by Penny C. Sansevieri
Indie authors ask me all the time how to get noticed on Twitter because, just as with LinkedIn and Facebook, when an author connects with the right people, a.k.a. key influencers, it makes a huge difference.
But on Twitter this endeavor can be a more focused effort, and sometimes the connection is even easier than it is on other social-media platforms.
Why? Because Twitter is a direct link. If you want to associate yourself with a Tweet, you can instantly like it and its author will know. If you share the Tweet, they’ll know that, too. As you’re exposed to a social influencer’s followers, the number of your own followers will begin to climb, along with your network for book promotion.
Even these basic actions—liking, sharing—will open the door to a great connection for next-level book promotion.
How to Get Noticed on Twitter by Finding the Right People
Before you can start connecting, you first have to find the right people to connect with. On Twitter, searching for specialized targets is easy. If you’re looking for someone specific, simply type their name in the search box at the top of your Twitter home screen and then scroll through the results. To refine your search, use the features on the left side of the search results.
If you’re just looking for people who share the same interests, or for other indie authors who write in your genre, try using Twitterholic.com or TwitterLocal.net.
Once you start following a lot of people, the constant updates to your newsfeed can become overwhelming. If you’re following a significant number of people, I recommend dividing them into Twitter lists.
I use these lists for a variety of purposes. I keep some lists only for a while, and others I keep much longer. For example, let’s say you’re going to an event and want to add the speakers to a list so you can learn a bit about them before meeting them in person. When you create a Twitter list for this, the program will send you Tweets from these speakers, which you can retweet or reply to. The same is true for folks you want to follow in the industry, like other providers, authors, or business people you admire. Categorizing people and services into lists can help you focus on what’s most important to you during a session on Twitter, rather than being overwhelmed by the abundance of creative activity the platform spotlights. The uses for lists are endless.
How to Get Noticed on Twitter by Improving Engagement
Engaging on any social-media site, especially Twitter, is really no different from engaging in person at a networking event. When you show up at an organized event, you’re not likely to just walk into the room and yell, “Hey, can everyone here buy my book?” Which is why I am confounded when I catch indie authors doing this online and on social media. Relationships, even virtual ones, take time to build, and they often start with you giving more than you get, at least initially. But if you’re looking to build a tribe of influencers and to network, consider these tips to build your followers—and your engagement—in record time.
- Follow your influencers. This kind of goes without saying, but often I find that folks do forget this. Everyone loves followers, even the influencer in your market. So first and foremost, follow them. Next…
- Share their content. Before you ask for a review, an endorsement for your book, or before basically any request, share their content. And don’t do it willy-nilly; I mean share content thoughtfully. Even add a comment to the content you’re sharing, which I highly encourage you to do. Be selective with what you share, making sure it’s interesting to your followers and that it dials into the message that best aligns with what your book or product is about.
- Comment on their content. Along with content you share, you can also comment on things that you see in their Twitter feed. A quick, thoughtful, short comment can go a long way toward introducing yourself.
- Like their content. Liking is another great way to spread the content love without necessarily spreading the content. Often, if I see something I like, I will both like and share it. You can also like a piece of content but not share it, especially if it’s off topic. An example of this might be when I sometimes share personal stuff in my Twitter feed, like a picture of my dog being awesome. If you’re trying to network with me, you may not want to share that, but you could give it a like.
- Follow them on their blog and comment there, too. If you really want to network with someone, consider using another funnel in addition to Twitter. If they don’t blog, or don’t blog often, you could follow them on Facebook or Instagram and post comments there, but it’s more than likely that your target does have a blog and is probably posting regularly. Trust me, if you post a comment regularly on their blog and share their content on Twitter, they will remember you, and this combination of actions is a great way to build a virtual relationship.
- Don’t DM them. DM = Direct Messaging, and I will tell you that I ignore 99% of the DMs I receive. Why? Because if someone really wants to network with me, they’ll make the effort to find my email address. DMs, in general, aren’t a great idea. In fact, if you automate one that thanks your new followers, I’d get rid of it. I think they’re annoying and canned. Take the personal route; you’ll be glad you did.
- Engage with Speakers Before Events. One really cool way to use Twitter is to engage with folks heavily right before you go to see them speak. I often do this for several speakers with whom I’m trying to connect, and I’ll ramp up the engagement as the event nears. Often they’ll Tweet out that they’ll be at such-and-such event, and I’ll comment back, telling them I’m excited, too. If done properly, you can easily tee up a meeting, or even a quick hi at the end of their talk.
I’ve written entire articles on getting more engagement on Twitter, but the bottom line is this: if you dial in to your topic, network on Twitter, comment on others’ Tweets, share them, and include hashtags in your posts, you’ll build your followers. Period. Becoming numbers-focused forces us to develop more relevant content. And, while numbers don’t always tell the whole story, they never lie. I once mentored a business owner who loved Twitter but wasn’t sure where to go with it. We researched her audience, determined what their needs were, and then pushed a timely, interesting, and helpful message. Now, a year later, she’s gone from just five to 68,000 followers on Twitter.
How to Get Noticed on Twitter by Being Genuine
I often see authors who begin to engage with folks only when they want something, which is typically a review. And while most influencers get this and aren’t necessarily offended by it, it’s always nice to engage with them on an ongoing basis even before you pitch them.
What does this mean? Well, start with five influencers you absolutely love and read what they tweet/blog about and then share/comment on those tweets/blogs. That simple act can get you more exposure than you realize. Just sharing their content in a thoughtful way tells the influencer that you’re engaged with them, you are reading their tweets/blog, and you’re paying attention. I can almost guarantee that if you do this, when your turn comes, they’ll be paying attention too.
How to Get Noticed on Twitter by Getting Personal
I did a test a couple of years back where I took an unknown author in a super-cluttered genre (romance) and I set up an email account for her that I could manage. I went through a list of 100 bloggers appropriate to her topic and pitched them, one at a time, with her pitch. Not only did I personalize each email, but I also took a moment to note things I learned by reading their blog. In one instance, a blogger had just gotten a dog and named it Library, and I commented on how cute I thought that name was (and how jealous I felt that I hadn’t thought of it when I named my dog!). This level of personalization got her 80 out of 100 blogger requests. Yes, I said 80. This for an unknown author with no history and little to no social-media footprint. The same principle applies to connecting with influencers on Twitter. In an age of point-and-shoot, it’s often the little touches that separate out what gets noticed. And, although this takes a bit of effort, the results can be fabulous.
So when it comes to DMing and other automated things you can do, skip the automation and go for personalized outreach. You’ll make better headway if you don’t treat your influencers like numbers.
At the end of the day, Twitter is a great tool for expanding your network as an indie author if your people use the site. Follow some of my guidelines, and I think you’ll feel astounded at the positive effect you’ll see on your long-term book-promotion efforts.
Penny Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. (AME) and an adjunct professor at NYU, is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns.
