There’s no doubt about it.
Twitter is my favorite social media platform.
To me, Twitter is easy. There are no images to deal with. No waiting around for likes or shares. No figuring out what the heck I’m supposed to be +1’ing or hanging out with on Google+.
Twitter is just me and some words. Some brief words.
Because it has come very naturally to me, Twitter is also the social media platform where I have the most followers. Alas, it does NOT rival Pinterest in driving traffic to my blog. Last I checked, it accounted for less than 5% of the referral traffic to my blog.
But that’s no reason NOT to keep loving Twitter. In a nutshell, Twitter is FUN. And in a world of bad news, stress, and more bad news, what’s not to like about FUN?
Here are some tips for having fun on Twitter.
1. Get the app.
When I started on Twitter in 2012, I did so using my desktop computer. Six months later, I got my first smartphone about the same time I got a Kindle. Suddenly, with the Twitter apps on both, it was super easy to check and use Twitter more frequently, even if only for a few minutes a day. And more time on Twitter definitely equals more engagement.
2. Tweet people.
Did you read a funny tweet? Reply to it or retweet it to your followers.
Did someone ask a question? Feel free to answer.
Liked a product? Tweet the company.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve started a relationship with someone on Twitter simply by replying to one of their tweets. Several of the products I’ve reviewed on my blog started when I tweeted the company that I liked their product.
People and companies are listening. One of my biggest retweets came this fall when I praised Walt Disney for its movie, “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”. As a mom, I wanted to share how funny and family-friendly I thought the movie was. Disney liked my compliment and retweeted me to over 2 million followers!
That said, there are PLENTY of times I tweet people or companies and hear nothing but crickets in reply. That’s okay and to be expected. The great thing about Twitter is that it is so fast you won’t have time to feel sorry for yourself that one little tweet didn’t light up the Twitterverse.
3. When you tweet, be yourself.
There are plenty of ads and weird accounts on Twitter. People can easily tell if you’re being disingenuous. Take that Disney tweet for instance. I didn’t write it to try and get exposure. I really liked the movie.
Don’t try and sell yourself; just be yourself.
4. Follow those who may follow you.
It’s intimidating to start on Twitter with zero followers. Or 10. Or less than 100. But we all started somewhere. Check out the user’s profile. If she is following 100 people, but has 3,000 followers, then chances are she won’t follow back. But if she has roughly the same amount of followers as those she is following, then chances are she will follow you back.
The “Who to Follow” suggestions on the right side of your Twitter dashboard are worth a look. I follow lots of interesting, cool people that were first suggested to me by Twitter’s “Who to Follow”.
5. Follow who you want to follow.
That said, just follow who you want to follow. I follow some celebrities who will never follow me back. I still enjoy these celebrities. Plus, maybe they’ll answer you one day! It happened to me with my favorite rock star, Bryan Adams:
@ExperBadMom thanks v much, glad the music helped!
— Bryan Adams (@bryanadams) March 9, 2013
6. Use Twitter for live events.
The beauty of Twitter is its immediacy. I’ve never had more fun on Twitter than last year’s Oscar broadcast, when the tweets were fast and furious – and funny to read and answer! (You can read about my Top 3 Oscar Twitter Moments.) The Super Bowl is an obvious live event coming up that will see a lot of people tweeting during it. Join them!
TV shows are known to live tweet during broadcasts, too. One of my favorite shows, About a Boy, did this recently. I’m watching the show anyway, so why not watch – and tweet – with other fans? Here’s a tweet I sent out that actress Minnie Driver then retweeted to her nearly 100, 000 followers:
Seriously, that’s just fun!
My blog didn’t grow exponentially because of the retweet. I didn’t generate thousands of visits to my site and tons of ad revenue. But I sure had a smile on my face that day thinking that Minnie Driver liked what little ol’ me (or in this case my husband) had to say.
I hope you can use these tips to have fun on Twitter, too. Are you on Twitter? Have you made any good connections? Do you have any other tips for enjoying Twitter?
If you liked this post, tweet me @experbadmom or follow me on Twitter. Unless you are an Uzbekistan mattress company, odds are in your favor that I’ll follow you back!
