The Real Secret to Get 12K Followers on Twitter

(btw, I don't think you need 12K followers on twitter. that's part of the point that I'm making above, eh?)

Twitter has been a Godsend for me.

My explosion on Twitter came from an event I was attending in late 2008. I only followed a few people and kept tabs on them religiously as they were at the same event and I wanted to know what they were up to. As fate would have it, one of my friends tweeted out a message about a free breakfast she was at. I showed up, and soon after I sat down a couple other friends and my mentor showed up at our table. We had an awesome chat. THAT moment is when I saw the deeper meaning of twitter. My following exploded from there.

My experience has been fantastic on Twitter & what a great post Elizabeth! It's funny how complicated people make it out to be. It's like, “There's gotta be SOME elusive secret that only these “experts” know about!” when it's all just about being you. No one else. Not putting up a fake barrier or facade, just 'effing being you. My friend Scott Hoffman (@TheEntertainer) says it the best and preaches it all the time: JUST DO YOU!

And along the way, be human and not a sales robot hell bent on getting the next sale. We've got to genuinely care and I also think that paying it forward is one of the best things you can do in social media. Agree?

I'm happy with my 485 and trying really hard to engage 1/8 of them (many are local businesses and folks that learned I like Maker's Mark bourbon so they probably don't give a rat's behind about what I have to say). I've learned so much from you via blog and Twitter already, especially the part about being a human being. Thank you!

“Just Do YOU” … I love that Mike. Paying it forward is definitely one of the best things you can do in social media. Thanks for the reminder.

And you touched on something so important, taking twitter to the next level … whether that's a skype chat, telephone conversation, or (even better) and in-real-life (IRL) meeting … twitter is just a place to start a relationship.

#yourock
#thatisall

We all wish there was a magic pill (with everything – twitter, losing weight, falling in love, etc.) and awesomeness never it … it only comes in by doing the real stuff to make it happen. By taking inspired action.

And yes, it's about being your own freaking self!!

I agree, paying it forward is epic, especially in social media, where time is compressed. It comes back in super lightening speed!

Lori – that's awesome, and concentrating on engaging with your list is the way to go … 485 is an amazing number of people to draw real relationships from.

And, you are so welcome, thank you so much for reading.

Even before you posted this blog, I was going to tweet that one of the things I like most about you is that you are very WYSIWYG. Even your tweets sound like how you talk.

Thanks so much, that's the best compliment from someone who has met me IRL.

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Kim DeYoung, Elizabeth Weinstein. Elizabeth Weinstein said: New Post: The Real Secret to Get 12K Followers on Twitter http://epw.me/12k [...]

You are so right. I just started a few months agon and see no reason for large numbers, only active ones. I work in Real Estate and Loans around Seattle, so I mostly want people around hear. Thanks for the input.

Exactly.

Outstanding list of “REAL WORLD” human experiences Elizabeth. I love it. I've said it many times, this social media thing can expose or promote our social skills, period. Makes you wonder how people live their lives off line by noticing how many shortcuts they take with human relationships online. Hmmmmm? Love your post!

Hi Elizabeth,

Reading your approach to Twitter makes the whole social media thing sound a lot more fun and relaxing than aggressive marketing, but how do I really develop relationships on Twitter and get my other business work done, take care of the family, exercise, yadda, yadda?

Thanks,

Lily

Lily – twitter is not about how many hours you spent at one time, but about being consistent. so even if you are only going to spend 15 minutes a day, spend it at the same time, when the same people are on. better yet, spend 10 minutes in the morning (for example), and then 10 minutes at the end of the day.

Think of it similarly to the little conversations you have a corporate water cooler or waiting in line for the kids to get out of school … each conversation is small, but over time, they can build up to a relationship.

(I spend a lot more time than that, but it's a great place to get started.)

Excellent post Elizabeth — as usual — calling it like you see it!

I know that you and I have experienced first hand the 'family' aspect of Twitter, when our children have been hurting or we've moved or had transitions.

Nothing like the really amazing people social media allows you to 'meet'

Carrie Wilkerson
@Barefoot_Exec

Elizabeth,

Great write about! Thanks for bring the reality back to the whole concept of social networking. It seems like anything you get the groups that take what is great an authentic about something and make it about the numbers. I'm sure some of us lost our way (LOL) with the need to have the most followers on Twitter. Keep it authentic and those you believe in who you are will follow.

Boo Yah!! This is so true. When I scroll down my tweetdeck, I just smile as I see the faces of tweeters who have moved from my tweetdeck to my heart, to my phone, to my lunch table, to my innercircle, to my dreams (okay that part seemed weird especially when I dream in 140 characters, but STILL!) This happens in no particular order except that it starts with a follow and a reply.

You make such a great point. It's not about software and gimmicks. It's about caring about people – for real – not for a dollar!

If only we all looked cool …in a Viking hat!

I love that this blog post was published today, as just this morning I was having the thought if Twitter is a giant world cocktail party (or picnic or choose your metaphor) then there seems to be a mix of people who are chatting/ socializing/authentic (some loud some shy) and then others are big marble statues and more are flashing billboard signs. Hmmm…who do you want to chat with?

Unfortunately in my tripping around twitter (just crossing over the 1 year mark) I have done a mix of all trying to figure it out — but EPW you have been a master of the authentic and truthful (taking one moment at a time) tweets and I have learned so much in following you — really about communication for life. The soul love the truth even in the virtual world. For one thing I never used to comment at blogs….
Thank you for writing your take on twitter…been wanting to hear it.

Great point.

What an excellent list!

Connecting people is something I do naturally, and I get out of the way afterwards. Some people like to spin their webs so that they're always in the middle, that's too boring for me.

