Twitter is a great platform for writers. I’ve been on Twitter for almost five years now, and I love using it for sharing, conversing, and learning. In case you didn’t know, I’m a bit of a social media lover in general – and I work in social media as part of my day job. Social media may be still a relatively new industry, but it’s a powerful one; and it’s not going anywhere. Twitter is one of the powerhouse players in this realm of social media. 

At the end of this month, I’m going to be teaching a seminar on how writers can use Twitter. If you’re near the central Virginia area the last weekend in January, you should totally check out the Agile Writer Conference. There will be plenty to learn besides just social media – everything from drafting characters to self-publishing on Amazon and even tips for NaNoWriMo.

Anyway, I’m going to share with you a little taste of what I’ll be talking about at my seminar. Even if you can’t make it to the Agile Writers Conference, I hope these tips can help you to feel more confident on Twitter. So let’s dive in:

Use a Picture of You as your Avatar

If you’re running a company or a business, it makes sense to use the logo as the avatar (also known as profile picture). But if you’re a writer trying to build your brand and reach new readers, then it’s best to use a picture of yourself. Please don’t use the cover of your book as your avatar. People want to connect with people, not objects. People want to follow you as a writer, not just your latest book.

Hashtags

For those unfamiliar with the term, a hashtag is the symbol that’s also known as the pound sign or number sign – #. Putting it in front of a word or phrase makes that word easily searchable within Twitter. For example, doing a Twitter search for #writer brings up everyone who has used that hashtag in a tweet – everything from writing tips to inspiring quotes to groups of people doing writing sprints. Some popular writerly hashtags are #amwriting, #amreading, #writetip.

Connect with Everyone in your Industry

The power of Twitter – and social media in general – is the power to connect with people from all walks of life, from all over the world. Even just a decade or two ago, email was the fastest and best way we had of talking to someone far away. But now, you can reach company leaders, publishing houses, and even world-famous authors with just a Tweet. For writers, it’s important to connect with everyone in the writing community – and yes, that of course includes readers. But don’t neglect agents, editors, publishers, graphic artists, magazines, and fellow writers. You never know where your next best friend or your next career-changing tip might come from.

So there you have it – three quick tips for better Tweeting! And don’t forget to visit the Agile Writers website to find out more about the writers conference!