Twitter Smarter Podcast with Madalyn Sklar - The Best Twitter Tips from the Pros

In this solo episode I share my tips and strategies on how to leverage Twitter at conferences and events. As I was heading out to Adobe Summit [#AdobeSummit] and Social Media Marketing World [#SMMW17] last week, I was inspired to record this episode and share my thoughts and experience using Twitter at conferences.

I love conferences and I love tweeting while attending. It's a great way to make valuable connections that will help you in your business.I want to share with you the power of tweeting at a conference. If you are looking to stand out and get seen and heard, this is for you. Live-tweeting is an amazing way to connect with lots of like-minded people. So let's talk about how to tweet your way through a conference.

Your Call-To-Action:
Your call-to-action for this episode is twofold: 1) At the next event or conference you attend in person, I want you to live tweet from there. I’d like for you to share what’s being said. Talk about what you’re learning. Get creative and do a live video after a workshop or panel and give your take on it. Even invite the speakers to participate. And 2) the next time there’s an event or conference you can’t attend in person, I want you to make time in your schedule, even if it’s just for 30 minutes, to follow the hashtag and participate in the conversations. You’ll make amazing connections. Let me know how this goes by sending me a tweet @MadalynSklar.

You can reach me on Twitter @MadalynSklar or through my website at www.MadalynSklar.com.

Want an easy “one-click” way to Share The Love for this podcast? Go here: www.madalynsklar.com/love to tweet out your love.

We take the notes for you during the podcast. Get the show notes at www.madalynsklar.com/TwitterSmarter37

Reid Robinson is a Social Media Business Strategist for Hootsuite. He leads social selling initiatives for both Hootsuite and some of the world’s largest brands. He’s also responsible for educating the global sales team on employee advocacy and leveraging the power of social selling to find more contacts, build better relationships, and ultimately close more business.

In this episode, Reid shares with us some valuable Twitter insights that are focused on the importance of engaging with your contacts to create deeper and richer connections. He also talks about the concept of social selling and how you can integrate social media, especially Twitter, into your sales process.

My favorite tweetable during our interview was when Reid said, "Twitter lists is my #1 favorite thing about Twitter. Create a list, call it 'Social Contacts,' and engage with at least three people daily."

Your Call-To-Action:
Your call-to-action for this episode is to set up a Twitter list called “Social Contacts” and add people you want to connect with. Each day I want you to look at your list and engage with at least 3 people. Find tweets to reply to and add your input. You’ll make great connections and you’ll see your results snowball when you connect with people every day. Please be sure to let me know how it’s working out by sending me a tweet @MadalynSklar. I want to hear from you!

You can reach Reid Robinson on Twitter @HootReid and LinkedIn.

Want an easy “one-click” way to Share The Love for this podcast? Go here: www.madalynsklar.com/love to tweet out your love.

We take the notes for you during the podcast. Get the show notes at www.madalynsklar.com/TwitterSmarter36

Brittany Berger is the Content and PR Manager at Mention.com, a media monitoring company where she takes charge of the site’s content creation as well as their PR outreach and strategy management.

In this episode Brittany and I talk about a variety of ways to use Twitter lists like how to leverage them to help you interact with your target audience, how to monitor your competitors, create new business opportunities and ultimately reduce the noise and clutter. She shares great tips that will help you create and monitor your own Twitter lists.

My favorite tweetable during our interview was when Brittany said, "I love nerding out about social!" Oh is that someone I can relate to!

Your Call-To-Action:
Your call-to-action for this episode is a two-parter. 1) Start creating Twitter lists and 2) Sign up for Mention. Set up at least 3 Twitter lists. One can be your priority list which contains the Twitter accounts of your friends and family. Another could be a competitor list or your favorite blogs. And for the third one, try creating the Notice Me list. Once you do that, sign up for Mention. Try all this out and then tweet me @MadalynSklar and let me know what you think of it.

You can reach Brittany Berger on Twitter @bberg1010 and LinkedIn.

Want an easy “one-click” way to Share The Love for this podcast? Go here:www.madalynsklar.com/love to tweet out your love.

We take the notes for you during the interview. Catch the show notes at www.madalynsklar.com/TwitterSmarter35

 

Kevin Garber is the CEO of ManageFlitter, a popular Twitter marketing platform that helps you manage and grow your Twitter account. He also hosts his own Podcast that covers a variety of tech topics and includes interviews with tech industry thought leaders.

His website says: "ManageFlitter provides you with a set of easy to use tools to empower you to Work Faster & Smarter with Twitter." I love that! My motto is "work smarter not harder" so I’d say we are on the same page!

