We’ve got a lot of new readers coming into this blog, and I get so many questions about Twitter every day, that I’ve decided to do a month-long feature on Twitter and how authors can use it better. Part One will be about what Twitter is used for.

A lot of authors (and small businesses) tell me that they are overwhelmed by the thought of micro-blogging. “It’s too fast-paced,” says one author. “What is the point?” or “It’s full of worthless chatter. There’s nothing on Twitter I want to read,” say others.

I wish I could convince them about Twitter, but I can’t go around talking every author into using Twitter (for one thing, I only have 24 hours in a day), so if you’re an author and are wondering if using Twitter is a worthwhile endeavor (or if you have author friends who are still on the fence about Twitter), read on.

1. Twitter is an excellent way to get to know others in your niche and to produce quality content for those who follow you. Your Twitter feed should be full of folks that you want to meet and talk to in order to: 1. further your career, 2. build your business, or 3. earn expert status. Once you begin interacting with folks who share your interest, you’ll then meet all sorts of interesting people who you can follow, and who in time, may follow you. But that depends on the content you create.

2. Twitter increases your visibility on the Internet (the Library of Congress has archived every single tweet, did you know that?) and helps you to be seen as the expert you desire to be. If you bring your brand to Twitter (what is your brand? this may take some thinking about BEFORE you jump on Twitter, or if you’re like me and got on Twitter and then rebranded), you’ll need to be blogging, replying, posting information that is geared to your platform. More specifically, you’ll need to Please Write Like You Talk to your audience. (How do you know what your audience wants to know? You need to find out before you start Tweeting, or again, if you’re like me, you figure it out sorta by accident and then must redirect.)

3. Twitter builds your tribe. Ever had a posse? That’s what it can be like using Twitter. You have folks who follow your Tweets and as a result retweet (don’t know what that is? don’t worry; I’ll explain in a future post this month) interesting ideas from you out to a larger audience (this really works!).

Basically, Twitter is another form of blogging. Rather than 500-word chunks, you’ll be dispensing information out in shorter bursts (140 characters or less) and there’s an art to mastering this. Not everyone who blogs well will know what to do on Twitter, but don’t worry, if you’re looking for DIY info on utilizing Twitter, you’ve come to the right place.

Action Step: What would you talk about on Twitter? What are your interests, what magazines do you read, what websites/blogs do you follow? What do you find yourself thinking about most of your day? What do you already talk about (or blog about) on a regular basis? Answers to those questions will point you in the right direction.

I’ve got Twitter clutter. Do you?

It’s my own fault. I started an account (@trishlawrence) a few years ago and let it grow. And it grew and grew and is now completely unmanageable and out of control. But it does what I want.

A few weeks ago I was in despair at my Twitter. I started a new Twitter account a few months ago (@realbrilliant) and two accounts were killing me. Plus I felt like a failure. I wrote a very well-read blog post on Twitip about how one should NOT ever use two Twitter accounts.

Perhaps this post can clear all this up once and for all.

One Twitter account is the best option UNLESS:

• You’re like me and doing more than one thing online and need to keep those things separate.
• You’re not like me and figured out a long time ago that to sell multiple services or products may require you to get multiple accounts.
• You just enjoy having as many Twitter accounts as possible (that’s fine; I’m not saying one word about it).

And as I shamed myself inwardly and felt like a fool, I realized something. My original Twitter feed is doing exactly what I want it to do. @trishlawrence is for my author self. I don’t want it to sell anything but me as an author. I can post anything I’m working on to that account and I have people coming to my blog to check it out. It works!

Question for you: If your Twitter is cluttered, what are you using it for?

My second Twitter is for a very different purpose. @realbrilliant is for my social media strategy business for small businesses and authors. The folks on that list are only there because they have something remotely related to that topic. Are you following @realbrilliant and an author? Are you looking for tips on social media to build your tribe? That’s what it’s for.

Question for you: Are your Twitter followers/followees your target market or tangentially related to your target market? Why not?

And so my Twitter clutter has cleared, but not really. Twitter is not this static social media tool that just sits there waiting for you to wake up. I now take an hour a week to research Twitter strategies for both my feeds and to implement new ideas I find (both for myself as an author and for my author and small-biz clients).

Question for you: How much time do you spend each week researching your niche on Twitter?

Up next will be “The Big Decision on Facebook: To Fan Page or Profile?” Stay tuned!

I’ve had to take a Twitter break. You’ve seen me Twittering posts, but generally I’m just staying quiet. Perhaps it is because I’m having enough issues with the writing. And sometimes the direction a person sets out on is not the direction they wish to continue.

I’m reconfiguring, yes.

In late 2009, I split my Twitter feed up into two, but that only served to discourage me further. Two Twitter feeds? Goodness. So I’ve just backed off from it all in recent months, thinking through what I want to attempt in 2010 and rereading a few key tomes about Twitter to make sure what my vision is really does the job I want it to.

