Monday, January 5, 2015

Social Media Monday—Grow Your Blog’s Audience with Twitter

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

I’ve never met anyone with a blog who doesn’t want it to grow. But what is the best way to make that growth happen? There are many schools of thought out there, but I'd like to share what has worked best for me.

One of the best ways to see that growth is to spend a little bit of time with Twitter. 

With the judicious use of Hashtags and a little consistent tweeting, you can add another layer to your blog audience. 


Here's How I've Used Twitter to Grow this Blog:

First, make certain you have your Twitter profile up-to-date. People who visit your profile on Twitter will often go a step further and take a peek at your blog. Here are the things you need to have:
  • A picture, preferably a full face shot with a smile.
  • A link to your blog.
  • An interesting and informative bio. 

Next, plan tweets about your blog within the parameters of my unbreakable 5 to 1 rule. Not familiar with my rule? Here it is again: For every 5 social media updates only 1 can be about you. If the other five updates are valuable to your audience they will come to trust you and be much more likely to visit the links you provide.

Now use headline techniques to compose your tweets. These are the basic things to consider:
  • It must provide the reader with a true glimpse of what to expect in your blog post.
  • It needs to resonate with your reader’s urgency.
  • It contains a compelling reason to visit the link.
  • And most important: It does NOT give away the ending. 
Here’s a post I wrote on How to Utilize Headline Techniques to Compose Social Media Updates.  

Always include at least one Hashtag (and no more than three) to expose your tweet to new people. This step is key. If you’re not familiar with Hashtags, visit my post on Popular TwitterHashtags. 

Finally, be consistent in your use of Twitter. Try to schedule at least six Tweets every day, four to five days a week. You can do this in the morning by utilizing a scheduling program like Hootsuite.

Using these techniques I’ve increased both my Twitter followers and my blog traffic. But let’s not stop with me. What techniques do you find helpful to get people to your blog? Be sure to leave your own tips in the comments section below.

Don’t forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie

TWEETABLES

Twitter is a valuabletool to help grow your blog. Learn how from expert blogger & #SocialMediaMentor @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)


11 comments:

  1. What a helpful post, Edie. Thank you. I'm still figuring out how to get my tweets right for drawing people to my blog. I think I need to work on the headline techniques. I usually prep the tweets after spending a lot of time uploading my post. My brain is almost dead by then. Maybe I need to work on this aspect of my blog posts earlier in my process. I don't currently get a ton of attention from Twitter, so I'm looking forward to reading what other people do that works. :)

    Thanks for sharing such great tips, Edie!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jeanne, it does take practice. It's easier when you send out tweets daily, even when they're about other things, it's helps hone the skill. thanks for stopping by, Blessings, E

      Delete
  2. Hi Jeanne, My experience in blogging says your Title and your Tweet are everything. My first year I only had one blog post that broke a 100 hits. Over the four years I have been blogging it has steadily grown and taught me a few things. You can change a blog title and it may make a world of difference. Also you can word the tweet for different audiences. Sometimes a post will not take off and then a small change can make it take off. My favorite experience is when an old post, two or three years old suddenly takes on a life on its own. One of my posts did that in China and suddenly I had another neat experience. The first time the foreign hits on one of my posts exceeded the number of hits in the USA. The key to me is, say something in a way that will make them want to know more...Tweeting tom me is fun because it is where you really get to talk to your audience and make people want to read more...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ric, I appreciate your insights. Thanks for sharing them! I'm getting ready to post a blog tomorrow, and I'm thinking through my title now. :)

      Delete
    2. Ric, definitely good thoughts! Thanks so much for sharing, Blessings, E

      Delete
  3. Edie, I have a question about the 1;5 rule. 90% of my blog posts are guest posts from other authors. When I tweet, I mention my guest bloggers' name and seldom my own, even though the link takes a reader to my blogs. Since the post itself promotes other authors and not really myself, is this still considered self-promotion?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Patti, there is a tiny bit of leeway on this, maybe 2 post to 5. The truth is though, you're sending people to your blog, so it really is something you still need to watch. Even with guest posters on my blog, I still always use the 5 to 1 rule. Thanks for asking the question, it's a point that needs clarifying! Blessings, E

      Delete
  4. Thanks for your reply, Edie. I think I will restructure my tweets based on your advice. Love your blog. I've learned so much from you. Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Edie!! You have shared very nice points to be concidered while using twitter. I am using twitter from the last 1 year and did not complete my full profile. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you so much for sharing this great blog.Very inspiring and helpful too.Hope you continue to share more of your ideas.I will definitely love to read.
    Make Money Blogging

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks Edie for this amazing tips on Social media marketing. It is really nice thought to choose one social media platform and work on it consistently.

    ReplyDelete