In this episode you’ll learn how Kevin’s struggles led him to develop ManageFlitter. He talks about the need for us to go back to basics by having a great looking profile that includes a standout profile photo and header image and a compelling bio. He also shares techniques to help grow your following and discusses the power of Twitter lists.

Tweetables:

"A good place to start is to make sure that all the basics are in place."

"Getting creative with Twitter is what we love about it. It’s so versatile, you can do so many interesting things with it."

"Twitter list is a fantastic feature and a very powerful tool to organize your Twitter account."

"We love providing a product that makes Twitter better and helps add so much value."

Show notes at www.madalynsklar.com/TwitterSmarter34

Ross is the founder of Electric Kiwi, a design and marketing firm that specifically caters to the music industry. Based in Scotland, Ross applies his web design expertise to help bands and musicians around the world build an electrifying online presence.

He is also the co-host of the podcast Bridge the Atlantic, along with Canadian musician and filmmaker Marcio Novelli, where they interview musicians and creative entrepreneurs. Quick FYI here. I’m in Episode #63 sharing Twitter tips, community building, my life as the leader of GoGirlsMusic and so much more.Click here to listen.

Listen in as Ross shares with us his best Twitter tips and talks about the power of personalizing and organizing your Twitter lists. He also shares how a little bit of creativity can build your Twitter presence and increase interaction.

Episode Highlights:

• Ross used to have a business-oriented approach in using Twitter and then realized the importance of being personal. Showing more of yourself gives a more rewarding experience.
• Use your own photo on your profile instead of a logo to show people that you’re real and to show a bit more of your personality. This equates to more interaction, more retweets, and more favorites. Really good conversations.
• Keep your feed organized by using Twitter lists. It’s simply a curated group of accounts. Viewing a list will show you a stream of tweets only from the accounts on a list. You can set them up to be either public or private. They can help you monitor your competitors, connect with industry leaders, engage with employees, stay on top of trends and so much more.Click here to learn how to use lists.
• Tip: Be creative in naming your lists to make it more interesting and to grab people’s attention. Example: I have a list called “Social Media Smarties” rather than “Social Media.”
• Tip: List names cannot exceed 25 characters and they cannot begin with a number.
• Tip: To remove yourself from a list, you will need to block the creator of the list.
• Ross recommends using the Buffer Chrome extension. You’ll love it because it’s so easy to share links, pictures and video from anywhere on the web.

Tweetables:

• “Do not be afraid to be personal and social on Twitter because it is called social media.”
• “People buy from people.”
• “It’s not a one-way street. You can’t expect everyone to contact you. You have to be proactive and tweet them.”
• “I like to keep my feed organized by using lists.”
• “I use public lists to organize people I follow into different categories or subjects. It helps me keep things focused and organized.

Links to Tools and Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Electric Kiwi – Ross’s company specializes in web design for artists, music businesses and creative professionals.
• Ross’s Twitter lists – check out Ross’s public Twitter lists
• Madalyn’s Twitter lists – check out Madalyn’s public Twitter lists
• Buffer – social media management tool, great for scheduling; excellent customer service
• Chrome extension for Buffer – Add tweets directly to your Buffer from any webpage.
• How to Use Twitter Lists for Business – step-by-step on creating Twitter lists and ways to use them for your business
• How To Create and Use Twitter Lists to Market Your Business – Helpful guide on how to use Twitter lists
• Staying Organized Using Twitter Lists with Mark Schaefer – If you missed Episode #14, be sure to check out my interview with Mark Schaefer. He shared a wealth of knowledge on being organized with your Twitter lists.

How to Reach Ross Barber:

You can reach Ross Barber on Twitter @ElectricKiwi and @Bridge_Atlantic. You can also connect with him on Facebook, Instagram and his website.

Your Call-to-Action:

Your call-to-action for this episode is to sign up for Buffer (if you’re not using it already). It’s free although you can also opt-in for some premium features depending on your needs. Also be sure to give Buffer’s Chrome extension a try. Let me know what you think of this episode by sending me a tweet @MadalynSklar. I’d also like to know what you think about Buffer. I’ve been a fan, using it for many years. No, I didn’t get paid to say that! But I’m interested to know your thoughts on all this.

Share The Love For This Podcast:

Want an easy “one-click” way to Share The Love for this podcast? Go here:www.madalynsklar.com/love to tweet out your love.

Thanks for the listen!

I appreciate you listening to this podcast, and would be extremely grateful if you would take a moment to rate & review it on iTunes. By doing this, more people will be able to benefit from the tips and tools shared in this #TwitterSmarter podcast series. Please also subscribe to this podcast while you’re there. It will ensure you don’t miss an episode!

