When it comes to authors, Twitter still remains a largely untapped resource. But Twitter is a treasure trove of advice, networking and yes, new readers! We’ve curated seven of the coolest Twitter tips for authors from a great article at Mashable.com. Want to dig deeper? Read all 14 of their tips and tricks HERE.
1. View Activity Feed
Check out the activity feed to see how the people you follow are interacting on Twitter (besides their tweets). Click Discover > Activity to see a stream of actions by those you’re following, including favorites, follows and more. It’ll remind you of Facebook’s News Feed, and it’s a great way to discover new content and users to follow.
And don’t forget to check on your favorite authors and who’s following them… they may be future fans!
2. Favorite Related Tweets
It’s a safe bet that most Twitter users would like more followers. To help the process, you should search for keywords that are relevant to your interests (and, if you’re a journalist or other content producer, links to your content). Then, favorite tweets that mention something you like — those tweeters may just follow you back.
3. Add and Subscribe to Lists
Making lists is an easy way to keep track of tweets when you’re following a large number of people. Go to Me > Lists to categorize the users you follow in any way you want. You can also subscribe to other users’ lists by going to that particular user’s profile and clicking Lists, then Subscribe. In apps like TweetDeck, you can make each list a separate column.
Would you like to see someone’s tweets without following them in your main feed? Add them to a list, but note: They can see the lists to which they’ve been added (unless you mark them “Private”). Hint: Where Writers Win’s Twitter page has lists of literary agents, authors, editors, publishers and more that we regularly add to – you’re welcome to subscribe to them!
4. Advanced Search
Can’t find what (or who) you’re looking for? Try Twitter’s advanced search, through which you can search for exact phrases, tweets with specific locations, sentiment (positive or negative) and more.
5. Keyboard Shortcuts
Use more than 20 keyboard shortcuts to make your Twitter experience quicker and more efficient. Shortcuts include “G H” for returning to the homescreen, “R” for reply and “G U” to go to a specific user. Find all of the shortcuts by going to the Gear Icon > Keyboard Shortcuts.
6. Change Trends
Twitter trends help you stay updated on what people are talking about around the web. You can change the list to reflect trends in your own country or select cities, worldwide and even trends tailored to your interests and those you follow. On the bottom-left of your screen, go to the Trends box and click “Change.”
7. Tailor Suggestions Based on Web Browsing
Twitter can use information from your web searches to give you a more personalized experience. Click on the Gear Icon > Settings > Security and Privacy > Personalization, then check “Tailor Twitter based on my recent website visits.” For example, if you visit publishing websites, Twitter will suggest various publishing resources followed by other Twitter users who visit the same sites.
Other Twitter Tips for Authors?
Have a clever way you’ve used Twitter to connect with your audience? Tell us about it!
Thanks for the invitation to join some of your lists! I am a fairly new user, and don’t know a lot about them, so any advice is appreciated….
Something that works well for me is to come up with a hashtag theme to use for tweets that I make that work together for a certain length of time. For instance, this summer I lived in a rural town in Vermont. I used the #lifeinavermontshack hashtag to give odd/funny details of rural life and I got an audience who read every single 1 of them. I tried to post at least 1 or 2 tweets every day about the shack. Don’t think others used the hashtag, but they followed all of mine.
Outstanding, Cindy, and perfect use of a hashtag. How are those cozy mysteries going?
Getting ready to release number 4 of the Cue Ball Mysteries next month, Shari. It’s called Four Play, Thanks for asking. BTW, I have a blast w/Twitter and think it’s THE best promo for authors.
Fantastic! Yep, we have a lot of authors who start out not liking it so much, but once they start to harness the power, well LOOK OUT!
Hi. Loved #7, but couldn’t find the Personalization you recommend:
7. Tailor Suggestions Based on Web Browsing
Twitter can use information from your web searches to give you a more personalized experience. Click on the Gear Icon > Settings > Account > Personalization, then check “Tailor Twitter based on my recent website visits.” For example, if you visit publishing websites, Twitter will suggest various publishing resources followed by other Twitter users who visit the same sites.
I didn’t see “Personalization” under my Account.
Ah, apologies – Go to settings, then on left hand side it’s actually under Security and Privacy (you may need to scroll down some – it’s in the privacy settings… I’ll change the post to reflect that and thanks for the heads-up!