Written on March 25th, 2008 at 12:03 am by Darren Rowse
How I Use Twitter to Promote My Blog
How Can Twitter be used to promote a blog? In this guest post Chris Brogan gives a few tips on blog promotion.
Twitter is a lot of things to a lot of people. For some, it’s a virtual water cooler. For others, it’s a great way to get answers to questions. Since I started using Twitter, I have more than doubled my blog traffic over the last several months, and I can tell you how.
Some people just dump their blog posts into Twitter automatically, with a simple “New Blog Post: Money is Better Than Dirt” and away you go. I’ve found a way of using Twitter to encourage participation on my website, and it’s better than easy; it’s tasteful.
Ask a Question
Instead of telling your Twitter audience that you’ve published a new post, ask them their opinion on the core topic you’ve covered. “Do you think banner ads are dead?” followed by a link to your site is much more appealing than posting to Twitter, “Banner Ads Are Not Dead.” Asking a question engages your Twitter followers and solicits their experience.
If Comments Flow, Remark on It
I genuinely believe that the comments section of my blog is better than anything I write on my own. To that end, when a topic seems to take off, I send a note to Twitter alerting people to the quality of the conversation in the comments. It’s not pitchy in nature. I’m simply sharing that the best stuff came after the initial post.
Sometimes, I Even Dare to Ask for a Stumble
My number two referrer to my site on most slow-medium traffic days is StumbleUpon. Because I seem to get “better” response from people who visit from that site than from other traffic sources, I sometimes will send a third post to Twitter, asking if someone thinks X post is worth a Stumble. Because I do a lot of sharing and promoting and helping others, I usually get a lot of willing people to Stumble something for me from time to time.
I don’t over-do it, and I know that not every day is a “killer blog post” day. With that in mind, when I do ask, it makes a huge difference.
Those Three Touches Help Lots
So in the end, I ask my following in Twitter for love three times: once when I post the blog, again if it takes off well in the comments section, and sometimes a third time if I want to really amp the traffic via StumbleUpon. I mix these requests in liberally with all the various ways I help others using Twitter, and so it doesn’t come off like I’m perpetually pitching my own stuff. My current monthly rate of pitching others vs. promoting my own site is 75 / 25 in other people’s favor. That sounds fair, right?
Have you experimented with Twitter in this way? How did it work for you? What other tips did I miss?
– Chris Brogan writes about social media business strategy and tools at [chrisbrogan.com]. He enjoyed the heck out of meeting Darren at SXSWi in Austin, TX.
Further Reading
Read more about how to use Twitter to grow your online presence in Darren’s post – How to Use Twitter – Tips for Bloggers.
133 Responses to “How I Use Twitter to Promote My Blog” - Add Yours
The Masked Millionaire
March 25th, 2008 1:01 am
I have not experimented with Twitter yet. I just looked at StumbleUpon for the first time a few days ago.
But you are probably right about using these resources and I am going to get more deeply involved with them.
Thanks for the post…
The Masked Millionaire
http://www.TheMaskedMillionaire.com
Live Crunch
March 25th, 2008 1:11 am
Nice post of you Darren, I have been using twitter for quite some time and you are right I experienced a lot of traffic and promoted my blog via twitter. But then again to be honest you have to spend some time to do that.
~LC
Jeff - ScienceSays.net
March 25th, 2008 1:13 am
You may have just convinced me to give Twitter a shot-
Thus far, I’ve been annoyed by the people who use it to post constant Facebook updates that go “Jim is twittering: and…”
However, if used less for purely social interactions, but to create a shared working community, I can see how it could be useful.
Still, without trying it, it’s struck me almost as an expansion of the Digg-Shout function for web-phones.
Quick survey: Do people think Twitter is still useful without a web-enabled mobile device?
Mike
March 25th, 2008 1:34 am
Just started using twitter again. I am not promoting my feed anywhere, but I have more people following me everyday.
If anyone is interested in what I am doing in China they can follow me here:
http://www.twitter.com/retireyoung
Kevin @ Change Your Tree
March 25th, 2008 1:35 am
I noticed you just added me a few minutes ago. Thanks for that! I’ve been a dedicated reader for some time now and really appreciate what you do to help bloggers rise to the top.
Now I’ve gotta go put some of the things in this article to work for me…
Cyndee Haydon
March 25th, 2008 1:55 am
Same for me too – thanks for following! Glad to continue the conversation on twitter – I find it is great to get JIT info.
etavitom
March 25th, 2008 1:55 am
Thanks for the great advice. Twitter has a great tool and I will take your advice!! Most appreciate, Etavitom
Dave Huston
March 25th, 2008 1:56 am
To Jeff from ScienceSays.com:
Absolutely. In fact, I rarely use it from my phone. I had a love/hate relationship with Twitter until I finally just went a mass following spree, increasing the number of people I follow from 13 to over 100 in a single day. I’m now following over 400 people. Once you’re watching a good number of people, the magic of Twitter really starts to shine, as you see the conversations unfolding there and you start to make your own connections within the community by @replying to others.
