Twitter for business was the hot topic at a recent party I attended. One woman said she doesn’t have time to Twitter for business in a tone that dismissed Twitter as frivolous. I think that a dangerous position to take in a volatile economy where everything you can do to keep your business afloat may not be enough. I know that with Twitter, writers are making connections, building relationships, and finding job leads.
Like any other online activity Twitter can become a time waster, but with the right plan in place you can use it to take your writing business to the next level.
On Twitter, Writers Connect with Other Writers
In the past, writing was a solitary activity. With the rise of the internet and Twitter, writers can now connect with other writers for business ideas and encouragement. Many writers check in with Twitter on their coffee break, or they jump on whenever they feel stuck to get inspiration and writing tips. As long as they limit the time they spend, writers can tap into the wisdom of others that will help them grow as writers and business owners.
On Twitter, Writers Connect with Agents and Publishers
Never before has it been so easy to reach out and connect with agents and publishers. Writers develop professional relationships that pay off when they are ready for representation or publication. On Twitter, writers hear the industry buzz in real time. They see the topics that interest a particular publisher, the pet peeves of an agent, and the latest news about hot subjects and upcoming workshops. Writers use Twitter for business networking that once required extensive travel and introductions.
Twitter for Job Leads
Many businesses are using Twitter to publicize their job listings, so Twitter has become a valuable source for leads. Some writers share job leads on Twitter when they recognize a good gig they have no room for in their schedule. Writers may pass work directly to writers with whom they have a working relationship and mutual respect. Some experienced writers contract work out to less experienced writers. On Twitter, writers have another connection to jobs, one that grows as their network grows.
Twitter Makes Six Degrees of Separation Work
Using Twitter, writers get the power of retweet working to connect them with sources faster than ever before. I see this all the time on Twitter: Someone tweets a question requiring firsthand knowledge of firemen or breast cancer or vegan diets. Twitter’s six degrees of separation is activated and within minutes there are answers and retweets that lead to valuable sources. Anything a writer wants to know can get retweeted through the right network and lead to a connection with a primary source.
On Twitter, Writers Market Their Services
I listed this last because while many writers use Twitter for business marketing, it is very important they begin by building relationships with others before they launch a trumpet blast about their business. Using Twitter as a broadcast station to promote one’s services incessantly will get a writer unfollowed or ignored. On Twitter, writers who take the time to cultivate a following of tweeps with whom they communicate, share information, and cross promote find the marketing piece becomes part and parcel of their overall Twitter presence.
Writers should consider their Twitter presence a courtship of sorts – they need to give before they take. Strong relationships take some time to build. Using Twitter for conversation, not broadcast, will allow a writer to build a network of valuable contacts, potential clients, and business sources. Before dismissing Twitter, writers should investigate the possibilities and benefits of Twitter’s international business network.
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Great post! Twitter can be used in many ways. I’m considered a ‘heavy user’- I use it for networking, for chatting, for getting my blog info out, advertising, self promotion, and connecting with others that are using the same hashtags. Some people don’t like using Twitter than much, I tend to be friends with people that do. Some people use their mobile devices for tweeting. I use Tweetdeck pretty much all day long because I have a desk job/my phone only calls people. Haha.
Oddly enough, tonight is our second monthly Buffalo Mashable Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/Mashable/12714/ for tweeters. All of us Buffalonians met on Twitter, and the first meetup last month had over 150 people there! We get to meet people we tweet to in person, have some drinks and food, win prizes, watch our tweets on a screen. It’s awesome.
Wow, a meetup would be great fun.
I think that when people understand Twitter, they can see the benefits. It’s just hard to understand at first. Blogging at one time was dismissed as publishing your personal journal until visionaries showed us how blogs could become online businesses. Today, Twitter is dismissed as “microblogging,” some sort of vanity billboard, when in fact it is a powerful tool for making connections.
Thanks for stopping by, Leah!
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Hi Tammi,
You are spot on with your perception with Twitter. Before I started studying about social media, I was one of those people who “dismissed Twitter as frivolous.” Now I realized with fresh eyes that Twitter is a revolution in communication and networking. Twitter has become the shining city on the hill of the Internet.
Griffin´s last [type] ..I Art Returned!