Twitter Rules to Abide and Question

In the previous article, Linda introduced Twitter to designers, including some tools to use and some basic rules that you might follow for Twitter success. In this article, she will take you into the realm of Twitter Rule Meisters, or people who insist that you follow their rules. She offers some alternatives that, outside of Twitter's official rules, actually bring total freedom to your Twitter use.

Some Twitter Ideas to Think About

While I don't follow some rules, I do follow others, especially in the Appomattox News account, where that Twitter account represents a business entity. In the beginning, I followed a lot of independent reporters to learn more about how they Twittered. I also followed some newspapers – but there was no comparison. Most newspaper Twitter users are lifeless, boring, but useful at times. Independent reporters, on the other hand, seem to "get it."

By "getting it," I mean that many folks on Twitter understand what it's like to collaborate, spread news and help others out. Look at what's going on in Iran right now, for instance – without Twitter, some news stations would have little to no clue as to what is happening in that country. More than anything, I have learned that a Twitter account is more about activism than what I had for lunch.

Even Nicholas Patten, the guy who shares other graphic sites with graphic designers on Twitter, is an activist. He supports other graphic designers by pointing new viewers to their work. Myself? I'm an anti-uranium mining advocate on one Twitter account and an environmental activist on the other account. One is focused on Virginia and regional news and the other is focused on national news and is not limited to one part of the environmental movement – at least not at the moment.

So, you might think about taking up a cause, as that's one way I garnered many readers very quickly on both accounts. Some tips (not rules) to think about, though -

1. If you mention the word, "zombie" in a tweet, you might find a horde of zombies following you on Twitter. Yes, this has happened to me. Seriously.

2. You don't need to follow everyone. But, look at that follower's homepage and some tweets before you dismiss him or her – you may find that person can help you down the road with a project or two.

3. When you find someone you want to follow, look at that person's list of people they follow – you may find more interesting people who have similar interests. Follow them, if you want – but, as I mentioned last week – don't follow too many people at once, or Twitter might determine that you're a spammer.

4. Don't worry if your followers are sparse. But, I would worry if they remain sparse...either you're not reaching out, or what you say has little to no relevance for people. I think, perhaps, your problem would be the former – when you don't reach out to others, they won't notice you in the wild and woolly Twitter stream.

Conclusion

A friend once stated that when a person has more then 1,000 followers, then that person turns into a broadcaster, not a Twitterer. I agreed at the time, then I thought about what she said. What's wrong with broadcasting, especially when you're being followed by people of like mind? That's one way to help get legislation passed or to stop a drug firm from making bad television commercials (yes, this has happened).

If you're not into politics, it's a way to let folks know about a local gathering or to find more people who are interested in the same things as you. Be bold! Put out a Tweet that states you're looking for more graphic designers or programmers.

I see Twitter in one of three ways, depending upon what I want to share and how I want to share it:

1. The first scenario: I'm in an office working, and I want to share something with the entire office;

2. The second scenario: I'm at an office party (or a chamber gathering) and I want to share something with a few people, but it doesn't matter if others hear.

3. The final scenario: I'm at a party, and – excuse me – but, I'm going to have fun (although not at another person's expense).

Granted, lately the news has been dire enough on my end to avoid #3. And, I would never go that route with my Appomattox News account. But, if you're a bit shy or you're worried about how others might perceive you, then take it slow. Put yourself in a comfortable place in your head and share some news. Allow some people to get to know you, and everything else seems to fall into place from there.