The 4-1-1 on Twitter

So, you’ve joined the Twitter party. Woo hoo! You have your handle, you’ve followed a few people. You’ve sent the obligatory first tweet: “Hello Twitter people. Here’s my first tweet. Not sure what to do yet.”

And you have no idea what to do next.

“What do I tweet about?” “Am I supposed to talk about business stuff or personal stuff?”

Twitter can take some getting used to – at first, you may feel as though you’re watching the party from behind glass, that you’re an observer, not a participant.

Relax. You’re doing it right. It takes a bit of time, generally spent listening on Twitter to feel as though you “get it.”

And when you’re ready to jump in, do it authentically, just the same way that you’d start or join a conversation at a networking event.

For a tip on making the most of your Twitter time, consider adopting the 4-1-1 rule. 

While there’s no shortage of advice on using Twitter “the right way,” I think this advice from Tipping Point Labs on how to maximize your Twitter time is really helpful:

Tweet 4 pieces of relevant original content from others +

Re-tweet 1 relevant tweet for every 1 self-promoting tweet.

(Relevant original content can be articles you’re reading, news items, blog posts, presentation nuggets from events, quotes from industry leaders, etc.)

Easy, right? It helps you make the most of your time, it positions you as a valuable source of information for your ideal prospects and you’ll make a few friends along the way, by promoting the wisdom and work of your fellow Twitterers.

What are you waiting for? Get out there and give the 4-1-1 a try.