… Or why I’m going to stop.
Twitter is my favorite social media tool by far. Better than blogging. Better than Facebook. Better than forums.
It’s so easy to use and anyone in the know uses it to network. When I use to sell jewelry and tweeted as Plume Adore, man was I doing it wrong. I would just write things like:
Taking Azura to the park
What color bracelet should I make today?
New listing added to Etsy (link)
What a maroon! It was ALL about me. Now that I tweet from a different perspective I am here to tell you that being a selfish tweeter is not going to get you ahead and may even SET YOU BACK.
With Twitter there is an 80/20 rule. You give 80 percent of the time and take only 20 percent of the time. By give I mean things like replying to other tweets, retweeting messages, asking questions (not related to your own company), providing help to other user’s questions and in general, just being SOCIAL. By take I mean sharing your own links or talking about yourself.
I constantly see people complaining that Twitter is not effective or it’s a ‘waste of time’. You don’t even need to spend more than a few minutes a day on it for it to not only drive traffic to your shop but more importantly, get noticed by people who normally would not notice you. For instance, you may never get a response from someone you pitched yourself to but if you start replying to their tweets with relevant comments/feedback, they may just remember you the next time you submit your work for consideration!
Things that will annoy people:
- Tweeting your own links constantly
–> This pisses people off and it doesn’t matter how many followers you have. I really prefer the tweets of people who are linking to funny, interesting or OMG articles and when they throw in their own posts/items, I’m happy to take a look.
–> There is an Etsy seller on Twitter who has over 30,000 followers and she just pipes out her own damn product links. Now I did a test and replied to the first question I saw her ask in weeks. I ended my answer with a question to see if she would respond but big surprise, she NEVER did. That’s not someone I’d ever want to follow again and the worse part that she probably doesn’t get, I would never ever purchase from her or recommend her products. She is ’selfish’ in my eyes and that’s not a good look you want for your own business, ya know?
- Asking people to retweet all your tweets
–> You can surely ask for a retweet when it’s important to you but if you ask for one every single time, it’s going to dilute your influence and brand.
- Never replying, retweeting or helping others
–> I use to always wonder (while tweeting as Plume Adore) why I never got retweets or replies but it was simple, I NEVER did replied or retweeted. The funny thing, I felt shy, like not wanting to ‘bother’ people with responses but that’s what Twitter is ALL about.
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I'm Justine Smith, a Toronto Social Media Consultant, Problogger & Sales Strategist. I can help you dominate your creative business and build the success you've always dreamed of. To learn more, click 
great advice–i’m new to twitter, so I haven’t been tweeting much–so you advice sounds really great and actually makes more sense than just tweeting about our own products…thanks for the help and taking the time to inform us all.
Thank you Justine. I am looking forward to the free class!
I opened a twitter account a month ago or so just to reserve my etsy shop’s name & start following my favorite people.. now i’m inspired to get tweeting for real! i blog on wordpress & i noticed too that they have a twitter feature that (i think) helps you populate your tweets. i’ll study that more… thank you Justine!
.-= craftscafe´s last blog ..Original Paper Hand Cut Card by Crafts Cafe =-.
Awesome timely advice Justine.
It’s a learning curve.
AudreyGardenLady
.-= Audrey´s last blog ..Sterling with a Twist Necklace =-.
Thanks, Justine. These are good reminders! I just followed your advice and did some tweeting that is not related to my business. I totally agree with all your comments! I’m away next week so I’ll have to miss the free classes, sadly.
Good luck to you!
Corinne/Bagalicious
http://twitter.com/EtsyBagalicious
http://facebook.com/bagalicious
.-= Corinne @ Bagalicious´s last blog ..Adjustable Women’s Belt – Waverly Blue, Yellow and Green Stripe with Tortoise Shell Buckle =-.
Thankyou, thankyou Justine. I’m quite fed up with floods of tweets from some people flogging their own products and themselves. There are so many, that the person who leaves just one or two interesting tweets is lost in the crowd!! It has brought me to the point of not tweeting myself! Miraculous advice as usual…thanks again, Pat
Thank you! Great tip. It’s surprising how just replying to someone’s compliment/comment on Facebook etc. will get you noticed. I’m trying to help Etsy sellers as well. I notice the ones that promote “others” more than their own shop. The idea behind my website/blog is to PIF (pay it forward). I have a tendency to select sellers for my blog that either contribute to good causes, provide free tutorials or spend their time helping their fellow fans/friends. Self promotion is a difficult balance..but you only get back what you give!
I always love your insight. Thanks again.
Thanks for the information and help. I’m still trying to figure out twitter and how to connect people. I think I started off on the wrong foot and follow “people” that are just linking to their own stuff. Now it’s hard to go and find quality people who want to “connect”…but one step at a time! Thanks again for the input!
.-= Kimberly Elliott´s last blog ..Basketball Personalized Hershey Candy Bar Favor =-.
Thank you, Justine. I’m new to twitter and still trying to figure it out. The relentless self-promoters are annoying, but even worse are the types tweeting all day long about their breakfast, lunch, dinner, cat, boyfriend, etc.