1. Does it build community? If I put more time into it, will I actually see that community beginning to appear? I’m still thinking how to do that exactly.

2. Does it help me as well as others?

3. What is the ROI of Twitter? I’m trying very hard to not focus on ROI first off. That’s not the point of Twitter really, but it is a side effect. So I’m thinking about it.

And that’s where I am lately. What are you thinking about your Twitter feed?

You can’t do it all in one day. You need a plan. Take the next 30 days to really build a presence on Twitter, doing ONE thing each day.

1. Start small. First day, sign up. Second day, customize your Twitter settings. Third day, create a custom Twitter background. You get the drill.

2. Think about every aspect and brainstorm how to use your authenticity to build a brand. Do you need to research the experts already in your niche? Do it. Do you need to build a list of power Twitter users that you can reach out to that you know will retweet your messages? Do it.

3. Take time to have fun and be yourself. If you’re building a personal brand, by all means, update with something random that tells followers about you. If you’re building a professional brand (a business brand), then you should be tracking things that your followers would be looking for about that business (how the new industry stats affect Q4 sales, etc.).

And that wraps up our Twitter week. We’ll be back soon with another Twitter week, but look here, here, here, and here for great tips on how to really ramp up your Twitter now.

Off you go!

Yesterday I announced the launch of a new Twitter account. It’s for my business, real/brilliant, inc. (you can follow my new Twitter here) and will be differentiated from my usual Twitter feed: @trishlawrence. Thanks to everyone who’s already signed up to follow me (all three of you!). No seriously, I appreciate it very much.

Today we need to talk about your Twittering activities. And I’m talking to me too, trust me. I need this refresher just as much as anyone. I get busy, get distracted, don’t follow-up just like the rest of you.

How to mix up your Twitter feed?

1. Jump into conversations. This is easier said than done, but you just need to go looking, really. Who’s talking about something you are interested in or can add something to? There are so many people talking about Sarah Palin this week, for instance. What do you think about her? Jump in. How about the new Twilight movie? Speak up. How about someone asking about the best blog platform? What do you use. That’s all this means.

2. Broadcast what you’re up to. This means you announce to your Twitter followers about a new blog post you’ve written or a book signing or speaking event you’re going to appear at. (Hey, if you’re on tv, all the more of a reason to announce it!).

Experts (not me, but Joel Comm, Darren Rowse, Chris Brogan) all agree that to have a successful (mix it up) Twitter feed, you just need to follow these two guidelines. A quick rule of thumb: print out these two points and stick them to your computer screen. Then take five minutes (yes, just five minutes!) a day and jump into conversations or broadcast what you’re up to. Each week add another five minutes (or whatever you decide you can manage) throughout the day and watch the results.

The best result is that you’re interacting with folks who you can help and who can help you. Whether these are customers or colleagues or experts, this is the best way to find out the power of Twitter. Trust me, and go to it!

I’ve written before about me trying to figure out how many followers to add to my Twitter list. I think I’ve found a solution to it. I’ll be implementing these ideas in the next few weeks.

1. Identify my niche experts. What is my niche on Twitter? That’s been the main question. Do I go with my writing, my blogging for hire, my editorial work? I’m going to pick a niche and do it. I’m also going to renege on my advice from last spring and use more than one Twitter feed. @trishlawrence is for me, my writing, my personal brand. @realbrilliant is my business brand. Once I differentiate between those, I will pick my niche and start finding the experts.

2. Be authentic and social. I then need to get to know each of those experts. I do this by being me and by providing interesting content and information. (As I hope they will do for me as well!)

3. I will give back more than I take. I learned this from Joel Comm and it works. (I know Joel and he’s the real deal.) It’s all about helping others find solutions. It’s about making them successful.

And that’s how I plan to solve my following/follower dilemma. What do you think? Any other ideas?

Oh yeah, follow my new Twitter here.

Did ya know that you don’t have to always be giving out quality information on Twitter?

Yes, it appears that I am now reneging on all my advice about this powerful social media tool thus far.

Really, I’m not.

I’m just pointing out an obvious use for it that could come in handy for someone. You see, we’re starting our Twitter week event off with a small bang. A small tip, but quite obvious, that I forget to use on a regular basis. (Why I will always ask Google when I have an army of the smartest people on the planet just a few Tweets away? Yes, I’m blonde.)

You can ASK for quality information on Twitter.

Yes. Really. And it works. Want to know the best contact management database program out there? The best Twitter app? The fastest way to get into the city from your suburb? Ask and it shall be given.

Now, go try it. What is one question you have today that you WERE going to go type into Google, but you could ask your Twitter followers instead?

Ask!

And check back here tomorrow for another great Twitter tip.

Image by Sean McColgan

Different from the outside. This is how I explain social media (Facebook/Twitter mostly) to folks who aren’t sure about it. They call it “not authentic” or “self-serving” or “myopic.”