I've only connected one pair of people on twitter so far, but it was very cool: I hooked up my transcriptionist with a friend looking for her exact services. For me, that beats tons of connections that don't go anywhere.

I did a twitter reset a short time ago, and now re-adding people one at a time after checking to see that they are real. I do follow a few “marketing types” which have RT'd for me, but they also produce interesting links as well. It's slower this way, but much better.

yes yes yes! i feel like taking your post and wearing it on a tee shirt. then people can read it before saying “i don't get it”
I LOVE twitter, I love my tweeps i engage with, i honestly feel warmfuzzies form a good twitter convo/interaction
i think i started using it like this from the get go, it kinda made sense and especially for a working single parent, sometimes interacting on twitter is the best i can do. I feel connected, and rewarded, and supported.

there.. was that too much of a love fest? i can't say enough about how much i agree with this post and how much value i find in Twitter

Hi Elizabeth. I have 45K followers. Quite a lot by anyone's standards.

But my advice to anyone trying to make sense of and get value from Twitter is to focus on building a (much) smaller number of quality relationships.

Twitter is just a communication mechanism. Some people use the phone to build deep relationships with a small number of clients and friends. Others use it make initial contact and “shallow” relationships with hundreds. Each strategy can work in its place.

Most “gurus” advise building a huge twitter list because their business model is created round having large email lists and building shallow relationships with that “list” (gosh, I hate using that phrase – we're actually talking about human beings here). They pump out good content (if their subscribers are lucky) and promote their products and those of affiliates to their lists. That's the internet marketing guru model. Twitter is just a way for them to get people on their list via their site/blog. They don't do real, deep relationships.

But where the people I know are having real success is using Twitter to establish deep relationships. Talking trivia as well as posting content links. Really, just extending the way we build relationships in the real world to the online one. They're getting to know people, then often following up and meeting in the real world.

Now don't get me wrong, the guru model works for gurus with websites and email lists who sell that way (although click through rates are definitely dropping on twitter).

But if you have thousands of followers, it becomes really difficult to carry on real conversations. I have thousands of unread direct messages for example (99% are auto-DMs saying thanks for following me). So I can't use DMs. Even with Tweetdeck, it's difficult to keep track of conversations and get close to people. You probably have a similar challenge.

So for most people, my advice is – don't do what the gurus do. Build real relationships with a small number of people and you'll reap the rewards.

Ian

yes, it's been amazing support for me personally. and I think so many people miss out on that when are just being all business-y & promotion-y on twitter.

yes so much of it is just doing what we already know to do in real life, nothing fancy!

thank you heather! and yes, thinking of it like a cocktail party or a bar-b-que is a great way to think of how we should act, just like we would when getting to know people in real life

The most amazing things about doing tweetups is how the people in my tribe get to connect w/ each other. Sometimes I don't even get to talk to everyone, but they get to meet people in their own city that they've never met before. Totally awesome.

awesome Nanette! and thank you!

hum…. there are going to be t-shirts about other things, maybe I'll make a variation about this concept too

A welcome POV – since I am new at this – it feels like trains rushing past in the night. Happy to think of it as a party – I only need talk to people who make me feel.. happy sad intrigued fascinated – good cocktails help too! The best part of meeting people is the people part.

Is there a simple guide to get started on Twitter? I'd love to meet people with like interests for networking!

I am brand new to Twitter and would love to find out how to use it so that I an meet people with similar interests for networking. What is the best way to learn how to use Twitter?

Hi, I asked my awesome friend Scott Stratten (http://twitter.com/unmarketing) for his “how to get started on twitter” tip, and here is what he said:

@unmarketing: @ElizabethPW follow 50 people, some in ur field, some good sm experts, some for fun. Watch what they do. Read/Reply/Retweet/Repeat

and I completely agree.

So true Elizabeth! I'll take quality over quantity any day. Sometimes it's hard to convince my clients that 400 followers who love you are more valuable than 4000 who have no idea who you are – numbers can be sooo sexy!

True Twitter story, I read an RT from a business colleague, wrote to the original Tweet-er, and it turns out he lives DOWN THE ROAD from me! In the suburbs of Jersey! We got together at a local Panera, and a good time was had by all.

Great post! I've heard so many theories about what twitter is and the best way to use. This is the first I've seen that really resonates. Great advice. Thank you!

I used to think twitter was like high school: Cool kids hung out with the other cool kids and the rest of us short, clumsy introverts watched with envy. Now I get it. On twitter, REAL is cool.

When I first joined Twitter, I bought one of those “get 1000s of followers daily”-programs, but all it did was discourage me from using Twitter, so for a long time I didn't use Twitter at all. I then read Joel Comm's Twitter book and started looking beyond the marketing clutter that first hits you when joining Twitter and adding friends at random. I started having conversations and saw who had at heart beat and who didn't. I might have started as a marketing robot, but this Pinocchio, turned into a real live human being.

I think I began my relationship on Twitter all wrong, and now I think I am a little stuck as to what to do about it. I searched for followers of followers I already had and added them. Period. Now I look in my Twitter stream and often see a lot of tweets that I would not necessarily want to comment on, ask about, retweet, etc. I'm not sure if I should stop auto-following everyone who follows me. I'm not sure if I should separate possible “real” folks from the crappy ones with some sort of Twitter tool. Honestly, I feel a little Twitter stuck (@girlshrink)…

I think I began my relationship on Twitter all wrong, and now I think I am a little stuck as to what to do about it. I searched for followers of followers I already had and added them. Period. Now I look in my Twitter stream and often see a lot of tweets that I would not necessarily want to comment on, ask about, retweet, etc. I'm not sure if I should stop auto-following everyone who follows me. I'm not sure if I should separate possible “real” folks from the crappy ones with some sort of Twitter tool. Honestly, I feel a little Twitter stuck (@girlshrink)…