I’m trying to keep it interesting!
http://twitter.com/museumcuriosity
Hi!
I’m new here and this is my 1st post! I already have a twitter account and facebook, but it seams that i really don not know how it works… you article helped me a lot, thanks!
I really appreciated this article. Some people really need to follow what you have suggested here. For the longest time I would not Tweet because I didn’t know what to say besides promoting my shop. So I just started to retweet and making comments on other people’s tweets and low and behold, twittering got more natural and easier. I send out at least four tweets a day and include only one tweet promoting my shop. Anyway, thanks a thousand for clearly giving tips on how to Tweet!
.-= Viola´s last blog ..Ladies of the Club – 8.5 x 11 Fine Art Photograph =-.
1000% true. Your suggestions should be a mandatory read for all etsy,zibbet, artfire,etc. sellers.
Great, great advice! Thanks. I have had a Twitter account for a while now, and this will definitely stay with me. I know that Twitter is your fav, but if you happen to have any advice for Facebook Pages, please feel free to share! I like it because ppl are able to view my products and company history all at once without me talking about ME all the time. I think you are allowed to be a little bit more selfish on it.
However, I think this Twitter advice could work well with Facebook too. Do you?
Amberly
http://www.twitter.com/shopsweethead
http://www.facebook.com/shopsweethead
Http://sweethead.etsy.com
Hey Amberly,
That’s a really good question. You have to be giving on Facebook but at the same time, people are following your fan page because they want to hear about your work where on Twitter, the same rules don’t apply. You can tweet all day on Twitter and (as long as it’s not every minute) you won’t get ’shunned’ but you will loose all your FB fans if you sent status updates constantly. I will write a post on this for the next newsletter coming out Monday so I can go into deeper discussion about it !!
Good article.
But I remained unconvinced!
I’ve never been attracted to Twitter and have never used it. Glancing at the comments to the right of this page only solidifies this stance. All I seem to read on Twitter is guff.
However, I’m willing to give things a go and try new things.
Which is why I’m here.
Haha you are a little firecracker Shade. Do you mean my twitter tweets or the comments on this post make you believe “twitter is guff”?
I dislike when I see comments like yours (you are totally entitled to your opinion) just because I feel sorry that you won’t give such an incredibly useful tool a chance.
THIS THING IS FREE and very powerful… This isn’t Google Buzz, it’s freakin’ Twitter and it’s taking over… Why would anyone NOT use it? Especially when all you need to do is spend 5 minutes a day…
Anyways, just my 2 cents!
I meant tweets in general. But I’m wondering if you actually read my post. I said that while I remain unconvinced, I’m willing to try to new things and, basically keep an open mind.
What you’ve written in response I find a tad condescending but, hey, you’re entitled to your 2c.
Cheers,
Shade
excellent advice! thanks so much for sharing this – it helps strengthen my perspective on how to use twitter effectively!
.-= Jen Kiaba´s last blog ..Vintage Locket – Whimsical Fine Art Print =-.
Hey Shade,
I did totally miss the last part of your comment (that you were going to give it a shot) so I had to give you my little GO TWITTER pitch.
Definitely didn’t mean to make it condescending but if that’s the tone you got, sorry! I said “comments like yours” because I see stuff like that all the time from people who haven’t tried it… and it does bother me.
Justine ~
Thank you for this. I am new to twitter ~ or well have had an account for a while, but I have it connected to my facebook and honestly did NOT GET it, but heard I should be doing it!! Well it just tweets my comments I make on facebook. So I’m thinking about unconnecting it from facebook, because it tweets everything I do list a new item on etsy or post a comment about my jewelry. I need to think about what I am posting, now with your help I get it a little better. Also I am following some one who makes so many tweets about themselves I was thinking I need to quit following them b/c I can’t see what anybody else is tweeting. It’s like everyminute and several pages will just be them. ANNOYING JUST LIKE YOU SAID!! I notice a lot of people on twitter aren’t saying much, so I’m gonna try to say something….does that make sense? Gonna give it a better shot, thanks to you. You are awesome. Thank you!
Becky
.-= Becky´s last blog ..Candy Land Dreams Four =-.
Hey Becky,
that’s a great idea about separating it from your facebook updates.. with facebook you can make things a bit more about you so this way you can use twitter in a more friendly way, but don’t worry about the past…
I can run down some APIs that are cool to use with twitter that you might like, ones where you can get a list of people who don’t tweet anymore (and unfollow them) etc.
Thank you Justine, it’s a helpful and wise advice.
But what can you do when the reality is 95% of twitter is self promotion. And a lot of tweets sound like totally meaningless mumblings that don’t even make sense with tons of inserted links, half sentences and random words.
I seriously think, no meter how you’re going to cover it ,this way or another, it’ll still be just self promotion in disguise that we’re all smart and sophisticated enough to recognize. Don’t you think?
