Did you miss #ContentWritingChat this week? Well, you sure missed one busy chat! This Tuesday, we shared a ton of tips that will help you become a Twitter superstar. Keep reading to learn more!
#ContentWritingChat Recap: Twitter 101, How to Build a Following, Write Compelling Posts, & More with Madalyn Sklar
Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, July 19th at 10 AM CDT with guest host, @MadalynSklar! pic.twitter.com/8sF9FYdWMF
— Express Writers (@ExpWriters) July 12, 2016
Our guest host this week was social media guru Madalyn Sklar. Madalyn is the host of the #TwitterSmarter podcast and Twitter chat. She has also been ranked #1 in social media for the Houston, Texas area. Pretty amazing! Be sure to check out Madalyn’s website and her podcast.
Q1: What are the best practices for building a following on Twitter?
Are you looking to give your following on Twitter a major boost? You just need to keep these tips in mind:
A1: Best practices for building a Twitter following: listen, engage, share great content, be consistent, be real. #ContentWritingChat
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 19, 2016
A1: Being real and transparent is everything on social media and especially on Twitter. You can’t fake it over here. #ContentWritingChat
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 19, 2016
What are Madalyn’s tips for landing more Twitter followers? Listen to others, engage with your audience, share great content, be consistent, and be real. If you do these things regularly, you’re sure to see results. Also, make sure you’re always true to yourself. If you aren’t, your audience will see right through you.
A1: Think of Twitter as a cocktail party. Talk to people. Connect with them. That’s the mindset to building a following. #ContentWritingChat
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 19, 2016
Madalyn also said to think of Twitter as a cocktail party. Make sure you’re talking to people and connecting with them. That’s a great way to look at it!
A1: We would say engagement! Twitter is a great tool to build relationships and converse with your audience & users. #contentwritingchat
— MioDatos (@MioDatos) July 19, 2016
A1: Engage, engage & engage! Also share valuable information that your followers want to interact with. #contentwritingchat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) July 19, 2016
Engagement is definitely key if you want to grow your following on Twitter or any social media platform.
A1: Follow people, talk to them, participate in chats that appeal to you. Communicate a worthwhile message! #contentwritingchat
— Chris Christensen (@christensen143) July 19, 2016
Chris knows participating in Twitter chats is a great way to build your audience. Twitter chats make it easy to connect with others. You don’t have to worry about feeling awkward when jumping into a conversation.
A1: Know your audience. Share/write content they want. BUT, more importantly, LISTEN to them. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/rFXe5RzgEb
— ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) July 19, 2016
Sarah from ThinkSEM said to get to know your audience and share the content they want. When you give your audience what they’re looking for, you’re giving them a reason to follow you and stick around. Don’t forget to also listen to them as well. What are they saying online?
#ContentWritingChat A1: Post useful, interesting content consistently (at least 5x per day) & use 1-2 industry-specific hashtags per tweet.
— New Jupiter Media (@NewJupiterMedia) July 19, 2016
Post content that is both useful and interesting to your audience and do so consistently. Don’t forget to select a relevant hashtag or two to expand your reach.
A1 Joining #ContentWritingChat and other Twitter chats has been a great way for me to find like-minded followers!
— Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) July 19, 2016
A1 If you provide value or solutions to problems, you will build a Twitter following organically. No short cuts! #ContentWritingChat
— Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) July 19, 2016
Bill has us all blushing over here! He knows that Twitter chats, including #ContentWritingChat, are a great place to find like-minded followers. He’s also spot on with his advice. If you’re providing valuable content, people will want to follow you.
Q2: What makes Twitter chats a must for anyone on Twitter?
If you haven’t joined a Twitter chat yet, you’re really missing out! (And you should absolutely be joining #ContentWritingChat.) If you haven’t yet figured out why they’re a must, just read these tweets:
A2: Twitter chats are an amazing way to connect with like-minded people and build your tribe. #ContentWritingChat
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 19, 2016
A2: Twitter chats allow you to get educated on a variety of topics and subjects. It’s better than Google! #ContentWritingChat
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 19, 2016
Madalyn said Twitter chats are an amazing way to connect with like-minded individuals. With so many chats going on these days, it’s easy to find one where your audience is hanging out. She knows they’re also a fantastic way to learn and expand your knowledge.
A2: What DOESN’T make them a must?! Perfect place to network, meet new friends, get insight, etc #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/lwGc4NPOSI
— ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) July 19, 2016
As Sarah said, Twitter chats are the perfect place to network, meet new friends, and get insight from others.
