A fanboys how to, and why to engage on twitter.
For many people, the thought of putting one’s self out there and being social brings uneasy feelings in the pit of their stomachs. I have many friends with many different forms of social anxiety from moderate to high levels. These social problems can manifest themselves online as well as offline.
I know a lot of people who when I inform them of my love for the Twitter they get a bit freaked out. Not freaked out by my actions but by the thought of having to engage others whom they don’t know. The idea of spurring a conversation with people in your field, superiors or other professionals who could potentially help you in your career or be a great resource for you – is terrifying.
Example #1: One of my best friends has a popular blog / online diary. She loves putting her stories and thoughts out there but in a non-engaging way. I told her she should get on twitter and start engaging with people who have similar interests and draw them to her blog. The idea of having to talk to people and get feedback and response from her posts scared her. She has tried to engage but upon first rejection or non response she lost all motivation. This person is the same offline as she is online. A very astute and articulate young lady but you wouldn’t know it because she doesn’t put herself out there.
Example #2: I have a young friend in PR school (the same school I attended). This individual is very reluctant to get on the engagement boat, even though I have told him what a fantastic resource social media is (and will be upon his graduation) for a budding PR practitioner. PR is all about being social and putting your self out there. What a better place to do so (during a rainy Canadian spring) than on Twitter.
Twitter has the most interesting balance of engagement and voyeurs’. 90% of people on twitter watch while only 5% engage. The small 5% of tweeple that actually engage are not at all snobbish or shy, they rarely say no to question or don’t reply to a post. People may be intimidated by their fan base or number of followers but this is easily overcome when you get your first response. Suddenly they are talking to you, responding to your tweets, and engaging in a conversation. Twitter is the great equalizer. Even if you are shy in person (No not talking about myself) you can engage without fear of rejection on twitter. But you do have to engage. Once you start a conversation it can take flight but you have to be the instigator.
In the past 6 months since joining Distility and tweeting professionally from @1day1brand and my own personal twitter account @andrewfstewart I have met some of the most engaging, friendly and warm people I have ever had the privilege of conversing with in my entire life. Some of the people I recommend talking to and engaging with if you are in marketing, digital or PR are:
@duanebrown
@jeremywright
@erin_bury
@jaimealmond
@AdamSchwabe
@smichm
@marshafriedman
These are some of the coolest, kindest and most interesting people I have ever had the privilege of talking too. Our conversations vary from professional to personal, and everything in-between. I have talked with everyone from celebrities to politicians, soccer moms to CEO’s. Each interaction helping me understand the digital world.
The point is! Engage, engage, engage. Even if no one’s writes back, keep engaging. At some point (for me it was about 2 months in) people will start to listen. (This is of course if you have something to say) I am very lucky that I have a severe passion for communication and networking. This topic is a buzz on Twitter, but so are many other topics. Speak your mind and open your heart and be true to yourself and I promise, people will respond positively.
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
Filed under: Distility, Marketing Mix, Personal, Social, Andrew F Stewart, Andrewfstewart, Canada, Distility, marketing, media, PR, Public Relations, social media, Toronto, Twitter