Grant D Griffiths
March 25th, 2008 1:57 am
Great post!!! I started using twitter less than a month ago and have already seen it benefit my blog, http://homeofficewarrior.com. And, already using one of the tips in Chris’ guest post this morning. Ask the question instead of just telling your twitter follower you have a new post. We will watch and wait to see if it helps. Thanks Chris for a great guest post and thanks once again Darrren for a great blog. I have been blogging for three years and still read Problogger daily. Never too “old” to learn something new.
Mark - Creative Journey Cafe
March 25th, 2008 2:02 am
Thank you for the tip – I’ve been avoiding Twitter like the plague, but you might have put me over the edge.
Lin
March 25th, 2008 2:06 am
Very good points Chris. I agree wholeheartedly that using Twitter isn’t about pitching your own posts solely, but it’s a great way of building personal relationships with other Twitterer’s and showcasing great posts they have done.
I’m with you…, while it is nice for people to Stumble our own posts and enjoy the traffic that comes from it, doing the same for others is very important. Whether it is by using Twitter or any other social media site, you have to “give to get” and do so genuinely, rather than with a selfish attitude.
@Jeff, I currently do not use a mobile device with Twitter and it still works wonders. I’ve been able to connect with others, including so-called A-Listers, and have become pretty well known/visible in social media. Personal branding is very important.
Joe
March 25th, 2008 2:08 am
I’ve read other posts like this, and have been doing the “automatically notify twitter when I post something on my blog” option. This gets me zero hits, because what none of the articles I’ve seen so far mention (including this one), is how to get the ‘Twitter Audience’ that these messages would actually be seen by. How does one build a ‘Twitter Audience’?
David Petherick
March 25th, 2008 2:18 am
Excellent article from Chris (thanks Darren) and I agree that one has to tweet questions, not statements, and also ’sharing the love’ with tweets about others’ efforts is a key way to build an audience.
I started to add tweets of others activities a few months ago, and the result has been more readers at my blog and more twitter followers and friends.
Using twitter in this way also has let me make contact with many individuals who I might otherwise not have met – really offline, or virtually, online – and that’s been educational, and fun.
One fantastic tool I recommend, that you can use to automatically twitter the content of others’ RSS feeds, is http://twitterfeed.com – combine that with something like Yahoo’s Pipes and you have an awesome tool for gaining and holding attention.
paisano
March 25th, 2008 2:29 am
Great advice from someone who’s proven that it works. I have to confirm that Chris Brogan does in fact share links to other blog posts far more than to his own so the 75/25 ratio seems right on the money (might be more 90/10 but not sure)!
The other thing that Chris forgot to mention about twitter success is the fact that he actually communicates with everyone that wants to have a conversation with him! He follows most people back which is unheard of today (he only refuses to follow bots and spammers I think). If you look at the top a-listers on http://twitterholic.com you will notice far too many of them are just into talking and not listening as their following/followers ratio is totally off balance where they only follow 1or 2 % of the people who follow them which is ridiculous. However, the people who “get it” and most liked are those that have a healthy balance of followers and those they follow back: Chris Brogan, Robert Scoble, and Guy Kawasaki are best examples!
So, the secret to twitter and all forms of communication is the ability to listen as well as talk. It’s a two-way street that people like Chris Brogan teach us on a daily basis.
Pai
Adrienne Doss
March 25th, 2008 2:37 am
This would be the perfect opportunity to drop a link to Chris Brogan’s Twitter profile.
@Joe — Start following people you find interesting and that would most likely find you interesting as well. They will probably follow you back.
BW
March 25th, 2008 2:41 am
i believe that twitter could be a good source for traffic, but only once you have built up a large enough audience.
you can not say that twitter will bring you traffic, without first qualifying that you need to have a decent amount of followers.
it’s ok for those out there that already have a decent following say with subscribers, facebook etc.. to start to use twitter as they can promote this on thier site and will more than likely build up a twitter following fast.
but for those of us that do not have this luxury, using twitter will take some time as you have to participate and hope that some of the people you follow will follow you.
like most things in life – you need to work at it
At Home with Kim Vallee
March 25th, 2008 2:48 am
Excellent piece with useful advice. I already started to put them in practice.
fortunecookienotes
March 25th, 2008 2:49 am
I think the main thing with using twitter to promote a blog is to be tactful and not use it as a sort of “feed alert.” For example, you shouldn’t use twitter to announce a blog post, but to announce something that is going on within a blog post (such as really good comments or what your readers would like to see next).
marti garaughty
March 25th, 2008 3:03 am
Hi Darren, I didn’t really start using Twitter until a few weeks ago. I signed up earlier but didn’t “get it”. It just looked like another way to waste time on the net.
Now I seem to be learning as much, sometimes more from quick Twit posts/links than I do from blogs. The main benefit for me has been the great new contacts I’ve made.
Your strategy to pose interesting questions is one of the reasons I follow you on Twit. Later…
Mack Collier
March 25th, 2008 3:36 am
Chris is one of the true ‘power users’ on Twitter, so I’m going to be glued to any advice he can give on how to use the service better. I think his 75/25 rule for promoting other people’s content is the biggest factor to growing your Twitter community.