A2. Connection. Collaboration. Expertise. I love learning from others and creating great online communities w/ chats! #ContentWritingChat
— Bourbon & Honey (@BrittanyBrander) July 19, 2016
Connection, collaboration, and expertise. Great answer from Brittany!
A2) They’re fun! Lot’s of like-minded (and not so) participants. You learn and share what you know #ContentWritingChat
— Tim Fawkes (@Tim_Fawkes) July 19, 2016
Tim thinks Twitter chats are a lot of fun. He knows they’re a great place to connect, but also to learn and share the knowledge you have.
A2: chats are HUGE for genuine relationship building..it brings together like-minded individuals #ContentWritingChat
— Brett Pucino (@BPucino) July 19, 2016
Brett said chats are a must for genuine relationship building.
A2. A great place to find others to follow, helps show your knowledge on a topic and can help you learn a things too. #contentwritingchat
— BrandBlox (@BrandBloxNet) July 19, 2016
The best chats are ones where you can share your knowledge to help others and you can learn a thing or two as well.
@ExpWriters A2: Great opportunity to network, talk to great people and learn something new from the great responses! #ContentWritingChat
— TransactViaLegal (@TNTL2015) July 19, 2016
Chats are a good opportunity to network and learn something new.
Q3: How can you create content that stands out on Twitter?
Dealing with Twitter’s character limitations doesn’t have to hold you back. You can still create amazing content that gets noticed by your audience. Here’s how:
A3: Know what content your audience is interested in and cater to them! #ContentWritingChat
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 19, 2016
A3: Use content that stands out on Twitter: images, video, GIFs #ContentWritingChat
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 19, 2016
Madalyn knows it all goes back to your audience when it comes to creating content. If you want to share amazing content on Twitter, you have to give your audience what they want to see. Provide value to them.
She also recommends using images, videos, and GIFs to get your content noticed.
A3: Always think: What is of value to my audience on Twitter? What pulls them closer to me? #contentwritingchat
— Ray Sidney-Smith (@w3consulting) July 19, 2016
Ray is on the right track with his answer. He knows how important it is to consider your audience when creating posts for Twitter. Think about what your audience would value and give that to them.
A3. Be passionate about the stuff you share + engage others in discussions about it. #contentwritingchat
— Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) July 19, 2016
Kristen feels passion is key when it comes to sharing content on Twitter. If you want your tweets to get noticed, make sure you’re passionate about what you’re posting.
@writingchat A3: Adding unique & eye-popping visuals always helps. Also use the best hashtags for your content 🙂 #contentwritingchat
— MioDatos (@MioDatos) July 19, 2016
A3: VISUALS! Adding videos and images to your content will help them stand out on your followers timelines! #ContentWritingChat
— TransactViaLegal (@TNTL2015) July 19, 2016
Adding a visual is always helpful if you want your content to stand out. Create eye-catching graphics that will grab the attention of your audience as they scroll through their timeline. Don’t forget to add relevant hashtags as well.
A3 Creating “stand out” content requires a great visual, a great subject, & a great deal of subject-matter research #ContentWritingChat
— ShereeseM, MS/MBA (@ShereesePubHlth) July 19, 2016
Shereese said if you want to stand out, your content needs to have a great visual, a great subject, and a great deal of subject-matter research.
A3. Provide value – Could someone get this info somewhere else? Take common info but present it in a more usable way #contentwritingchat
— BrandBlox (@BrandBloxNet) July 19, 2016
Provide value to your audience. What are they interested in? What would help them? Give your followers what they’re looking for.
A3: By sharing/creating posts that share a consistent message with media, appropriate hashtags, interactions, etc. #ContentWritingChat
— Jane Clauss (@JaneClauss) July 19, 2016
Jane recommends keeping your message consistent across all of your posts. Don’t forget to add hashtags and interact with others as well.
A3) Drill down into demographics analytics and optimise keywords/hashtags. Have a new take even if it’s an old topic #ContentWritingChat
— Ellie Hubble (@ellie_hubble) July 19, 2016
Ellie said to check out your analytics and find out the demographics of your audience. When you get to know them, you can optimize your content for keywords and hashtags so you can stand out.
A3: Write for your audience and not for yourself. #contentwritingchat
— Scott Johnson (@iScottJohnson) July 19, 2016
To put it simply, write for your audience. Give them what they’re looking for and they’re sure to love your content.
Q4: Are there rules to how often you should post on Twitter?
How often should you really be posting? Is there such a thing as too many tweets? Check out what some of the participants from Tuesday’s chat had to say:
A4: There are NO rules when it comes to Twitter. You make the rules! You can post how often you want. #ContentWritingChat
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 19, 2016
A4: But I will say you don’t want to post too little or too much. Find an amount that works for you. #ContentWritingChat
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 19, 2016
Madalyn said there are NO rules when it comes to Twitter. You can post as often as you’d like. Just make sure you don’t post too little or too much. Find a balance that works for you.