I read every review that comes in, so please know that you have my sincere thanks! Not sure how to rate & review a podcast? Click here to learn how.

Sponsor:

#TwitterSmarter Twitter Chat:
Join our weekly Twitter chat where you go to learn and share Twitter tips. It’s every Thursday at 1pm ET/10am PT. We’ll also have Q&A’s with guests from the #TwitterSmarter podcast. Mark your calendar. You don’t want to miss this!

Not familiar with Twitter chats? Click here to learn about them.

Show notes at www.madalynsklar.com/twittersmarter33

Mike Kawula is the founder of Social Quant, a Twitter growth tool that helps companies and individuals grow their Twitter following quickly, specifically gaining quality followers so they’re able to get more engagement, more retweets, and more clicks back to their website.

Mike is a die-hard entrepreneur with a knack for running successful businesses. He shares stories of using Twitter as far back as 2007 to listen and answer customers’ pains for his cleaning company and online office supply business. He tells us how he made a $27,000-order from building a solid connection on Twitter. Not to mention, having Gary Vaynerchuk as one of his customers.

In this episode, Mike shares a ton of great tips that you can apply right now to help you start growing your Twitter following. As Mike explains, there is nothing better than Twitter to create a good marketing impact on your business as long as you engage and act on it accordingly. Of course, while having fun too!

Episode Highlights:

Use Twitter to promote your business and connect with customers. Add them to a prospect list then build relationships by tweeting them and sharing content.

Many companies lack their own social media management team so they’re not able to pay attention to customer complaints. Mike attracted customers because he was using social media to answer their pain points.

Mike shares the story of how listening to Gary Vaynerchuk on Twitter helped land him as a loyal customer.

12 Great Actionable Tips to Increase Your Twitter Following:

1. Have a really good header and change it from time to time based on the season or promotions.

2. Create a good profile image. Go for a face behind the brand. Mike uses a logo with himself as his personal headshot.

3. Make sure you have a good, catchy, fun bio that describes exactly who you are, what you stand for, and a little bit about what your business is.

4. Control your first tweet by having a pinned tweet. It can be a call-to-action, a promotion, or about anything that has to do with your brand.

5. Cross promote across other social medial channels. Share your Twitter profile on your blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.

6. Embed your tweets into your blog or use the Click-to-Tweet tool. Like this:

7. Use an automation tool for spreading out your tweets on a regular basis such as Buffer, Hootsuite, and SocialOomph. Michael tweets every half hour and I tweet every hour!

8. Follow what’s trending on Twitter. “The trend is your friend.”

9. Studies show 23% more Retweets (RT) when you spell out the word asking for a “retweet.”

10. Make use of hashtags to get folks the opportunity to find what you’re tweeting about. Use Hashtagify to show you different hashtags you could use. But do your research to check out if it’s being used and how it’s being used. “Don’t be a hash-hole”

11. Engage with the influencers. Share influencers content and tag them. Chances are, they might also tweet some of your content.

12. Join Twitter chat parties. Don’t be a lurker. Engage with people.

Wait…. there’s actually more! But you gotta listen in to find out about more surprise tips.

You can reach Mike on Twitter @MikeKawula or @TheSocialQuant. You may also email him at [email protected].

Your call-to-action for this episode is to try out Social Quant. It’s a great service to help you connect with new Twitter followers. I’ve been using it for months and I love it. If you use this link, you’ll get a 14-day free trial and if you decide you like it and continue on you’ll get it at half price. What a deal! Try it out and let me know what you think. Send me a tweet at @MadalynSklar. I look forward to hearing from ya!

Show notes at www.MadalynSklar.com/TwitterSmarter32

Mara Olson is the founder of the social media marketing and consulting company, Smart Bee Social. I invited her to the show today because she’s got something really cool and unique to share – Twitter videos.

If you haven’t used Twitter video yet or if this is your first time hearing about it, you’re in for a treat. Mara explains how she is utilizing it to build genuine connections with her audience. She has totally turned the way she communicates on Twitter up another level, in a more personal and engaging way.

Learn how this simple tool will elevate your presence on Twitter. And then be prepared to start a Twitter video revolution with us!

Episode Highlights:

Mara uses Twitter video in connection with her consulting business which has resulted in more leads, connections and phone calls.

Twitter video is the next layer of communication where it goes beyond just 140 characters.

Twitter video requires a little more effort but it offers such a greater reward. Greater content = greater engagement = greater connections.

You can do Twitter video on your phone to post or reply to people’s tweets. Just switch over to the video camera mode and voila! – you can start shooting video.

What’s awesome about Twitter video? It shows that you’re actually a real person! It’s a new way of responding that grabs attention.