Michelle
March 25th, 2008 3:47 am
I was never really sure how I could use Twitter in my blog but your post definitely sheds light on the benefits of this site. Thanks for the info.
Frugal Dad
March 25th, 2008 4:06 am
I’m on Twitter, but not updating regularly. This post has reminded me to get back to Twittering because it is yet another way to connect with other bloggers, and readers in my niche. Thanks for the prodding!
Barbara Ling (aka Owlbert)
March 25th, 2008 4:10 am
Excellent ideas (especially the ‘asking a question’). Will have to internalize this…..
Thanks!
Barbara
Chris
March 25th, 2008 4:36 am
I signed up on Twitter because I was told it was the thing to do. Frankly, I didn’t get it, but looking at it today, wow, the traffic! I believe you about increased blog traffic.
Darren Cronian
March 25th, 2008 4:54 am
I’ve not logged on to Facebook for ages because of Twitter. I can keep in touch with people I network with, friends and family, and like Chris mentions, you can use tools like http://www.twitterfeed.com which automatically creates a twitter when you post on your blog.
I have also asked a number of questions and people usually respond. Sometimes before I can even blink. Where else would I be able to chat with people like Chris Garrett and Darren Prowse about blogging etc.
I’m a travel addict, so if you like travelling then follow me.
P.S. I have added my twitter to these comments.
Warner Carter
March 25th, 2008 5:08 am
After I started following a lot of people from this post http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2008/01/internet-marketing-experts-twitter.html at Marketing Pilgrim I found a lot of interesting things being discussed. I make comments to what they say and do twit some of my blog posts. I like the involving approach you mention in asking them about what was posted.
Steve
March 25th, 2008 5:16 am
Hi Darren – my experience with Twitter has been very similar to yours – lots of traffic, lots of ancilliary discussion and people willing to help stumble/digg/google reader-share stuff that they like.
Twitter is a really well defined intermediate community – you don’t have to know everything about the people to feel some sort of connection, and it’s built up over a long period of tweet-reading.
Good points and thoughts, thanks!
Steve
Jeff - ScienceSays.net
March 25th, 2008 5:34 am
I have been convinced!
http://twitter.com//sciencesays
Sean Kelly
March 25th, 2008 5:37 am
Darren,
Thanks for letting us into your twitter world! I haven’t used twitter myself, but I am definitely going to look into it and see what I can get going.
My website is very new and in much need of traffic, so I am looking to every avenue.
Thanks again.
Sean
Marty Weil
March 25th, 2008 6:17 am
I’ve been using Twitter and following your advice, but I’m not seeing much, if any, traffic or interest from the effort.
I’ve been at it for about 2 months. I enjoy using Twitter, but so far, it doesn’t appear to be providing much of a boost to traffic or readership. I’ll continue following your suggestions and trying different approaches. As always, thanks for the great advice.
Granny Smith
March 25th, 2008 6:38 am
“Do you think banner ads are dead?”
Good question. In my opinion I don’t think so, but I hope that I am not wrong.
http://www.125BlogExchange.com
Chris (Amateur Traveler)
March 25th, 2008 6:57 am
I have been surprised how much I have gotten Stumbled without even asking as soon as I actually stop and put more time into the writing of the article.
http://twitter.com/chris2x
communicatrix
March 25th, 2008 7:09 am
@paisano…
I get your point re: following-to-follower ratio, but I’d caution against a right/wrong way of Twittering.
Chris Brogan (and a few others, as you mention) are great at being able to stay in touch with lots of people at once. There’s an obvious side-effect/payoff of building a big network and being able to tap into many-minds thinking. So, win-win for them.
I’m one of those people with a lopsided ratio. I don’t have as many followers as the big guys, but I follow hardly anyone, just because I can’t. Can’t! I added a bunch of people during SXSW so that I could keep track of events while there (talk about a great use for Twitter!), but dropped most of them once I was back home, because I started having anxiety attacks about so much info zooming at me. Am I a snob? Nah. Just focus-challenged. And honest about it.
Ask Chris–he’ll vouch for me :-)
alex harris - alexdesigns.com
March 25th, 2008 7:19 am
Twitter the comments / starting the conversations really worked, I just visited again after I saw Darren’s tweet.
This was a great 1-2 punch for a great post.
Kelly Sutton
March 25th, 2008 8:00 am
I’ve actually started using Twitter to tap experts for research on posts.
Usually all it takes is a tweet to get a question answered or pointed in the right direction.
Annie
March 25th, 2008 8:09 am
Nice post! I seem to go through phases with Twitter and I guess I just need to be more diligent about it. Sometimes it’s distracting though and can be hard to keep up or to decide exactly what’s important enough to twitter about. I don’t want to just post anything.
Feel free to follow me – http://twitter.com/silverlunace
~ Annie
Peggy
March 25th, 2008 8:46 am
This is the first usable post I’ve ever found about how to use Twitter to market yourself. BRAVO! This is why I always read your RSS.
Stephanie Quilao
March 25th, 2008 9:46 am
I started using Twitter last Nov to see if it could help me shed the last 10 pounds of my 25 lb weight loss goal. I used twitter to track my workouts and food, things that are not big enough or happen too often for a post on my blog Back in Skinny Jeans. Twitter is a great compliment in that way.
