Twitter is an interesting way to interact within a community where common human-relationship dynamics show up and can be optimized.  Twitter is a relevant topic with Family First Entrepreneurs because it allows for inexpensive relationship-based networking and exposure.  It’s critical to understand that Twitter can be a business tool, but if you come to the table of Twitter with only your business in mind you will never be set a place to eat.

In my following, it is about people first.  I look for like-mindedness, transparency, and someone who talks about real life.  I don’t follow or follow up with people with just business names.  I want to know the “who” before I’m interested in the “what.”  This is very similar to the way I approach face to face business. I have applied that approach to Twitter and have seen very large results in the growth of both the following behind Family First Entrepreneurism and my book ONO (which will have an early release exclusively for Twitter folks in April).

I like to think of Twitter as an opportunity to meet someone new.  If a business opportunity presents itself, great, but that is the second consideration.  I try to engage the person first.  When people hit me with a “pitch” right off the bat in a reply or DM, they fall into the white noise category.  Always engage new people personally first.  Back check their profile or site, and comment on something you genuinely like about who they are. It will eventually come back around to you, and they will then ask from a genuine place about what it is you do.

Someone at Hubspot referred to it as a cocktail party where people are getting to know one another.  If someone jumped up on a table and yelled his or her pitch, it would be very inappropriate.  The same holds true with Twitter. The key to remember with Twitter is walk lightly around self-promotion.  Be much more mindful of relationships, being helpful, and being funny.  Be that person that people want to hang around with.

The “long tail,” as Chris Anderson would call it, of Twitter is building relationships.  If you do, they will look at what you have without being asked.  That is the true art of Twitter.  If you must self promote, do it only when some asks or in a general tweet from a roundabout way in the form of an update; for example, “Just got done talking with the publisher about ONO.  We are very excited.”

Be genuine.  Find friends and enjoy the conversations.  With the power of Twitter the rest will take care of itself.

If you enjoyed this article, here are two more of my other blog posts that offer more twitter tips: 

Top 10 things New People to Twitter Should Know

Twitter Trolls