Tweetables:

It’s amazing what happens when you care about people, listen to them and give them answers to their questions.

If I have any success on Twitter, I attribute it to just being real with people and answering questions.

Video has changed the way I build relationships on Twitter. It definitely made that genuine connection with people so much easier.

140 characters is still just 140 characters.

 

How to Reach Mara:
You can reach Mara on Twitter @SmartBeeSocial and her website www.smartbeesocial.com.

Your Call to Action:
Your call-to-action for this episode is to make a Twitter video. You simply open the native Twitter app on your phone (works on iOS and Android) and start by tapping on the tweet button and then the video icon. Once in video mode, start having fun making your first video tweet! Mara and I would love to see you in action so please tweet us a video. Send it to me @MadalynSklar and Mara @SmartBeeSocial. Let’s get this Twitter video revolution rollin’!

Share The Love For This Podcast:
Want an easy “one-click” way to Share The Love for this podcast? Go here: www.madalynsklar.com/love to tweet out your love.

Thanks for the listen!
I appreciate you listening to this podcast, and would be extremely grateful if you would take a moment to rate & review it on iTunes. By doing this, my rankings will increase and more people will be able to benefit from the tips and tools shared in this #TwitterSmarter podcast series. Please also subscribe to this podcast while you’re there. It will ensure you don’t miss an episode!

Show notes at www.madalynsklar.com/twittersmarter31

Today’s episode is a #TwitterSmarter first as we are bringing in a duo on the show. Let’s welcome Alan K’necht and Michelle Stinson-Ross, hosts of the wildly popular #SocialChat, happening every Monday at 9pm ET.

Alan is the VP of Social Analytics at digital marketing company, Digital Always Media. With 20+ years experience in the digital marketing and internet space, Alan is also an author, consultant, and public speaker.

Michelle is the Content and Outreach Goddess at Authority Labs. She has been a consultant, social media strategist, and digital marketing strategist for the last 6 years. She calls herself an omni-channel social maniac who has tried and tested everything that’s out there.

#SocialChat sprung out of an idea Alan and Michelle got from the #SEOChat. Before they knew it, they were joined by 30-50 people per chat and now with over 200 episodes and counting. Listen in to get massive Twitter insights from this dynamic #SocialChat duo.

Episode Highlights:

• Alan says, Think and Plan. Do your research. Know where your audience is and how they interact on the social platform. Form your plan then do your attack.
• Michele says, Humanize your brand. Engage in conversation.
• #SocialChat is 4 years old. It’s geared for social media marketers to discuss best practices. It’s grown and blossomed. It also attracts small business owners as well as college students who participate as a class requirement.
• A Twitter chat is like a conversation at a cocktail party. Don’t just jump in and say something. You have to listen first and then at the right time, pipe in if you’ve got something to add into the conversation.
• Check out the Noobs Guide to #SocialChat which lays out some good forum rules of engagement when participating in #SocialChat to make sure that guests and participants are able to leverage on the networking. Give love to the people you’re interacting with and mention one another.

Tweetables:

• “A Twitter chat is being in a conversation at a cocktail party.” – @Aknecht
• “Think and Plan. Do your research. Know where your audience is. And how they interact on that social platform.” – @Aknecht
• “Humanize your brand. Engage in conversation.” – @SocialMichelleR

Links to tools and resources mentioned in this episode:

• www.socialchatnetwork.com
• #TwitterSmarter chat
• Noobs Guide to #SocialChat
• tchat.io – Great Twitter chat platform
• TweetChat.com – Twitter chat platform
• Nurph – Twitter chat platform
• Tweetdeck – real-time tracking, organizing and engagement
• Hashtracking.com – hashtag tracker and transcription

How To Reach Alan & Michelle:

If you’d like to connect with them on Twitter, Alan is at @Aknecht and Michelle is at @SocialMichelleR.

You may also find Alan K’necht on Facebook and LinkedIn. You can connect with Michelle Stinson Ross on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Or simply use #SocialChat on Twitter and they’ll find you!

Your Homework:
Your homework for this episode is to check out their weekly Twitter chat. Just go to #SocialChat on Mondays at 9pm ET. Be sure to let me know what you think. Send me a tweet @MadalynSklar.

Share The Love For This Podcast:
Want an easy “one-click” way to Share The Love for this podcast? Go here: www.madalynsklar.com/love to tweet out your love.

Thanks for the listen!
I appreciate you listening to this podcast, and would be extremely grateful if you would take a moment to rate & review it on iTunes. By doing this, my rankings will increase and more people will be able to benefit from the tips and tools shared in this #TwitterSmarter podcast series. Please also subscribe to this podcast while you’re there. It will ensure you don’t miss an episode!

