# Twitter and its uses.



## Potty (Apr 29, 2014)

Right, I've got to the point where I feel I really need to get a handle on how to use Twitter. Frankly, I have no idea how to use this as a tool for promoting my work. I've just about mastered how to follow people but I still have no idea how to get others to follow me or how the hastag system can be used correctly. I also don't know what makes a good tweet, most of the tweets I see are pretty hard to make sense of.

So this thread is dedicated to teach us noobs how to use Twitter properly. Any tutorials, advice, tips etc goes here! Also, lets share our Twitter thingys so we can follow one another.

@PottyWhite follow me! (Pretty please?)


----------



## Gavrushka (Apr 29, 2014)

LOL! Did I just feel a pudgy hand tugging at my shirt sleeve, demanding I follow them?

@gavrusik is following Mr Potty.


----------



## Terry D (Apr 29, 2014)

And @DurbinTerry is following you both.


----------



## Deleted member 49710 (Apr 29, 2014)

I am also on the Twitter machine. @lswopemitchell

Don't have anything to promote, really, so right now I'm finding it useful mostly as a way to find out what's going on in the lit/arts world, and to keep in touch with people. And to have a "web presence," which I hear is a thing.


----------



## N J Xkey (Apr 29, 2014)

Potty every time I use the #amwriting hashtag I seem to get one or two new followers, got two from this morning's tweet  (I'm @NJCrosskey if anyone who isn't already following wants to, I'll follow back)


----------



## N J Xkey (Apr 29, 2014)

Oh also it's worth following some of the indie authors with big followings (whether you intend to indie publish or not there are lessons to be learned) they're masters at it!


----------



## Gargh (Apr 29, 2014)

N J Xkey said:


> Potty every time I use the #amwriting hashtag I seem to get one or two new followers, got two from this morning's tweet  (I'm @NJCrosskey if anyone who isn't already following wants to, I'll follow back)



Okay... so adding #amwriting creates a link between your tweet and everyone else who's included it in their tweets? It's literally a tag for categorising? Are they searchable?

I've never troubled to get my head round it, and I sometimes feel like perhaps I should do. As a marketing device, a newsfeed or a directory I can kind of get it but social? How the foosh do you have a conversation on twitter... it's just a load of 140 character burble, isn't it?


----------



## N J Xkey (Apr 29, 2014)

Yeah, if you search #amwriting you'll get a list of tweets with it included. I'm barely used to it myself, only been on it a short while, but that's one (and probably the only) thing I have learned! I don't find it very social personally. For me my Twitter is for my "public face", and just about my writing. My facebook is my social place. And yes, that's largely because I struggle to express myself in 140 characters! But also because everything you post on Twitter is viewable by anyone, so I'm very guarded. I keep anything personal (like anecdotes about my kids) on my private facebook account.


----------



## Gargh (Apr 29, 2014)

That's a good way to view it, I hadn't thought about how public it is compared to other social networking sites. If I tuck it away conceptually as a free shop front, then that's better, I think. The people I know who use it professionally use it personally as well and bleed through all over the place. They have 'conversations' with random people, find leads for both work and nights out and are just, generally, quite extroverted, and that is not even slightly me!


----------



## PiP (Apr 29, 2014)

Hi Pots,

I have several useful "twitter" tutorials but not bookmarked on this computer  I'll post some links when I return to Portugal.

I shared one of my poems via Twitter. A magazine picked up my tweet and asked if they could publish my poem!

@PortugalPiglet

Please don't forget to follow @WritingForums


----------



## N J Xkey (Apr 29, 2014)

Yep, that's exactly what I do. Anyone who has me on both their twitter and facebook will tell you how differently I come across  My twitter is ALL about writing, and trying to sound like I know what I'm doing (hahaha!). Plus it's a public profile to link online short stories to as I don't currently have a blog (another thing I must do I know -ugh!) so if anyone reads anything of mine they like they have somewhere to go to keep updated on my work


----------



## Jon M (Apr 29, 2014)

@jandrewmcgill. Just hanging out, don't know what I am doing half the time. Random excerpts from works in progress & other shenanigans. Follow me eye follow yoo.


----------



## dale (Apr 29, 2014)

i just followed all you all. i hate twitter, though.

guess i'll add my account.....

https://twitter.com/DaleHollin


----------



## dale (Apr 29, 2014)

and one of the things i did to get followers, potty...is i went to famous authors in my genre and looked through their followers
and then followed the ones that looked like they were fans, instead of fellow writers. if they didn't follow back within a few days?
i'd delete them and follow a new batch. after a few days, delete the ones that didn't followback, and etc....