Anyway, it got on Twitter’s radar because I was using it for a “non-tech” goal setting purpose, and I ended up getting a shout out on one of Biz Stone’s state of the twitter emails. I got a flood of followers and new blog visitors after that. Since then, I’ve met some really cool folks, and twitter has almost become addictive. Also, as a non-tech blogger Twitter has helped me get exposure with some of the big named techies because they’re always looking for folks using web 2.0 in everyday life ways that mom & dad would understand ;-)
Stu
March 25th, 2008 10:02 am
Chris,
Thanks for the post, they are three solid points for blogging; Going to find your Twittering now :)
Margaret Hampton (MargHamp)
March 25th, 2008 10:03 am
Chris and Darren, thanks. Great post about using Twitter right. Love the tips and questions vs “announcement feed.”
I’ve learned a lot following twits – quick glance over many conversations, then zero in on ones of most interest and follow links – which is how I got HERE!
Like the ability to give a plug to others (such as when I’m reading something great from Paul Colligan, or Warren Whitlock has shared a goodie!). Love the ability actually to converse with “big names” to give kudos, ask questions, whatever that’s appropriate (respecting their time always!).
Used properly, Twittering is a wonderful way to build relationships, promote others, gain trust (they KNOW if your heart is right), give and get help.
Thanks!
Margaret
http://twitter.com/MargHamp
Katja
March 25th, 2008 10:12 am
Thanks for a great post Chris! I just joined Twitter recently and I am tagging along you pro guys to learn more. Thank you so much for summarizing it.
Katja – find me at
http://twitter.com/skimbaco
Internet Business Blogger
March 25th, 2008 10:19 am
I am using twitter more and more these days and love the following of other people and the learning that is going on.
Robert Scoble today posted on his blog that it is more important to read other tweets then have more followers to read yours. I have to think that your huge number of readers though is a great way to get your message across and is a place that is new enough for anyone to get involved and be successful in
Terra Andersen
March 25th, 2008 11:10 am
I’ve basically done all of these things for my own blogs on Twitter. It’s also a great way to learn about new things to write about!
Neil Duckett
March 25th, 2008 11:42 am
Some nice tips, i’m just starting to see the value of Twitter now and will expand on my use of it some more.
Orfej
March 25th, 2008 11:59 am
Make question at twitter is big tip. I have always just said people that I put post on my blog.
Joseph
March 25th, 2008 12:18 pm
I did not know you could use twitter to drive that much traffic. I’m going to give it a try.
Dan
March 25th, 2008 1:42 pm
The true capabilities of twitter are just starting to get touched upon.
I recently wrote about how you can remotely control your Mac with Twitter.
So, not only can you increase your blog traffic, but you can use twitter to post blog articles you’ve drafted… even when you’re away from your computer.
Michael Henreckson
March 25th, 2008 1:51 pm
I just joined Twitter recently and I’m already beginning to discover some of its power. For one thing, my Twitter page is the second Google result for my name and I’ve only been on it for a couple weeks. With a link to my blog on my profile, that’s powerful. I also really like the way you use Twitter to promote your blog, Darren. Thanks for the great tips.
Dharmendra
March 25th, 2008 6:04 pm
An idea which I will implement and see how well it works for me.Thanks for the post.
Mademind
March 25th, 2008 8:44 pm
thx for the advice, i think i will give a shot
Chris Brogan...
March 25th, 2008 9:57 pm
Just a few ideas based on all your great comments. First, there’s really no right or wrong way to use Twitter. There are ways that aren’t as effective, just like you can have cruddy email or you can send useful email. But ultimately, if you’re there and you’re trying to participate, you’re probably doing it right.
Ideas like Dan’s (about five above this comment) are really interesting, because they go on to show Twitter as a platform. Dave Winer has made some stuff that works with Twitter, and so have a few others. Each one is unique and interesting.
Thanks, everyone, for the great comments. I never knew just how engaged a community Darren had over here. Reminds me of the great comment conversations we get into at [chrisbrogan.com]. That’s exciting to know.
Maybe that’s another trick about probloggers like Darren: have great people like you to build exciting conversations.
Budi Putra
March 25th, 2008 10:00 pm
I just tried it in twitter. Want know what happen next :-)
http://twitter.com/budip/
Brandon Eley
March 25th, 2008 10:09 pm
I am amazed at how well Twitter is catching on and can’t believe I haven’t used it sooner. The more people I follow, and that follow me, the more I feel like I can really make an impact on my blogs and websites by using Twitter.
Looking at more successful bloggers and web publishers like yourself, M. Arrington, Scoble, Vaynerchuk, etc. I can see that Twitter is becoming a serious part of their marketing strategy, and their social life. Who knew!
Rushit Shah
March 25th, 2008 11:42 pm
I have been using twitter since its out. I have over 470 visitors on my blog from twitter (data from analytics). Its awesome.
I am one of your follower
and i also asked you for an advice on my blog on
http://www.rushitshah.com
reg
rushitshah.com
karl Staib - Your Work Happiness Matters
March 25th, 2008 11:59 pm
Great use of Twitter. I’m convinced. I will start my twitter account tonight.
