Using Twitter to Improve your Blog

Christina from The Closet Writer asked me to contribute to her week-long Blogging Mavens series, talking about using Twitter to improve your blog.

When she first asked me, I was surprised that she wanted me to write a Blogging Basics Guide to Using Twitter.  But then I thought about how I recently surpassed the 10,000 tweets mark, and how I proudly take credit for @LulaLola112‘s and @OldTweener‘s adoption of Twitter into their bloggy lives.  Alright, alright, Christina; you got me.  I guess I do have a few things to share about Twitter.

If you are a non-blogger or a Twitter pro, this type of post isn’t going to be your thang.

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Using Twitter to Improve Your Blog

It’s not long after entering the bloggy realm that you start hearing about Twitter.  New bloggers constantly read that it’s crucial to utilize Twitter and that Twitter is necessary to grow your blog.  But why?  And how?

I admit that I was a rather slow convert to Twitter because I had a hard time seeing the point behind it; what could I possibly say in 140 characters that someone else would care to read?  How do I find people to tweet with?  How can tweeting actually help grow my blog?

But I’ve learned a thing or two in the past 6 months (and 10,000 tweets), and can now say with much certainty that Twitter is a huge factor in blogging success.

The Purpose Behind Twitter

In my opinion, the purpose behind Twitter is two-fold.  First, it’s a way to drive traffic to your blog.  When you publish a new post, it will show up just one time in your subscribers’ dashboards, readers or inboxes; whereas tweeting that blog post throughout the day gives your post more chances at being read, and by an audience often times larger than your blog’s subscribers count.

Second, Twitter allows you a way to build a community around your blog.  Though in order to successfully capitalize on your use of Twitter, you can’t just talk at your Twitter followers; you need to engage them, too!

How to Get Started on Twitter

One of the hardest things for me with regards to getting started in Twitter was – just that – actually getting started.  I had a Twitter handle and a completed profile, but how do I get people to follow me and chat?  My best advice is to start by responding back to relevant tweets you see come across your Twitter stream.  If you read a tweet asking for movie rental suggestions and you loved your latest NetFlix movie, reply with a tweet with your recommendation.

Another way to get involved on Twitter is to retweet someone else’s tweet.  Perhaps one of the people you follow tweeted something that made you laugh, so click the retweet button to show that person some Twitter support.

Most people start off by following (on Twitter) bloggers whose blogs they already read.  But chances are if you like what those bloggers have to say, you’ll like what their Twitter followers have to say, too!  Follow their followers and your network immediately grows.

Once you have your feet wet responding to others’ tweets and spreading some retweetin’ love, be sure to start some twitter conversations of your own.  Maybe you are looking for suggestions about what to buy your daughter for her birthday, or can’t believe the bill you just racked up at Target; tweet about it and you’ll see people responding back to you.

Use a Twitter Management Tool

Now that we’ve discussed a few ways to join in and add to the Twitter conversation, my next few suggestions for building a community through Twitter get a bit more technical.  First, I’d highly recommend using a tool like HootSuite or TweetDeck.  Programs like this come in multiple forms, so it doesn’t matter if you are a laptop user, desktop user or PDA junkie; there is one that is compatible with the way you tweet.  What Twitter programs like these allow for is the sorting of tweets into columns.  When I was new to Twitter, I used the web version (twitter.com) and felt like I couldn’t keep up.  I had no idea if someone responded to a tweet of mine, and wished that Twitter had some sort of “inbox” for tweets directed at me.  Enter TweetDeck, and my time on Twitter was instantly revolutionized!

Once you’ve downloaded your Twitter software of choice, I would suggest setting up columns that best suit your needs.  For me, I have an “All” column that is the constant Twitter stream of everyone I follow.  I have another column that filters tweets that contain my Twitter handle (thus, the inbox idea I was hoping for).  I also have a couple columns that filter based on lists I use or specific hashtags I like to follow.  For example, I am attending the Blissdom 2011 social media conference, so I have a column set up to show me tweets with #Blissdom in them.

Depending on what you typically blog about, adding hashtags to your tweets can be a very beneficial way to extend your social media reach.  Using hashtags in your tweets increases the likelihood of attracting like-minded people who aren’t currently part of your network of followers.  So, if you blog about recipes you’ve tried, add #recipe at the end of your tweet in hopes to be noticed by other food bloggers.  Maybe you love #photography, eat #organic foods, or write about hot topics in #parenting quite a bit; others who search by those hashtags will have an easier time finding and connecting with you about your favorite subject.

The world of blogging and social media is a universe all its own, with a language all its own, too.  Getting started on Twitter can be a bit daunting, but with a little bit of effort and a helpful download, it doesn’t take long to start engaging others and becoming an active participant in the Twitter conversation.

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