----------



## bookmasta (Apr 30, 2014)

I may have to create a Twitter one of these days to help promote One Last Cast when I release it. But until then, I'll probably end up using mainly as a device to periodically check up on my favorite authors without actually following them (lazy, I know).


----------



## Skodt (Apr 30, 2014)

@writingbrothers

I followed you Potty. Anyone who wants to follow is more than welcome. I will follow back anyone who does.


----------



## Potty (Apr 30, 2014)

Thanks for the follow everyone! Followed back!


----------



## Gavrushka (May 1, 2014)

I've hit the big time now... 22 Followers... Damn, bronze statues and hospitals named after me next.


----------



## Elvenswordsman (May 1, 2014)

Want followers? Join a trending topic.


----------



## Potty (May 1, 2014)

What's one of those? Still really new at this.


----------



## Elvenswordsman (May 1, 2014)

When you # something, it gets monitored. When a certain number of people start using the same hashtag, you get to a point where it's "trending" - popular.

It lists them on different sites, but also on the left of twitter.

#mynypd was trending the other day, not for the best reason...


----------



## Potty (May 2, 2014)

It would appear that my hastag tweets arent showing up in the feed. Anyone got a fix for this?


----------



## N J Xkey (May 2, 2014)

Have you got the #amwriting feed set to TOP? Click to change it to "all"


----------



## Potty (May 2, 2014)

How does one go about doing that? On a mobile so cant view the full site.


----------



## Gavrushka (May 2, 2014)

It is showing up, regardless... just checked, and there it is... (Perhaps you don't get to see your own hashtags as readily)


----------



## N J Xkey (May 2, 2014)

It's fairly easy to spot (if you are on a pc, not sure about mobile) right at the top of the feed it says top/all (clickable)


----------



## PiP (May 4, 2014)

Okay, I think I've hooked up with you guys on Twitter... _*potty prodded piglet with pointy stick*_


----------



## Potty (May 4, 2014)

Damn straight I did... been following you for months and nothing!


----------



## PiP (May 4, 2014)

Potty said:


> Damn straight I did... been following you for months and nothing!


I only know you as Potstir or Potty...


----------



## PiP (May 4, 2014)

Okay all you "Tweeps", I have a favour to ask *pretty please*
Will you guys share the WF Author Interviews?
We currently have one for Terry
http://www.writingforums.com/threads/145947-Author-Interview-Terry-Durbin-(Terry-D)
and one for Sam
http://www.writingforums.com/threads/145063-Author-Interview-Dan-McKeown-(Sam)


----------



## Potty (May 4, 2014)

Sure! ...how?


----------



## PiP (May 4, 2014)

Potty said:


> Sure! ...how?


  er...come on Pots... don't wind me up. I've not eaten yet...

Here you go 

http://youtu.be/J0xbjIE8cPM


----------



## ToriJ (May 4, 2014)

In my experience finding the right hashtags to put on your tweets is the best form of getting attention. I mainly use Twitter to promote my reviews and the tags that have gotten me the most followers, replies, retweets, and favorites have been #retrogaming, #gamersunite and #arcade since there are Twitter accounts already that will automatically retweet anything that has those tags in them. It works wonders when I'm reviewing something that's old, but I've yet to find a suitable hashtag when promoting reviews of newer games.

I have no idea if your subject matter would have the same sort of setup but it may be worth experimenting with different tags. Or attaching your own unique hashtag onto somebody else's tweet and getting it trending. If only I have saved the site that suggested that technique to my favorites. The problem with some hashtags is that so many people are using it it's hard to browse through all the fluff.

Another thing to remember is that people will follow and unfollow you on a whim and some times there is just no logic behind it. So don't take it personally if you ever see your Followers number go down.

Followed you, btw.


----------



## N J Xkey (May 6, 2014)

Have retweeted your link PiP


----------



## Potty (May 6, 2014)

Kiss ass. Still dunno how to do it!


----------



## Potty (May 6, 2014)

Wait, wait. Think I've done it! Aren't I clever.


----------



## N J Xkey (May 6, 2014)

You have!! What a clever Potty  (not to be crude but if anyone, ahem, kisses ass, I suspect it's the big red shiny potty upon which said posteriors are placed... Talk about the pot calling people things it is itself ;P ;P)


----------



## Potty (May 6, 2014)

I take crap sitting down. I don't kiss up to crap


----------



## Potty (May 6, 2014)

So I'm thinking of posting a number of 140 character stories to try and boost my profile a bit. one a day for the next month or two. Should I create a new hashtag to pile them all into in an attempt to get a new trend, or use #microfiction 

Not sure what the best option would be.