Do you ever post personal information? Or do you just keep it all about your blog?
Cookiemouse
March 26th, 2008 12:20 am
Twitter is fun and it does bring some traffic too. Your idea about asking a question is cool. I’m going to try it out. Somebody asked me yesterday where they can get Polaroid film. Maybe I’ll ask Twitter?
Chris Brogan...
March 26th, 2008 1:12 am
@bud – what happened next?
Lisa Creech Bledsoe
March 26th, 2008 2:13 am
This is awesome. Exquisitely polite. A well-thought-out and engaging post that shows how you can be solicitous and engaging of others while meeting your personal (or business) goals as well.
gloriakt
March 26th, 2008 2:32 am
Sentiments shared with everyone above. Was competely against using twitter prior to SXSWi but now find it fairly useful – if following the right people. Also, kind of like the stream of consciousness it allows.
Plus, my mailbox no longer has one liners bombarding it.
@chrisbrogan – On a different note – loved the “scoop the story panel”
gareth
March 26th, 2008 2:37 am
thought id share something ive just discovered with twitter
hope you find it useful
http://twitsig.com/
Convert your tweets to images “Many forums, Blogs, and other web services allow you to have images as part of your signature. twitsig.com allows you to display your current twitter status as an image.”
ITrush
March 26th, 2008 2:45 am
Hmm, looks like I’m missing something. Thanks for sharing.
Bookmarked!
nhick
http://www.itrush.com
Learn English
March 26th, 2008 5:13 am
Great post, I haven’t explored Twitter that much and this information you’re providing is really helpful to me and others like me, so thanks.
Pamela Seiple
March 26th, 2008 5:45 am
Chris,
This is some great advice. I am usually one of those “check out my new blog post: URL” perpetrators, but now I will be employing some new tactics …
Pamela
Rex - Shopzilla
March 26th, 2008 6:40 am
Wow. I believe Twitter loves Darren Rowse right about now.
Rob
March 26th, 2008 6:59 am
Do you think there is value in leveraging Twitter as a pre-launch platform for a blog?
@Robsk102
Agent 001
March 26th, 2008 7:01 am
You do well in traffic attraction.Guess what I will join twitter too.
Diana
March 26th, 2008 7:08 am
I joined Twitter, but I don’t understand it. How do you get followers and interact with other users? I can’t seem to figure out how to reply to other people’s posts? There is no Leave a Reply or Comments box. Feeling confused and frustrated.
Abilene
March 26th, 2008 7:28 am
I guess people really read other people’s comments on Twitter. I figured they only followed the high profile people though. I doubt most care if you are just a no-namer.
Debt Free Hispanic
March 26th, 2008 7:37 am
Wow…what a cool feature, seems like everytime I want to learn about something, there is something coming down the pipe. Twitter seems to be a cool interaction method.
Ivanpw
March 26th, 2008 11:37 am
Darren,
I’ve used twitter, but no significant traffic out of it. I should apply your tips for my twit :)
Thanks for the tips!
Ivanpw
http://noobpreneur.com
Eugene
March 26th, 2008 1:21 pm
Thanks for the TIP, however I’m not confident that this will work for small blogs or website with a “no name” authors. This is benefiting Darren, Arrington and the names we see on the net because they are the blogosphere trend setter. If they say something or post something on TWITTER for example, the likelihood someone will follow the post is a lot greater than someone we’ve never heard before.
I love the post and is definitely something we can all try but let’s not be optimistic on the results. =)
Lilik
March 26th, 2008 2:38 pm
I have not experimented with Twitter, thanks for your post. I,ll try twitter.
Michelle Lamar
March 26th, 2008 5:31 pm
Thanks for the concrete advice on promoting blogs via Twitter. I’ve been gun shy about promoting work over at Twitter because I’m new to it and I got turned off at Facebook by a lot of the self promotion—-seemed like no one was listening. Appreciate you spelling it out a little for me and others.
Mr. Bueno
March 26th, 2008 5:44 pm
Well I can see the effectiveness of the new approach…so…thanks!
Now I don’t have to revert to the usual “New Post…Check It Out!”
Mr.Gadget Australia
March 26th, 2008 8:21 pm
I started twittering last year for fun and to keep up with friends. After reading this post I know see it as a powerful means of keeping my readers engaged and possibly getting more.
Thanks Chris and Darren :)
webrex
March 26th, 2008 9:35 pm
Thanks Darren for giving valuable inside. I am new to blogging and getting decent revership. Need to apply few tips mentioned above.
webrex
http://www.webrexia.com
sue Jeffels
March 26th, 2008 10:36 pm
I never really thought of using Twitter that way, thanks for the tips. I will be doing it now
Anna
March 27th, 2008 5:21 am
The more comments I read, I am wondering if anyone sleeps? With twitter, stumbleupon, digg, forums, etc., who has time to write, eat, and sleep, let alone take care of your kids or spend time with your significant other?
Can you have it all?
@Lisa, I was blown away on how you express yourself!
Chris-amazing post. Just one more “to do” that got added to my list. (urg.)