It does look that way from the outside, because it’s a generational gap. Gen X and Gen Y approach life differently than  other generations (including Boomers and older Gen X). Every generation does. Boomers saw life very differently than their parents, Gen X from their parents, and this is Gen Y doing the same thing.

Except Gen Y and more and more Gen X aren’t going to just go for the status quo. Remember the 1960s? Remember the huge changes wrought in our culture? These were the Boomers and their overthrowing of the cultural status quo. You had your chance and now Gen Y and Gen X are doing it and they are actually succeeding. Their fight isn’t exactly political in nature, it’s attacking the very undercurrents of our society: traditional and mainstream media, how news is delivered and who decides what is important, how they live their lives and spend their money, and make their decisions, how to save their world, how to live with less, how to help others, do good unto others, that sort of thing. And they are doing it! They are successful. I think it might make some Boomers a bit jealous.

I believe Gen Y brought down print media. I think the Boomers tried rebelling against the status quo and breaking all the rules to accomplish that same purpose. Gen Y just did it better. They changed everything and pulled the rug out from underneath everyone. I think the Boomers now know how their parents felt just a little bit.

But this isn’t just a generational clash: this is a new revolution. Our publishing is changing, our media is changing, our news focus is changing, what we deem news is changing, and that is good news, I should think, for the Boomers, for our country. Isn’t this what you wanted in the 1960s? Gen X isn’t so dumb, we were born in the aftermath (in the late 1960s and 1970s), into a world that hadn’t changed much except nothing made sense and no one knew what was going on. Gen Y arrived in the 1980s and took one look and said “no way, no how” and promptly led us to something new.

However, before we so quickly crown Gen Y the winner of this epic battle between generations, I need to tell you how Gen X saved the world. Gen X is the middle ground. They understand both approaches. They’ve listened to Boomers talk about their social revolution and they are often at the very center of the Gen Y revolution. They are the moderators of this clash/revolution and they will temper both sides so that it works. I’m Gen X, but I test as Gen Y. I hang out with a lot of Boomers, so I hear the same arguments over and over and over.

Look how social media has taken off. It’s a Gen Y thing, but do you know the fastest-growing segment of social media right now is Boomers? That’s right. The Boomers are jumping on the bandwagon faster than ever. Everyday another person I know who shook his/her head and said “not for me, not authentic” is joining Facebook, starting a blog, joining Twitter, and having a ball.

It looks different from the outside because it’s not your revolution. Join in and soon it will be. Isn’t this what you were so angry about in the 1960s? That no one understood you?

Well, try to understand this: it only looks myopic and unathentic because you haven’t put in any time to try and learn about it or utilize it. You expect everything to make sense to you just because it always has. Instead of being spoonfed this revolution, you’re going to have to work a little bit. And come on, no one cares about your purist tendencies (we’re so not going back to the 1960s just so you can prove your point). I’m Gen X and I’m here to get you and Gen Y to work it out. Don’t like it? Too bad. This is the world now.

Join in. Put out some effort. Jump in, the water’s really nice actually.

Authors of books such as the 4-Hour Work Week and Never Check Email in the Morning may have to rewrite their books and quickly. Twitter is going to usurp the email problem this year and next. We thought we had problems with email volume, what about Twitter volume?

I’m following and being followed by around 6,000 people now. There is no way I can keep up with everyone and the more followers, I get, the more I despair at how to meaningfully cultivate networking relationships with any one of them. I’ve been thinking about this and I’ve been figuring out how best to approach it. There are two choices:

1. Cut my following/follower list back to what I can reasonably handle.
2. Leave my numbers alone and develop strategies for Twitter; I can’t control the numbers, but I can control my own processes.

I’m leaning toward the latter. It may take me a few months (as it did to cultivate job leads or networking responsibilities this spring) but I think by late fall, I could come up with a reasonable process and paradigm for dealing with a large Twitter following in a manner that allows me to cultivate job leads and networking prospects, but doesn’t require me to cut people off. (Sure, I cut people off when they are X-rated or spamming me, but otherwise I’ve been letting everyone in.) I don’t want to go that direction.

So stay tuned. How are you dealing with your Twitter issues? Are you trimming your list or are you finding good processes to utilize your list? Speak up! I really want to know!

So, how does one find jobs on Twitter?

Well, a few ideas:

1. Do you include your expertise in a lot of your tweets? Say you’re a photographer, do you use terms like photographer, photography, studio, photos in your tweets? That’s one approach.

2. Are you registered in any Twitter directories as a photographer? That’s another strategy.

3. What does your Twitter page look like? Does it have examples of your photography, a link to your web site, an email or direct phone contact? A paragraph asking for clients?

4. Try using the Twitter Job Finder. It looks pretty good, I think. Lots of great job ops.

Combining all of these approaches will enhance their effectiveness. And above all, being approachable is more than half the battle. I’ve spoken about authenticity on this blog more than once. If you’re not sure what that has to do with marketing and branding (especially in social media), you may need to get yourself a copy of my upcoming ebook on authenticity (stay tuned).