TUNING IN TO TWITTER

What are you doing?



If you have twittered, you have answered that question everytime you twitter. If you are reading this, you know what Twitter is. However, if you are like me, much of Twitter is still a mystery. Twitter allows you to "follow" experts - all in 140 characters. What you get from Twitter depends on what you put into it. I thought I'd post some things I've found that have helped me get followers. Here goes!!!!

1. Be active - post regularly. I try to post something every day just so my name is "out there" regularly. The more frequently you post, the more people will find you.
2. Share - send an interesting tweet you see to your followers. This is done by placing "RT" in front of the message and then it becomes a "retweet". When I don't have anything to say, I "retweet" interesting tweets or quotes that are posted.
3. Say something interesting - do your followers want to you know you are doing your laundry or brushing your teeth? Unless some laundry detergent or toothpaste is following you (and brands do follow you), chances are they don't care. Think about sharing information that your followers will find interesting. I found I get retweeted the most when I say something about my painting process. I posted a tweet that said "i need to keep a record of what I'm layerng in paintings. right now gesso, then soot, coffee, run a comb through it, dry, start again" - it got retweeted several times. I also post the link to my blog and my Facebook fanpage when I have a new posting. This always results in more followers and fans on Facebook. Ask questions too - I often ask if anybody knows what is going on in #atlanta art (more about the # later).
4. "Shrink the Link" - Back to the link mentioned above - shrink it! I do this by going to Tinyurl.com which gives me a much smaller link. You don't 1/2 of your 140 characters be the link.
5. Getting Retweeted -a good rule of thumb for retweeting is to post around 110 characters. When you are retweeted, your name, becomes part of the 140 characters. That is one of the reasons you shrink your name. If you are using a name with 20 characters, it makes retweeting an entire post tough. I learned this and finally adjusted my name on Twitter to @vmartinart
6. Interact - comment on other posts. Think about the old Dale Carnegie model to listen to your customers (followers - and don't get a big head because you have "followers", everybody on Twitter does).
7. Be searchable - if you are reading this, chances are you have an interest in art. To find other artists - use the hashtag (#) in front of key words. In Atlanta, both Art Relish and Creative Loafing use the hashtag for #atlart. I was able to read a book with a group of artists by using #dekooning. To find these people, go to search.twitter.com and type in the # - with whatever keyword you are interested in. Of course, put this in your post so you can be found by those with the same interest.
8. You want more followers? Use #follow Friday (#ff). Tweeters post the names of their favorite twitters with #ff in front of it. Look to see if they are of interest to you and follow them and they will generally follow you back. And, post your own favorite twitterers on Friday too.
9. Before you follow someone back, make sure it isn't a spammer or a porn sight, unless that is what you are looking for. They are lurkers and are always looking for new twitterers hungry for followers.

I'm still learning. I have found some amazing artists around the globe. Ok, some of them are from another globe, or planet. I have had success with connecting with artists. So, if anybody knows how to connect with COLLECTORS, let me know.

I'd like to know how you find Twitter, and how it has helped you. And, I'm sure I left much out, so tell me what else we should all know!