What the #@&! Do I Say on Twitter?

One of the most common complaints I hear from clients is their anxiety around what to say on Twitter and other social media channels, expletives occasionally included.
They see other people talking and posting and they feel the tremendous momentum building around these conversations and would like to join in, but they are too paralyzed to do anything. They also realize that it’s a great opportunity to meet and connect with potential clients.

“I just don’t have anything interesting to share,” they tell me, or worse, “What if I make a complete fool of myself?”

What if you do?

I promise you the world won’t cave in, tomorrow will come and you’ll still be here.

In all seriousness, it’s not that serious. This is a conversation, my friend, and you’re invited to jump in anytime. Personally, I have found Twitter to be one of the friendliest water coolers on earth. And, it’s a great place to get known, build credibility and attract clients.

It will, however, benefit you tremendously to have a strategy in place for your brand before you jump in head first. Here are five steps to get you on the right track

1. Find Your Posse – Twitter has an excellent search feature. Use this box to find friends and other like-minded individuals to follow. If you’re a Business Coach living in New York who loves yoga and theatre, you might search terms like: business coach, entrepreneur, start-ups, New York City, yoga, theatre, Broadway, etc. The point is to find others in your industry, potential clients, as well as people that share some of your interests and passions.

2. Listen First – Once you’re following others in your industry and people you’re interested in, start watching their Twitter streams. What are they talking about? What information are they sharing? This will give you some ideas for your own content and you’ll get a feel for how people are using the medium. Just watch and listen for now.

3. Create Your Content Categories – This step is key to what you’ll be posting. What do you want to be known for? What are your passions? Make a list of these things and then decide what you most want to talk about. For example, if you are an acupuncturist living in Los Angeles who specializes in women’s health and loves surfing, cooking and traveling, your categories might be: acupuncture, empowering women, healthy recipes, being healthy in LA, surfing and your personal travels. You will share information from each of these content categories on a regular basis. And people who share these interests will want to learn more from you and share with their followers!

4. Give to Receive – Instead of focusing on how many Followers you have, spend your time retweeting (RT) others and sharing their information. Look for opportunities to connect people and highlight their successes. Trust me, this will give you plenty to tweet about. And you won’t have to worry about your Followers count for long.

5. Be Yourself – the Twitter community has a pretty strong asshole radar. If all you’re doing is broadcasting information, pitching your products and services and copying others, you’ll find yourself blacklisted rather quickly. Don’t just talk about your work – share your interests and passions, too. As my lovely friend Britt Michaelian says, “Whatever that thing is that sets you apart from others in real life - is the same thing that will make you stand out in social media. It’s your secret sauce.” Let us see the real you.

Knowing what to say on Twitter is pretty simple, really. Just follow your posse, watch and listen for a bit, create your content categories and give as much interesting, helpful information as possible. Focus on connecting others and highlighting how fabulous THEY are, and finally and most important, just be yourself. Let us see your personality.

Nobody can do it exactly like you.

©2012 Liz Dennery Sanders