A4: If you are new to Twitter and just starting out, I recommend tweeting 3-5 times a day. #ContentWritingChat
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 19, 2016
She also recommends to post 3-5 times per day if you’re just getting started on Twitter. Great advice!
A4: It’s all dictated by your audience. Whatever you do, try to remain consistent. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/lkBHuJqrlS
— ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) July 19, 2016
As Sarah said, it all goes back to your audience. No matter how often you post per day, make sure you stay consistent.
A4: Post as often as you feel comfortable with. Just make sure you’re focused on providing value + remaining consistent. #ContentWritingChat
— Rachel (@redheadrachel) July 19, 2016
Ultimately, you want to make sure you’re providing value to your audience with every tweet you post. You should always be focused on giving your audience the great content they want to see.
A4 I prefer a solid Created/Curated balance rather than a posting quantity limit. Whatever amount, give valuable content #Contentwritingchat
— Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) July 19, 2016
Bill agrees that providing value is key. The value you give to your audience matters more than how often you post.
A4. Find out what your balance should be by watching metrics. No need to post more if it doesn’t generate anything. #contentwritingchat
— BrandBlox (@BrandBloxNet) July 19, 2016
Keep an eye on your metrics to see how well your tweets are performing. You can do this by checking Twitter Analytics. Is your audience engaging with all the tweets you’re posting?
A4) It varies by audience. Monitor analytics to see how you’re growing and learn accordingly. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/p81AOqWqP8
— Jeff Reno(e) (@Renoe) July 19, 2016
It looks like Jenn agrees when it comes to checking your analytics. She knows they can help you grow and learn so you can better your strategy.
A4 “re-post for different time zones” @guykawasaki @pegfitzgerald #contentwritingchat
— David Pepper (@thedavepepper) July 19, 2016
As David said, make sure you re-post content for different time zones. Keep in mind that your followers are likely located all over the world. You don’t want them to miss anything by limiting your posts to a certain chunk of the day.
A4: Honestly, you should post the amount that feels right to you & your audience. There’s not a single magic # for all. #contentwritingchat
— MioDatos (@MioDatos) July 19, 2016
Do what feels right for you and your audience. There isn’t a magic number that works for everyone.
A4) Experiment! Find your peak times and tweet most then. Don’t be afraid to talk if you have something to say #ContentWritingChat
— Tim Fawkes (@Tim_Fawkes) July 19, 2016
Tim said you should experiment with your posting schedule. Find your peak times for posting and tweet the most during that time. If you have something to say, don’t be afraid to share.
A4. Find out when your audience is most active on Twitter, then plan your posts around that. #contentwritingchat
— Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) July 19, 2016
Kristen also recommends taking advantage of your peak posting times. Find out when your audience is most active on Twitter and schedule your posts around those times.
@writingchat Q4: Daily. It’s important to know your audience. Learn when & how often they’re looking to engage with you. #ContentWritingChat
— Jessy (@jessyh2609) July 19, 2016
Make sure you’re posting daily. You should create a schedule and stick to it.
A4. Not rules, but best practices for sure. It all depends on your industry and community. #ContentWritingChat @ExpWriters
— Co-op Social (@co_opsocial) July 19, 2016
Consider your industry and your community. They’ll respond to things differently than another online community.
A4) I usually schedule 5-7 a day and then mix in live tweets and live interaction #ContentWritingChat
— Nick Rishwain (@expertsdotcomvp) July 19, 2016
For Nick, he likes to schedule 5-7 tweets per day. He mixes that up with live interaction with his audience.
A4. I think the most important thing is to engage rather than just post about yourself. Have conversations. Be polite. #ContentWritingChat
— Jorgenson Lockers (@JorgensonLocker) July 19, 2016
Remember that social media isn’t just about talking about yourself or your business. You should also make sure you’re engaging with your audience and having conversations.
Q5: How important are hashtags on Twitter? What can they help you do?
Are you using hashtags regularly on Twitter? You should be! A relevant hashtag can help you expand your reach on the social media platform. Check out these tips:
A5: Hashtags are important because they help you find tweets using a relevant keyword(s). #ContentWritingChat
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 19, 2016
Madalyn knows hashtags are great for finding tweets using a relevant keyword. They’ll help you to connect with your audience and others who are interested in what you’re sharing.