Off to save the environment, one twitter at a time!
Jasko
March 27th, 2008 8:17 am
Hi thanks to this post I will try Twitter, it is a great pleasure to see people responding, thanks for sharing
Farfield
March 27th, 2008 11:19 am
I just have some sort of built-in resistance against Twitter. It’s the concept I guess of constantly telling everybody what I am doing. I don’t want everybody to know what I’m doing, I don’t want everybody to know where I am.
Besides that, I have to agree with Anna. Isn’t it nice to just disconnect at a certain moment and do things that really matter in life? I mean in real life!
Krissy
March 27th, 2008 2:18 pm
I haven’t been a Twitter member for long, but I have noticed that my hits have gone up since I started using it. Thank you for all of the extra ideas to use along side of my promotions – this article really helped me, and I’m sure it will help thousands of other bloggers as well!
Denis Sinelnikov
March 28th, 2008 11:09 am
Great Points & Tips Chris – I plan to take advantage of twitter for future blog posts.
http://twitter.com/denins
Deborah
March 28th, 2008 4:11 pm
Chris, thank you for your excellent suggestions. I plan to build a blog to feed to my 3 Day Walk donation site. It’s all new to me.
3 Day Walk
Neil
March 29th, 2008 2:41 am
Is there any way to search twitter posts for keywords? It would make it easier to find people with similar interests to follow. It seems that the search only looks at name and bio info. I searched for “stock trading” which is what my blog is about and only found about 15 or so active users.
http://twitter.com/twblogn
Barbara Rozgonyi
March 31st, 2008 4:31 am
Enjoying following you [and Darren!] on Twitter, Chris!
Just stumbled this post. Like your ideas about asking a question and making note of comments. Sets you apart as someone who’s interested in engaging conversation and advancing knowledge for the greater good.
http://www.twitter.com/wiredprworks
silva
April 1st, 2008 12:20 am
Great post and comments. To address some of the questions coming in from those new to twitter and the skeptics:
1) there are tools to minimize the noise-factor on twitter. I think the “Flock” browser side bar is great–makes your twitter stream a sidebar
2) you can do the same as above and add value to your blog content by adding an rss widget that follows your twitter stream and shares with others. that way if you follow chris’ advice of asking a question, direct tweats and other related commentary can be part of your blog context and add to the conversation
3) you can have your twitter twats update your facebook status line (mark silva is…) via the Twittersync application–this also will remove the “IS” if you like. If you use the Twitter application in Facebook it appends “is twittering” which is annoying and a ham-fisted brand play by the platform–no one in fact “is twttering” rather twitter is conveying their state of mind or action
4) you can search and create custom content rss feeds using the excellent search tool at http://www.terraminds.com — i’ve used it to track @marksilva posts so that i get direct-message notifications via phone, email, rss reader, etc.
Finally, someone asked about whether to post personal of professional content. I do a little of both because people who follow me are also employees, friends and colleagues and I do believe that what is true in our heart of hearts is universal, so worth sharing. Also, b/c it shows up in my Facebook status, it’s appropriate to “keep it real.”
hope this is helpful. cheers! silva
http://www.twitter.com/marksilva
http://www.marksilva.com
Donna Emperador
April 4th, 2008 6:05 am
Very informative. I am trying to build my site and get some traffic to it so I am always on the look out for better networking sites. I have tried some sites that focus on my target consumers for my products but have not tried the ones you have mentioned. I will check them out. Thanks
sheds
April 8th, 2008 12:03 am
I will include this in my promotion list, as i still not aware about this. Thanks for post, this is really useful info.
Dominique
April 9th, 2008 10:16 am
This is good info. I just started a blog and already getting a good bit of traffic from twitter.
Ankit Garg
April 15th, 2008 11:09 pm
Now thats what u call short and crisp.
PurePatron
April 16th, 2008 1:59 am
Your information is very helpful. I have used StumpleUpon and now I will try Twitter. I have received more traffic on my website.
http://cheapdatingstraightup.blogspot.com/
So thanks for the advice!
david
April 18th, 2008 4:37 pm
Brilliant. If social media is about the conversation and the engagement, then asking the question instead of preaching is what its all about. And what better way to engage than to ask “what do you think?”
Julie Francis
April 25th, 2008 11:21 pm
I love reading twitter. I love the links people post and the variety of things they recommend and I learn so much.
I get frustrated sometimes because i cannot follow a whole conversation because I only have half the people involved and people don’t always use the @ to find the other half.
I don’t think its done anything for my traffic but then I havn’t really tried to make it do so. I am more like a silent observer at a party listening to those popular people entertain us. It’s a strange place but its fun.
http://twitter.com/ImGenie say hello
Anuj
April 27th, 2008 2:45 pm
I love twitter too!!
I just stumbled upon the site Nachofoto.com
I use Nachofoto to promote my food & celebrity blog
1. http://celebritybodygossip.com/
2. http://dietrecipesblog.com/
Nachofoto is really simple to use.
“Just submit image links from your site to Nachofoto and you are done.”
I get lot of traffic from this site.