----------



## Potty (May 6, 2014)

Just started posting them. It's my birthday, I can get away with it!

So... got 130 followers in 4 days. Is that good or do I need to start flashing people?


----------



## PiP (May 6, 2014)

Potty said:


> Is that good or do I need to start flashing people?



I wouldn't recommend that approach, Potty... LOL


----------



## Potty (May 6, 2014)

You sayin' I aint fit for purpose?


----------



## PiP (May 6, 2014)

LOL... we may be "Super" buddies but I would not be wanting to share any secrets!

ERmmm Edit:
On a serious note, 130 followers in just four days...


----------



## Potty (May 6, 2014)

PiP said:


> 130 followers in just four days...



So... shirt off?


----------



## Jon M (May 6, 2014)

?


----------



## InstituteMan (Aug 11, 2014)

Okay, thanks to the search function, I did not relaunch this thread. Ya'll just got followed. I am on the twitter machine as @thomasibenton if you are interested.


----------



## InstituteMan (Aug 11, 2014)

I talked about social media with my mother tonight (she brought it up).

My mother: I am on twitter, but I never look at it.

Me: So, why do you even have it?

Mom: I had to get twitter to get Pinterest.

Me: You are on Pinterest?

Mom: I don't look at it either.


----------



## gevert (Jul 16, 2015)

The way I use twitter is to tweet regularly with posts that are relevant for the audience I want to build. And for every tweet I post I try to incude a few popular hashtags. I use http://hashtagify.me/ to find out what hashtags are popular.


----------



## gevert (Jul 16, 2015)

Oh, and another thing, if I post a link to something that someone else has written, then I will mention their twitter account by writing @ and their username. Many times the person who wrote this will share your tweet which means that his followers will see your tweet (and might follow you).


----------



## ReginaM (Jul 21, 2015)

I just joined Twitter and I'm still getting used to the set up. I know hastags increase visibility of your posts. Now I just need to figure out content to tweet.


----------



## dither (Jul 22, 2015)

I tried to get the hang of it once and found it too complicated. Not that it really matters now, i've got nothing to tweet.


----------



## Blade (Jul 22, 2015)

ReginaM said:


> I just joined Twitter and I'm still getting used to the set up. I know hastags increase visibility of your posts. Now I just need to figure out content to tweet.





dither said:


> I tried to get the hang of it once and found it too complicated. Not that it really matters now, i've got nothing to tweet.



Fortunately you only get 140 character spaces (minus you username) to make your post so you aren't even allowed to say much. i am not into this personally as I really don't see the point.:scratch: I don't think it is a very effective communication to relative to e-mails, text messages PM's or posting on forums.:icon_shaking2:


----------



## JasonNewton (Aug 15, 2015)

Twitter can be useful but it takes some practice.


----------



## dither (Sep 22, 2015)

Blade said:


> Fortunately you only get 140 character spaces (minus you username) to make your post so you aren't even allowed to say much. i am not into this personally as I really don't see the point.:scratch: I don't think it is a very effective communication to relative to e-mails, text messages PM's or posting on forums.:icon_shaking2:



Yeah, i know, but i get so angry sometimes and well, so pleased other times, that i just need to say something.


----------



## popsprocket (Sep 22, 2015)

Blade said:


> I don't think it is a very effective communication to relative to e-mails, text messages PM's or posting on forums.:icon_shaking2:



Well that's a fundamental misunderstanding of what Twitter is trying to do. It's not about communication between people really, it's primary use is as a soapbox and, if you're lucky, some people will listen to what you say :')


----------



## Trilby (Sep 27, 2015)

Re #47 - I'm on Pinterest and I don't look at it either - despite daily emails from them.

Twitter is beyond me


----------



## Goob (Nov 21, 2015)

My twitter handle is @strength2thrive. I use it mostly for activism, but I'd love to get in touch with wf.com members as well!


----------



## KellInkston (Nov 24, 2015)

Heya,

I've been marketing with twitter a little while, but not long enough to get a good following going. The lesson taught by every book I've read on the topic suggests being a helpful and social contributor a coversation is the most important thing for marketing on social media, including twitter. You need to be insightful and enjoyable on there to show people that your work is insightful and enjoyable, simply screaming out marketing posts will actually detract from your following, as most readers do not come to twitter to find books, but to socialize. Socialize with them, and win their hearts, then they will go seek out your books.

I'm sure it's been mentioned as well, but the #amwriting and other similar hashtags are a useful tool in getting all sorts of people to find your stuff.

Come to think of it, I haven't posted anything today...

Oh, and by the way, I'm @Kellinkston if you'd like to get up with me. I'd gladly f4f.


----------