A5) Relevant hashtags give your tweet wings! Targets it to an audience, extends it’s life and makes it discoverable. #contentwritingchat
— Jim Carter (@MSLJim) July 19, 2016
Jim said relevant hashtags give your tweet wings. Hashtags allow you to target your content to a specific audience, helps to extend its life, and makes your post more discoverable.
#ContentWritingChat A5: Hashtags are vital! They help people find conversations about your industry & organically grow your following.
— New Jupiter Media (@NewJupiterMedia) July 19, 2016
Hashtags are a must if you want people to find what you’re posting. They can help you to grow your following organically.
A5) Hashtags connect you to people who are interested in what you’re saying. They enable amazing chats like this too! #ContentWritingChat
— Tim Fawkes (@Tim_Fawkes) July 19, 2016
Tim said hashtags can help connect you to others who are interested in what you’re saying. They also help us to have amazing Twitter chats, just like #ContentWritingChat!
A5: Hashtags are essential but many times overdone. Two tops per tweet and in your bio. Anymore and it looks messy. #contentwritingchat
— Chris Christensen (@christensen143) July 19, 2016
As Chris said, hashtags are essential but it is possible to overdo it. Limit yourself to two hashtags per tweet.
A5: Hashtags can be very powerful! But only use ones that make sense and don’t go overboard with them. #contentwritingchat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) July 19, 2016
Use hashtags that are relevant to your audience and the content you’re sharing. Don’t go overboard either. Twitter is not the place for it!
Q5: Hashtags are pretty vital, since they help ensure your post reaches your target audience, & a wider range of people. #ContentWritingChat
— Alexia P. Bullard (@ap_bullard) July 19, 2016
Alexia said hashtags are vital for making sure your content reaches your target audience.
@ExpWriters A5 – Relevant hashtags reach an audience that may not be following you yet. I use hashtagify.me to research. #ContentWritingChat
— globalHMA (@globalHMA) July 19, 2016
Relevant hashtags will help new people discover you. Try a tool like hashtagify.me to find the right ones for you.
A5. Use hashtags to join conversations, #but #please #dont #do #this #its #so #annoying #contentwritingchat
— Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) July 19, 2016
Never, ever do this. It’s just not cool.
A5. So important! Think of hashtags as search keywords; they help you get seen and heard. #ContentWritingChat @ExpWriters
— Co-op Social (@co_opsocial) July 19, 2016
Think of hashtags as search keywords to help your content be seen.
A5: Hashtags are super important for awareness, relationship building & engaging with your community #ContentWritingChat @writingchat
— Zola Creative (@ZolaCreative) July 19, 2016
Hashtags can help you generate brand awareness, plus help you build relationships with your community.
A5. We do hashtag research to keep a bank of approved hashtags and keep them in order of possible impressions. #contentwritingchat
— BrandBlox (@BrandBloxNet) July 19, 2016
Great tip! Do some hashtag research and find ones that are relevant to your audience. Save them all by order of possible impressions and refer to them when scheduling your posts.
Q6: How can you take advantage of Twitter’s features such as Analytics and Lists?
Twitter Analytics and Lists are great tools to utilize if you really want to make the most of Twitter. Here are some great tips from Tuesday’s chat:
A6: Twitter analytics are very helpful. You can access them at https://t.co/8WRP5jygf6 #ContentWritingChat
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 19, 2016
If you haven’t used Twitter Analytics yet, you can access yours at the link Madalyn shared.
A6: I recommend viewing your Twitter analytics every month so you can see what’s working best. #ContentWritingChat
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 19, 2016
A6: Twitter lists help you cut through the noise and see the most important tweets. #ContentWritingChat
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 19, 2016
Madalyn recommends checking out your analytics every month so you can see what’s working best. Which posts are resonating with your audience? Which ones didn’t perform as well as you’d hoped?
For lists, she feels they help you cut through the noise to see the most important tweets. Carefully curate your lists so you see just the updates you’re truly interested in.
A6) Twitter analytics help you learn who your audience is (and isn’t) and what they like (and don’t like) – imperative! #ContentWritingChat
— Ellie Hubble (@ellie_hubble) July 19, 2016
As Ellie said, you can get insight into what your audience likes and doesn’t like when it comes to your posts.
A6: b) Tweets can also get lost in a user’s feed pretty easily. Analytics can show the best times for you to tweet. #contentwritingchat
— MioDatos (@MioDatos) July 19, 2016
Analytics can help you determine your best times to tweet. You can schedule your most important posts around these times for an increase in engagement.
A6: At its core, Analytics gives insights into what works & can help guide #socialmedia strategy #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/56ib3ZYSOE
— Polaris Direct (@PolarisDirect) July 19, 2016
Your analytics will give you insight into what’s working for you and what’s not. The metrics you see can help guide your social media strategy and set up up for success.