Nachofoto also allows users to make free slideshows.The cool part about Nachofoto slideshows is that all images in the slideshow link back to the original website(from where that image was submitted to Nachofoto.com)
It worth giving a try
Cedric Aubry
April 28th, 2008 1:30 pm
Great Post.
I just join twitter about 1 week ago and i’m already addicted…lol
Definately a great way to drive your follower to your blog post, and a wonderful idea to ask them for a stumble :)
I’m following a guy that doing a kind of pre launch for is new site and is follower get the scoop first. Pretty cool ;)
twitter is really amazing, I should have join a long time ago.
Once again great blog post.
Kind Regards,
Cedric Aubry
Jennifer
April 29th, 2008 12:12 pm
Thanks for this info. I’ve never used Twitter but I think I’ll give it a shot!
Dr. Mac
May 10th, 2008 2:13 pm
Thanks again for the post! I’m new to Twitter and was curious how to really ramp up the followers. The three methods mentioned are worth a try!
http://www.roadcyclingblog.com
http://twitter.com/drmacdaddy
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June 8th, 2008 5:40 pm
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juzten
June 11th, 2008 10:28 pm
wow thanks, after reading a few of your post about twitter in the past 15 minutes im starting to use twitter, thanks a bunch,
juzten
http://dailyfreesoftware.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/juzten8989
Lindsay
July 2nd, 2008 6:38 am
Twitter is a great place to promote your blog! Thats how i found this one!
Andreas Rilinger
July 9th, 2008 8:11 am
Thats an interesting Post about Twitter. Because of your Twitter-Post i’m reading this right now, coming in from “The Beauty of Imperfection”
Marc Rohde
July 9th, 2008 10:21 am
Great suggestions. I have used Titter (http://twitter.com/mrohde) to announce blog posts but your suggestion is much better.
I have also had some pretty good success promoting mt site via Facebook groups that I participate in. This is a probably my best social media source.
http://marc.rohde-net.us
Stephen Baugh
July 31st, 2008 7:36 am
Hi Chris
I certainly have had the same experience and found twitter to be a fantastic way to drive traffic. For me it has at times been a little hit and miss. I was wondering to myself today if it was the time of day I posted or that some of my posts possibly sound a little to much like solicitation (yuk), will keep your thoughts in mind.
Thanks
PS Great blog by the way :-)
the art of the blog
August 26th, 2008 11:53 am
I’ve twittered about a bit but twittering takes time. I’ll use this advice and hopefully twitter more tactfully :)
Anukul
September 1st, 2008 4:30 am
Hi!
Thanks for sharing Twitter’s role in blogging. I recently opened a Twitter account and would definitely look forward to using Twitter effectively.
Since I am also a first time blogger, I have got my blog accepted by some good Blog Directories, but this sure is a unique approach too.
Thanks,
T3c-n0-cr@t: the Blog-e-zine
http://coolonline.wordpress.com
Water Tanks
September 14th, 2008 5:15 pm
I find twitter and stumble upon a great source of extra traffic and links.
Thanks again for a great post
Cheers
Josh
Nilesh
October 13th, 2008 4:43 am
i havent figured out the working of stumble upon and twitter as yet but after reading this post surely i ll try and implement it for my site http://onlinetvlive.blogspot.com
Marc Marseille
October 13th, 2008 5:40 am
I have recently fallen in love with Twitter…but I haven’t used that strategy yet. I will definitely put it to the test…Thanks for your post, it was very helpful.
Matthew Bibby
October 13th, 2008 4:56 pm
Exceptional tips as always! I especially liked the bit about starting engagement by asking a question relating to your new blog post . . . goodbye twitterfeed!
Website Design Kent
October 15th, 2008 5:31 pm
A great article, I love using Twitter, and I have always found the people on their always friendly my twitter handler: athenadesignuk by all means add me :-)
Eveline
October 16th, 2008 4:08 am
I have only just signed up with Twitter today, but I can already see how it can be very addictive. Bad, baaad Twitter!
https://twitter.com/EvelineTimeless
Liz
October 17th, 2008 2:35 am
Hey, Like it!!! I just signed up with twitter too.
http://twitter.com/eragongal44
Robert
October 28th, 2008 11:37 am
i consider myself a newbie. My site was started in Jan 08 . I am about to use Twitter but i have implemented some strategies from this site. As at today my site about 450 unique visitors daily ,i started reading problogger in 2006 (thereabout) . I am still learning but the tips and articles from here is of immense benefit .
haxe
November 15th, 2008 12:23 am
just signed up with twitter for a few months but still lacking in those kind of thing.. thanks for the valueble information
Bertus
December 5th, 2008 1:41 pm
Great post, I havn’t used twitter before, got most of my success from Stumbleupon, digg, and propellor. I just started a new blog – http://oraclemask.blogspot.com , and it is all about masks. This is a small niche I am targetting so I guess I will need al the help I can get. This is one of my first non-video blogs that I began, so this is still pretty new for me, would love if you could comment or give me some advice on this new blog idea of mine.
Thanks
Bertus
Heusinte Profile Labs
December 12th, 2008 1:04 am
Thanks, Darren. Earlier, I was wondering whether to use social marketing for my company’s blog (http://blog.heusinte.com)!! Now you have put all my doubts to rest. I am starting out my social marketing with ‘Twitter’ and ‘Stumbleupon’. Technorati is next on my list.
