What’s the secret behind a good Tweet? At this year’s ASJA conference, panelists Leslie Poston, co-author of Twitter for Dummies; New York Times social media editor Michael Roston; and BuzzFeed senior editor Jessica Misener led a fruitful discussion on ways that authors can distinguish themselves using Twitter.
As moderator, my hope was that authors and journalists might discover some new Tweet composition skills. My thought was: If I can learn to write a headline, a lede or a caption, then I should be able to write Tweets people want to read. But how? I was surprised by most of what I learned. Here are some of the key gems we took away with us.
Be authentic: Use Twitter in a way that feels comfortable to you. If you try to fake it, everyone will know.
Be cognizant of the creative potential: What authors are doing with Twitter is fascinating. You can tell a lot about your story in 140 characters or you can break up a story and feed it out, one Tweet at a time.
Be timely and topical: Timing is important. Twitter captures the moment and you can quickly get in on the peak of trends. Use Google trends to find topical subjects that interest you. Beware: Overuse of hash tags is taboo. Use them only when it’s useful or it makes sense.
Find your Twitter voice: Half the fun is finding your unique Twitter voice — who you are as a writer. Try not to labor over Tweets since the best ones are usually the unexpected Tweets you type out in a flash of inspiration. Be topical, in the moment, funny but not offensive.
Tell a story: It’s important to convey an idea more than a fact. Leslie says: “I’m not telling you that I’m buying a light bulb. I’m telling you a story about why I’m buying a light bulb.”
Practice good etiquette: Etiquette is not easy on the Internet. Many say that Twitter is like a cocktail party. The Twitter stream is a good conversation that you dip into, participate in for a short time and then move away from. Sometimes you start that conversation, sometimes you contribute to it and sometimes you just listen.
Promote yourself thoughtfully: Watch for the fine line, says Michael, between getting in people’s faces and Tweeting something about your work that prompts your followers to cheer you on. You want a community of people that are happy for you; thus, you need to establish that community way before you start promoting your work. You don’t brag about yourself at a cocktail party; try not to brag about yourself on Twitter.
Recycle your good Tweets: Go ahead and recycle Tweets. Followers don’t go back in time and read old Tweets. Tweet a good Tweet again at a different time of the day.
Be funny only if you’re funny: Jessica says that the number one way to stand out on Twitter is to be funny. Live Tweet and be topical. Participate in a funny way.
Learn more: Stalk people in a gentle way to see what kinds of Tweets you like to read.
Relax! It’s just Twitter — an endless flurry of conversation. Keep in mind that there’s always another Tweet. Or, as we say in the dailies, there’s always another day and another story.