I have been asked many times how tweets can be more effective in creating conversations and attracting an audience of followers.
The best way to create an effective tweet can be expressed by envisioning each of your tweets to contain at least one of the following elements.
~ ENTERTAIN
Think about the sensational headlines in magazines in the checkout line. They are designed to grab your attention, and create a question in your mind on how they can do that. We are pulled into a title or phrase that will make us laugh or think. Remember that entertainment is subjective. In general, people’s behavior, it is predictable. Keep in mind that attempting to entertain your twitter community with humor can land on deaf ears,
if not completely fall flat on one’s face, should your tweet need to be explained. Otherwise, that joke or message will be lost to all but a few, who are on the exact same page as you are. Think bigger audience – share: music videos, comedy from professionals, emotional stories that touch people’s hearts, and messages that make us think. Kids and pets are always huge hits and you’re encouraged to share them, if they are in alignment with your twitter strategy.
~ EDUCATE
When we stop learning we begin to die.
Imagine Twitter as the town square of centuries long ago when people would gather and share their stories of success, survival, and lessons learned from mistakes, etc. Shift the focus to serving others, and bring them tweets that educate them in areas they are interested in to improve their lives. Keep in mind that ‘educating’ tweets about your products is not what we are talking about here. There will be plenty of opportunities to share your products after you’ve established trust and rapport with your Twitter community. Share third party articles that will educate, and at the same time establish you as an expert in your niche. When your tweople begin to see you as a valued source of information then bring them something new to consider. After creating these relationships, sharing your recommended products will be easier.
~ ENHANCE
Share tweets that enhance the lives of your community that have absolutely nothing to do with them ‘getting better’ by buying something from you. You’re probably by now seeing a theme of putting their needs first. Zig Ziglar’s great quote best explains this – “You can get anything you want in life by first helping others get what they want.” The entertainment and education tweets mentioned above are great ways to enhance your community’s lives, but there is more you can do. Motivational and inspirational quotes are one of the most frequently retweeted tweets simply because so many people are looking for inspiration. Another Zig quote – “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing, that’s why we recommend it daily.” Share Affirmations, Quotes, and Keys for a Better (fill in the blank with your branding opportunity).
~ ENGAGE
Share tweets that create engagement.
Asking questions that tweople are willing to share responses is a great way to get conversations started on Twitter. Some of the best questions that get tons of replies are general questions that do not pry too deep into personal topics. Examples of what questions to ask: What was your favorite concert? What was your best vacation? How do you fix a problem? Practice by searching out and answering the questions of others. When others begin to see your contributions, as helpful and honest, they will be willing to follow you and begin engaging in your questions.
Effective tweeting is easy, but it is not always simple to shift your focus to looking for ways to think how your audience is thinking and what problems need to be solved in their lives. When you embrace these 4 E’s people will become attracted to you, and want to follow your account to see how you can continue to help them. After all, we all get by with a little help from our friends.
Be Helpful & Happy Tweeting! 
Interested in one-on-one Twitter coaching? I invite you to visit my Twitter consulting page. I will train you to make the best use of Twitter, so you can connect with people, and create value and care with the people you are engaging with. A balance of engagement and content will be your magnet to attract new customers and referrals. Learn the latest trends. Be an implementer and see what happens!
