Twitter Advice: Put on Some Clothes!

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I am a fan of Twitter; it’s a remarkable resource! I like the way that it can be different things to different people, refusing to accept rigid definition by the pundits who claim to know all.  This post is inspired by a series of past tweets sent in response to a plea to “Please follow me! Please! Please! Please!” by someone with that single post on her profile page.

Whatever Twitter is to you, almost everyone would like to have more followers.  If you want to become an influencer on Twitter, you need followers to hear your voice, engage with you and spread your message.

Some people auto-follow everyone back, but what about the rest of us? How do you attract quality followers?  A lot of people are like me: I check the profile of every person who follows me in order to decide whether or not I want to hear what they have to say.  I also actively seek out new people who look interesting to me.  What do you have to do get Juli – and others – to follow you?

Here are 11 Tips for Getting Me to Follow You on Twitter:

  1. Wear clothes in your picture. If you think THAT is my secret fantasy, we’re just not going to get along anyway.
  2. Don’t be a huckster. 100% tweets about your product belong on the Paid Programming channel. I hit the off button when that’s what I find on your page.
  3. Be interesting. Share: thoughts, news, info sources, help, quotes, quips & RTs! The mocking stereotypes people use about Twitter are right when they poke fun at some of the content. I really don’t care which fast food joint served up your hamburger or when you walked your dog.
  4. Keep a low profanity ratio. An occasional “Oh *!#@!” is real life, but a four letter word in every tweet demonstrates a lack of creative thought. Pass.
  5. Be interactive. Lurkers are just strange, whether in an alley or reading people’s tweets in a darkened room.
  6. Find a theme. Try planning 4-8 tweets on one topic. Get them hooked! This triggers interaction with others who have similar interests.
  7. Be an expert. Search for keywords where you’re knowledgeable – respond with answers, resources & insights.
  8. Don’t be an expert! There are three people who are genuine social media gurus and that’s probably not you. Small fish. Big pond.
  9. Enjoy yourself! When you are genuinely having fun interacting with others, it shows – and people want to know you.
  10. Find like people. Follow new people interesting to you, @ message them with something relevant to their stream and RT some of their better posts.
  11. Get noticed by big guys. When a Twitter superstar @ talks to you, people will follow you. @ comment on their posts or ask a meaningful question. Be sure to respond to them intelligently – people are watching!

Yes, you want more followers on Twitter, but remember that it’s not just about numbers.  You want people who are there because they want to be part of the same community as you.  Interact! Add value to the conversation! Followers will find you. Now make them glad that they picked you.  @Juli_K

The Shoemaker’s Child

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I do enough writing for others that I’ve hesitated to make the commitment to a blog, but I’ve been encouraged to stop being the shoemaker’s child and to allow myself the indulgence of writing here.

As it happens, I’ve been thinking about shoemakers recently. Shoemakers or anything-makers. Makers are important. They are at the heart of a thriving community, for it is successful “makers” who draw positive cash flow into a region.

Think about the economic impact that takes place when the 14 year old next door offers to mow my lawn for $10. The wealth in Brian’s room increases. The wealth in Brian’s house increases. However, the wealth on our street remains the same because the cash only moved 300 feet.  Most services are delivered locally, moving wealth from one address to another, but not influencing the net wealth of the community.

Somewhere along the way, we accepted that America would become a service economy.  And we’re missing the Makers, the jobs they create and the wealth that they bring to our community and to our country.  Somewhere along the way, we accepted that price was the only critical criterion for our purchases – of products, of labor, of raw materials.

Why did we agree to this? As consumers, we’ve seen declining durability in products and we reminisce over the days when things were made to last. We’ve seen different quality standards that resulted in tainted food products and toys with lead paint. We turn a blind eye to child labor, unsafe work conditions and environmental pollution because it’s not happening in our own back yard. Why are we willing to pay more for a “green” product, but not willing to pay more for a product made under the conditions that we ourselves mandated for United State manufacturers?

Consumers are held captive by the product choices that retailers make, but you can at least look for the Made in the USA label.  B2B purchasing should think about the “big picture” TCO.  Are you feeding – or starving – your own food chain?  Entrepreneurs should think long and hard about the “best” place to have your products manufactured.  You may be surprised at the value delivered “onshore”.

Perhaps the time has come for the resurgence of Makers.