It was you who got me retweeted by White Spot! Cannot agree with you more Katy. I love this post and am going to step up my twitter game. Btw – my nieces were given Bryan Adam’s ex cellphone number when they got a kids line years ago. They got some pretty interesting phone calls! Nice guy.
Kelly l m kenzie recently posted…Why I Don’t Brush My Dog’s Teeth
Small world!! That is hilarious about your nieces. I wonder if they had to Google him to figure out who he was? Or perhaps all Vancouverites are born with that knowledge. 🙂
That White Spot day was a hoot on Twitter!!
It’s so cool that Mini Driver and Bryan Adams replied to you! Twitter really does make the world smaller. These are great tips, and it’s true that it’s much easier than all those other social media sites. Facebook doesn’t even show our posts people anymore, and I never did figure out Google +. You’ve inspired me to get into using Twitter more.
Colleen @MommieDaze recently posted…One Easy Way to Find Free and Cheap Kindle Books
I’m sure with your wit you’ll be swapping tweets with big timers soon! 🙂
I like Twitter too. Except I just got put in Twitter jail because I followed too many new people. SO I went back and unfollowed some inactive accounts and now I’m back!! I like being able to have fun little side conversations with people all over the place.
Rabia @TheLiebers recently posted…#TuesdayTen: Time Capsule
Twitter jail! That’s a thing?! Well, now I know. Glad you were sprung!
Katy @ Experienced Bad Mom recently posted…Tips for Having Fun on Twitter
Alright it’s settled you are the twitter Queen!! I need to do better and have more fun over there!
Jen recently posted…Just A Mom
Thank you so much for this! I have never quite understood Twitter, but as a blogger, have to use it. I am going to try some of you tips (tweeting at companies, using it as a convo, etc).
Renee cohost of the #shinebloghop
I still find Twitter a bit intimidating. It sort of stresses me out that by the time I finish reading to the bottom of the feed, there are usually 20 new tweets. It makes me feel behind. I don’t have it on my phone though. Maybe I’ll give that a try since I’m attempting to use it more.
Yes, and I would also encourage you that it’s okay to miss those 20 tweets! That’s sort of the beauty of Twitter. It’s a flash, a fun flash! Okay, sometimes it’s a boring flash too. But that’s why I like to check it a few times a day and see if anything funny catches my eye.
Great advice about Twitter. I love it too. Although I use it in fits and starts. But I think for blogging you need to be using all the social networking sites a lot. You can meet some great people can’t you. Great post.
Thanks for stopping by my blog too.
#sitsblogging
Oh and your welcome note made me laugh 😉
Kate recently posted…Sewing room storage: DIY Thread and scissor organiser.
This is a great post. I am also a big twitter fan. That’s so cool that Minnie Driver retweeted you!
Keisha | The Girl Next Door is Black recently posted…Friday Five: Weekly Twitter Roundup 1/23/15
I know, Keisha! It was cool. Hope to see you on Twitter. 🙂
Ok, first – when I was little kid Bryan Adams was, like, so dreamy to me. My parents used to put on his music for our long car trips to my grandmother’s house.
Second, I like Twitter but it took me a while to get the hang of 140 characters. I’m verbose…
Jessica @ Absurd, She Wrote recently posted…My First Major Parenting Mistake
Oh, Bryan! I knew he was shorter than me (I’m 5’11”) but I still thought he was awesome and should be my boyfriend. 🙂
Twitter is my favorite too! I had my Facebook page for a couple of years. I started my Twitter account and the amount of followers quickly surpassed Facebook. I find it so much more straight to the point and easier to communicate with individuals or companies. Even though it moves fast it ended up working the best for me. #SITSsharefest
Serena @ simple holistic girl recently posted…5 Ways Veganism Changed My Life (and How It Can Change Yours, Too) + Giveaway
Yup, I agree that it’s more straight to the point and easier to reach people. So for me that means more fun! Thanks for dropping by.
Twitter is definitely my FAVORITE social media network and sometimes as a Blogger it can be easy to loose the fun of it all. I love that you follow who you want – I only just started doing that again and it is so much fun 😀 Thanks so much for sharing this with us over at the Mommy Monday Blog Hop…you definitely help us make #MondayForMoms
Tiffany recently posted…It Isn’t Always Easy
Glad you enjoy Twitter, too! I know I enjoy linking up in your Monday Blog Hop!