAlexa, @MaikoSakaiBiz, @thejenweg, @CardozaGab, @TheJennyLi, @jessikaphillips, @BrennanAnnie, @sociallymaz and so many more! #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/qKiLVBh9sR
— Kelly Kostanesky (@kmmkcomm) April 8, 2021
Smitha also mentioned some great people across a wide range of industries like Janet Machuka, Areej AbuAli, Lynette Muthoni, and Lyndon.
? @janetmachuka_
? @lyn_muthoni
? @areej_abuali
? @darth_na— Smita Poojary ? (@Smita_DigiMarke) April 8, 2021
I’ve definitely left out some awesome people. But let that be a reason for you to join us on Thursday at 1pm ET for our next #TwitterSmarter chat. Come say hello to some of the older folks and meet the broad range of people who participate in our conversation every week.
Well, folks. That’s all from me this week. Thanks for reading through and for more great insights from our chat with Kelly, check out this thread. Chat soon!
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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