If these actions help me pull some decent traffic to me, I know whom I am indebted to.
Thanks, once again.
Scott Hogrefe
December 19th, 2008 3:37 am
Excellent post. I appreciate the admission that “not every day is a killer blog post day” since this tactic can be abused. But for those that use it with discretion, I think it’s a great arrow to have in your quiver.
http://www.closed-loop-marketing.com/blog/
http://www.twitter.com/schogrefe
Dave Dunn
December 30th, 2008 7:32 am
“Instead of telling your Twitter audience that you’ve published a new post, ask them their opinion on the core topic you’ve covered.”
This made me think… I have been using a wordpress plugin called Tweet My Blog because someone recommended it to automatically post to my Twitter when I made a blog post.
BUT now I have put some thought into what Twitter can really be used for, plugins such as Tweet My Blog are pretty pointless. They defeat the object of actually engaging with people.
Plugin is now deactivated!
Thanks
Dave
http://www.davedunnonline.com
karameredith
January 17th, 2009 8:03 am
I just recently started using Twitter. I’ve been spending some time online finding Twitter feeds for people who have interesting things to say about marketing and are using it to encourage worthwhile discussion and interaction. I’ve been pleasantly surprised and encouraged by the response. It seems that people on Twitter really are encouraging conversation, not just promoting themselves. Here are a few sites I’ve found helpful in case anyone who is new to Twitter wants to find some interesting people to follow:
http://www.asourceofinspiration.com/2009/01/16/twitter-power-150/
http://www.invesp.com/2008/top-100-marketers-of-2008.html
aubakersh
January 22nd, 2009 10:43 am
Certainly have to try Twitter out. Thanks for tip.
Cashflow Cindy
January 29th, 2009 3:08 pm
Thank you for the great informatoin on how to drive traffic to my blog by twitter. I am going to twitter.com now.
HeyLanny
February 20th, 2009 1:15 pm
Just started with Twitter and found you in a Google search. Does it work. Sure does. Thanks for the tips. Nearing 6o and old cars are my past time. Two sites I am still working on at http://www.streetrodmemories.com and http://www.americascorvette.com. Your Twitter tips will be a big help to a lot of people following your posts. Keep it up.
cashflowCindy
February 23rd, 2009 9:17 am
I started to use Twitter a couple of weeks ago. At first I thought the whole idea was kind of dumb. I mean, What are you doing? I’m thinking, reading this silly question. Anyway, Now I enjoy Twittering everyday. I tell my followers what a Successful Real Estate Investors Day looks like. The challenges that I face daily and the wonderful Accomplishments! If interested I blog for indepth on Real Estate Tips at http://youcanbuycashflowrealestate.com
Bernie Kasper
March 18th, 2009 10:52 am
I opened an account on twitter but it still seems a little foreign to me, I will keep trying to work it out !!
bloggingnews01
March 25th, 2009 11:56 pm
Great blog!! I got this news and impressed from this. Really its a odd thing and can you explain me with much more details? We also need some other way to increase our blogs!!! Thanks for the post!!!
gearsofrock
April 10th, 2009 3:40 am
Thanks for the twitter tips…I have struggled to see a noticeable increase in traffic thus far with it, but I’ll give these a shot.
2twentythree3
April 12th, 2009 1:27 am
Thanks for the informative post! I just signed up with twitter a few days ago and already my traffic has doubled. I’m impressed with your ‘tips’. Your quite right, going overboard is the problem, so many people just hit right out there with their own blog..
eQuestioner
April 12th, 2009 4:38 am
I have almost read all the comments for this post, I think most people are skeptical of the usefulness of Twitter yet would like to try it out and see if may be they will get the magic. Seems like twitter is making wonders only for the big guns..
techie
April 29th, 2009 9:05 pm
I’ve never imagined to use twitter as a promotion for the blog..right now I try facebook, friendster and stumbleupon..maybe its time to test the twitter..thanks man..
Shyam
May 9th, 2009 7:35 am
Thanks for your advice. I have also signed up on twitter.com & will also try stumbleupon Still a lot to learn Hope i will make a lot of money Blogging :)
cashflow Cindy
May 10th, 2009 7:40 am
I have doubled my traffic to my blog site as well using twitter. However, my comments are low and want to encourage my readers to post comments and questions regarding questions they have on real estate investing.
Thank You for the tip on how to encourage my readers to participate in my posts.
cashflow Cindy
Gerber
May 29th, 2009 6:12 am
I have not exactly doubled my traffic to my blog using Twitter, but it certainly brings in more visitors. On my personal development blog I have a couple of posts with quotes on topics like self-esteem or by people like Warren Buffett and Jim Rohn. I sometimes tweet a quote and then link to the particular post (which contains more quotes on the same topic) on my blog. It’s always good for some new visits.
sixth pay
June 15th, 2009 2:53 am
I also started using twitter. Dont know whether it will improve my blog hits. But i have to develop my followers first.Plz tell me how to increase the followers.
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