If you’re one of the millions of people using Twitter to share what’s on your mind, you know what a challenge it is to stand out among the crowd. To some, Twitter’s a cocktail party. To others, it’s a soap box. But to the majority of its users, Twitter’s more like an uncontrollable scrum in which everybody is competing for a greater share of the discussion.
But it doesn’t have to be that way, not if you do as much listening as talking on this social media communications platform – and, when you do put yourself out there in 140 characters or less, you pause before you post.
That’s right, like a good conversationalist, the last thing you want to do is come across as loud and insensitive, vain and inattentive, crass and inarticulate.
The truth is, to be successful on Twitter is really as easy as being mindful of the “Six Ways to Make People Like You” featured in Dale Carnegie’s classic book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People”…
1. Become genuinely interested in other people.
2. Smile.
3. Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5. Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.
6. Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.
Another way to be a hit in the Twitterverse is to follow the lead of creative director, copywriter and coach, Kat Jaib (@katjaib), who goes above and beyond to lend her ear and pearls of wisdom to the nearly 2,000 friends she’s following there. Seriously, Kat is a role model if ever there was one on Twitter, someone who doesn’t hesitate to reach out to others with kind words and a smile.
Kat always has something nice to say, but she’s outdone herself recently with her answer to a meme called Follow Friday, a hallowed tradition on Twitter of people suggesting others to follow. Kat has taken this notion to the next level by honoring a select few Twitterers each Friday with a short, clever write-up as part of what she calls the Katnip Awards.
While it’s not an Emmy, an Oscar, a Clio or a Hatch, a Katnip is the first award that I know of to be given for tweeting — and just for coming up with the idea, Kat herself deserves kudos. After all, like her, I like to think of Twitter as one big, happy family in which every member deserves as much recognition as possible.
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Wow. Bob! I’m speechless. (But I’ll work through it!) That has got to be the nicest thing anyone has ever said about me online. Truly. I appreciate it. (But role model? Gosh, now I’m nervous!)
The Katnip Awards are easy to do because there are so many great people I’ve met because of Twitter. Like you — I’ve heard your name in advertising circles for years. But Twitter is what opened the connection, and in ways cut right to the chase. You see people’s goodness right away. All of your tips (and Dale Carnegie’s) are 100% on the money. Be as interested in others as you want them to be in you. Be a giver. Be cheerful. You do it, too, Bob. I nominate Bob as a role model, too. Or instead. Thanks again. Very much!
Kat
This is a good, simple, to the point post. So many don’t understand what “engage” means. The way to engage is to observe, like you said, listen. And comment on what others are saying, not just shout out messages without commenting on any. Kat surprised me, I had no idea she included me on her awards list, what a fun thing to do, and great way to engage and surprise her followers! Keep up the great tweets!
Great thoughts & good reminders Bob. I like you more now. 😉
And I agree whole heartedly with you about @Katjaib too. She’s been a bright spot in my day many a time and it’s been great to see how many people she’s connected and encouraged thru her spunk, warm words, and her up and coming Katnip awards!
I couldn’t agree more. There have been days when I was ready to give up on Twitter and Kat re-inspired me. I look forward to reading her Katnip Awards every Friday (and not just because I was honored with one recently).
James (@jphodgins)
Bob – You are SO RIGHT! I always say be yourself, be authentic, be transparent, and be honest. It’s so easy to translate how you act in real life to your personality on the social networks. I have a friend who teases me because I answer all @ replies and DMs. It’s important to me that my followers know they have a voice and a place in my life. I might be a little OCD about it, but it goes to every single one of your six points. People are people. They want to be social with people. They buy from people. This is a new way of having relationships and it works!
Being engaging (and authentic) is the key!! Kindess is never, ever going to be overrated and so with these three together, you’ve got a winning strategy! I agree, Kat is one of those people who WOWS you when she comes on the scene! She’s a great example for anyone who wants to learn how to engage!
You nailed it on the head. I’ve been trying to sort out why I pay more attention to some people’s tweets than others. In fact, I read this article because of a Twitter post (thanks Glenn Hilton.)
It seems that some people think of Twitter as a series of classified ads for their products. I don’t feel like I have received any information of value from their tweets.
You have to give some love to get it! That is what people do not realize about Twitter and social media in general. Too many people are using these sites in an attempt to earn some kind of status for collecting numbers of followers (notice I did not say “people,” friends, connections, etc. If they are not trying to push an old-school marketing message then they are stroking their new-school narcissism. People, please, for your own good, pay attention to what Bob wrote! Nobody cares about your toe fungus, or your “free” self-improvement dvd until they know that you care about them (even then, I doubt many will care about the toe fungus!) Thanks Bob for the Dale Carnegie 101 reminder. I’d love to get to know you, feel free to follow me- @daveisbell.
BTW- @ginidietrich rocks! She is probably the friendliest person I have yet “met” on twitter. Gini, I enjoy your “OCD” replies to my RT’s and DM’s and I’m trying to emulate your kindness and civility!
Your welcome Nora. After reading all your comments I have to agree that @ginidietrich deserves high honors too as she’s definitely making the Twitterverse a better place. Think I need to go tell Mr Tweet about her. 😉
Great post Bob – it’s about simply being “a good conversationalist.”
I would like to thank each and every one of you for your very thoughtful comments about “How to Make People Like You on Twitter.” I am so happy to have struck a chord with this post because I believe so strongly in its core message, the importance of being sociable in social media. But Kat Jaib deserves all the credit…for inspiring me to write about this topic and for bringing so many of us together just by being her kind, supportive and generous self.