A6: Learn follower demographics like their interests & locations to better target your posts. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/SOcx9tafJ6
— TimeTap (@tmtap) July 19, 2016
You can also discover the demographics of your audience, as well as their interests and locations. You can target your posts accordingly.
A6 #Twitter list help in monitoring relevant & important accounts #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/j4Uh00s1PX
— Varun Kumar (@varunkr842) July 19, 2016
Varun knows lists are great for monitoring relevant and important accounts. You won’t miss a thing if you keep your lists in order.
A6: Twitter lists when combined with Tweetdeck make sure you never miss a thing. I would be lost without this combo #contentwritingchat
— Andy Drinkwater (@iqseo) July 19, 2016
As Andy said, TweetDeck is a great tool to use if you want to stay updated with your lists. The columns TweetDeck provides makes it easy to see what everyone is sharing. You’ll never miss a thing!
Q7: How can you write a targeted Twitter bio that earns more followers?
The bio you include on your Twitter profile is so important. It can make or break whether or not someone chooses to follow you. Take a look at these tips to ensure you maximize the characters you have for an amazing bio:
A7: Make your Twitter bio stand out. Be compelling. Be descriptive. Tell your story. #ContentWritingChat
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 19, 2016
A7: People will look at your Twitter bio and decide in seconds if you are worthy to follow. Be worthy! #ContentWritingChat
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 19, 2016
Madalyn’s advice is to be compelling and descriptive. Use your bio to tell your story. It can play a deciding factor in whether or not someone follows you, so you better make sure it’s a good one.
A7. Use your bio to tell a story about you: what you do and why you do it. #ContentWritingChat
— Bourbon & Honey (@BrittanyBrander) July 19, 2016
Brittany said you should tell people what you do and why you do it.
A7: State your “mission,” describe who you are, how you add value. OH and all in 140 characters! #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/P0nk0zyTox
— ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) July 19, 2016
Sarah recommends stating your mission, describing who you are, and how you can add value to your audience. Don’t forget you have to do all of that in only a few characters.
A7) Brands should use some (relevant!) hashtags, & summarise their USP. The character limit forces you to be creative #ContentWritingChat
— Tim Fawkes (@Tim_Fawkes) July 19, 2016
Tim said to use relevant hashtags in your bio and summarize your unique selling point.
A7 Be short, precise, what, where, why. Location, website. And plz, include your real name if ur handle does not say it #ContentWritingChat
— Zala Bricelj (@ZalkaB) July 19, 2016
Zala said to keep it short and precise. You should share what you’re doing and why. Make sure you’ve also included your location and a link to your website. She said if your handle doesn’t include your real name, you should add it to your bio.
A7: Bio + pinned tweet #ftw! Don’t forget the pinned tweet! #contentwritingchat
— Kevin Mullett (@kmullett) July 19, 2016
If you don’t have a pinned tweet, STOP! Take five minutes and pin one. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/V9dgaKPskS
— Zachary Fenell (@zacharyfenell) July 19, 2016
Kevin and Zachary know the combination of your bio and pinned tweet can make your account a winner.
Q8: Quick Q&A for Madalyn! Ask your questions about Twitter.
For the last few minutes of Tuesday’s chat, we allowed everyone to ask Madalyn questions. Here are a few highlights:
A8: @leprchaunrabbit I’ve been a digital marketer for 20 years and social media for 11 years. I found my voice long ago. #ContentWritingChat
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 19, 2016
Madalyn has been a digital marketer for 20 years and has been in social media for 11 years.
@KristenWritesIt I love pinned tweets. It’s a great way to see what your audience is interested in. #contentwritingchat
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 19, 2016
In response to Kristen, Madalyn said she loves pinned tweets. The pinned tweet is prime real estate on your profile and you want to take advantage of it. Pin something you want to receive extra attention.
A8: @ellie_hubble Twitter continues to provide great ways for us to market. It will keep growing. Use the new features! #ContentWritingChat
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 19, 2016
What does she see for the future of Twitter? She thinks the platform will continue to grow, so keep using it.
@varunkr842 Twitter ads are hit or miss. It never hurts to try it out. #ContentWritingChat
— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 19, 2016
She thinks Twitter ads are hit or miss, but that they’re worth trying out. If you’re thinking about using them, just give it a go and see how it works for you. Everyone has a different experience.
We look forward to seeing you at the next #ContentWritingChat! Mark your calendars weekly for Tuesday at 10 AM CDT for great chats centered around content writing and marketing. Follow @ExpWriters to stay updated on our new topics and guests!