Thanks again , irit
Irit, you make an interesting point but what I like is how Twitter went through cycles… when it first came out everyone was just tweeting their breakfast and then later another cycle was tweeting self-promos and now it’s different, it’s a huge networking tool and so many more people I see tweeting are retweeting and replying.. like crazy. I sometimes forget to even go on Twitter for self-promo reasons… Don’t get me wrong, I put out my links every once and again but people always say if you do things right, you will have a bunch of people tweeting your stuff for you! I am going to go to be discussing a networking workbook that Dave Navarro put out (it’s free) that will help you pinpoint key players you will want to network with and the way to connect with them very casually (no emails, weird awkward stuff) is Twitter! that’s the coolest part. Imagine getting a reply from a celebrity… the only place it’s possible is Twitter… same goes for networking with people who can really help your business!
Justine
Great advice and lots of interesting comments above! I for sure am going to take all your advice on board I am a lazy tweeter but maybe with more input it will all become more interesting and social.
Big Thanks
Justine, I’ve got a comment somewhat related to your Twitter post (although I completely agree about give vs. take). With that in mind, I’ve just nominated you for a Sunshine Award for inspiring bloggers! If you’d like to accept, please visit my blog for more details.
OK Justine , thanks for answering. I’ll take your advice and won’t give up on Twitter .
[...] weaknesses. There’s a damn good chance they are just tweeting their own links so since you just read up on how not to be annoying on Twitter, you know how to use Twitter more effectively which makes your brand more likable and your success [...]
thanks , i read this last week and have spent more time retweeting, replying and following links and as a result i have seen some really beautiful artwork that has made my spirit soar and met some lovely giving people. Thank you for showing me how…still got a long way to go…
.-= Robyn Colledge´s last blog ..Grandpa’s pride and joy frame =-.
You guys crack me up!
Thanks for this! I use to twitter my links to much but the past couple weeks Iv held back and have not done this as much. Iv re tweeted and replied to other people. Iv noticed a difference. Now, it bothers me when I ask people a question and they say nothing back!!! Ahh rude.. I feel like not following them anymore! I agree twitter is a useful tool! I know I have gotten fans and followers due to tweeting! Everyone should try it out.
Thanks!!!!! <3
.-= Cheryl´s last blog ..Golden Sea Earrings – Antique Gold, Czech Glass, Swarovski Crystal, Glazed Porcelain =-.
Funny, I found this post through another blog that I retweeted. I now see the value in tweeting. In the beginning, I was too busy to see any value in something else hogging up my time. Thanks so much for the sound advice that I will surely follow. I agree that about 5-10 minutes a day doesn’t hurt and can only help.
Fondly,
Leah
http://www.twitter.com/leahfairman
I have a Twitter account for tweek (@ilovetweek) which I never use anymore. I have it set up so that Twitter links from my Facebook page updates, but I stopped actually logging in and using it because I found it to be so overwhelming with everyone just tooting their own horn, promoting their own thing… and I felt like I had to do the same thing but “better” in order to get noticed. Too much pressure! And obviously incorrect!
I just recently made my Twitter page private, because I was getting spambots following me, who were hacking into my account, which made me nervous about getting hacked into other accounts.
I am now realizing that I have been going about Twitter the wrooooong way! And that I should give it another go.
.-= Cassandra´s last blog ..New Store: Made You Look =-.
Justine – Fabulous post! I adore your blog. These Twitter tips are great for both newbies and seasoned Tweeters (such as myself).
I really like what you said about always asking people to retweet your posts. It never occurred to me how irritating that could be and I’m going to cut it out immediately
Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work!
Christine
http://www.stuffbyxtine.com
.-= Christine´s last blog ..Two sales on SBX this week! =-.
Just found your wonderful blog through Scoutie Girl. I’m new to blogging and tweeting and can’t thank you enough for the great info you’re putting out there for newbies like me. I’m a little intimidated by all the time facebook, twitter and blogging take, but I can see that it’s really worthwhile for your business. Thanks for sharing!
PS- Would love to read your Social Media Success Tips but the link seems broken, could you reset?
Great article, Justine! I have been using some of this recently with blogging (trying to implement the 80/20 concept) but have not jumped on board with Twitter yet. I am ready (thanks for that final push!) but have one question I am hoping you can help me with. I have a handmade business and blog but I also have a blog that revolves around the concept of “real food”. Is it better to have one twitter account for “me” that just links to both, or get a separate account for each one since they are so different?
Thanks!!
Kelly Irene
That’s a really great question Kelly. I myself have 2 Twitter accounts, one for my ‘handmade blogger’ persona (anything to do with handmade marketer and the craft industry) and then one for my ‘justines media’ persona which has to do with my personal blogging, video editing services and so on.
But the thing is, i still haven’t really used the second account. Twitter is a lot of work and sometimes I think having two accounts leads you to feel like you’re living a double life haha. Go for one, see how you feel. But there’s no reason to feel like you can’t talk about both your business and your other adventures with the real food.
Thank you, Justine! I know what you mean about the double life, and realistically I would not keep up two accounts. (two blogs is difficult enough!) I took the leap @MsKellyIrene!
I haven’t been using twitter much at all, find keeping with all the aspect of the business very difficult but thanks to your articles I am changing my whole attitude towards it, so Thanks for that.
by the way I just twitter about your blog and links, I would like others to benefit from it as well.
Regards from London
Marga