I read every review that comes in, so please know that you have my sincere thanks!

Sarah Nagel is the Community Outreach Manager for Sprout Social and the host of the popular #SproutChat that takes place Wednesdays at 3pm Eastern. Sarah launched the chat in June 2014 and it quickly became a leading destination. She does an excellent job connecting people and brands together. Sarah has been working in social media for four years, and specifically with Sprout for over two years.

Sprout Social is a social media management software company where customers can integrate various social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, Google +, LinkedIn, and Instagram) allowing you to manage them all from one place. The company prides itself on the Smart Inbox, a single stream column of all of your social media mentions, hashtags and keywords around your brand.

In this episode, Sarah shares some do’s and don’ts on how to be effective on Twitter. She also gives out helpful tips and strategies that you can apply the next time you engage in Twitter chats.

Episode Highlights:

• On your profile, have a really good photo. Your avatar is one way of telling people who you are. It paints a picture. A nice photo of your face is key.
• Shorten links. Make them nice and tight to make your tweet look really polished and professional.
• The power of research. Use Sprout Search to do boolean searches where you use a phrase or a couple of words that could lead to a tweet.
• The power of using first names in a conversation. The most beautiful sound is your own name so it’s a missed opportunity if you’re not using that every time or as often as possible.
• Twitter is a great opportunity for you to be a connector and through connecting you’ll find lots of opportunities for yourself.

Tweetables:

• “Twitter is the place to build solid relationships. It’s so easy to keep in touch with people.”
• “Twitter is a great opportunity to be a connector.”
• “Tight links make your tweets look polished and professional.”

Links to tools and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Sprout Social – social media management platform
• #SproutChat – a weekly Twitter chat hosted by Sprout Social
• Nurph – for Twitter chats
• TweetChat – Twitter chat tool
• tchat.io – Twitter chat tool

About Sprout Social:

• Social media management platform
• More robust than some tools.
• It prides itself on the Smart Inbox, a single stream column of all your social media mentions, keywords, and hashtags around your brand that you want to consistently respond to.
• Features great collaboration tools that allow you to work with a large team.
• The platform scales well making it a great tool for small to mid-sized businesses and enterprises.
• Feedly integration
• Sort through all your Twitter lists
• Robust analytics
• A great way to not miss any singular message since native Twitter can get so clogged and it’s so easy for you to miss things.

How To Reach Sarah:
You can reach Sarah on Twitter at @sprout_sarah and you can send her an email at[email protected]

Your Call To Action:
Your call-to-action for this episode is to sign up for a FREE account at Sprout Social. It’s a great, robust tool. So try this out and let me know what you think. Send me a tweet @MadalynSklar.

Share The Love For This Podcast:
Want an easy “one-click” way to Share The Love for this podcast? Go here: www.madalynsklar.com/love to tweet out your love.

Thanks for the listen!
I appreciate you listening to this podcast, and would be extremely grateful if you would take a moment to rate & review it on iTunes. By doing this, my rankings will increase and more people will be able to benefit from the tips and tools shared in this #TwitterSmarter podcast series. Please also subscribe to this podcast while you’re there. It will ensure you don’t miss an episode!

I read every review that comes in, so please know that you have my sincere thanks!

Tim Fargo is the CEO of Tweet Jukebox, an amazing and powerful Twitter tool. It’s a personal favorite of mine which I use every day for marketing my brand on Twitter. It’s a free scheduling tool that allows you to load a “jukebox” with content, schedule when you want tweets to go out and then sit back and let it do the job for you.

Tim is a bestselling author, a keynote speaker, an angel investor, and an entrepreneur. Back in the 90’s, he co-founded an insurance fraud investigation company that became the second largest in the US and which he later sold for $20 million.

Listen in as Tim shares with us how Tweet Jukebox actually came about and what makes it so popular among Twitter users.

Episode Highlights:

• Tim didn’t start with the idea of making Tweet Jukebox a business. It was actually a by-product of traveling, initially intended for his own personal use.
• Tim mentions that when you’re designing something for yourself with the kind of care and attention you put to it, it ends up becoming the kind of product that a lot of people want.
• Tweet Jukebox is a powerful tool that frees you from constantly scheduling your tweets. Now you can spend more time engaging with your audience which Tim considers as the most powerful element of social media.
• Tim’s goal for Tweet Jukebox is to be a multi-platform social media content manager and to make it a little ecosystem of itself. Watch out for more cool features that they’re currently working on.

Tweetables:

• “Tweet Jukebox was a bit of an accident. It just kind of happened.” tweet this
• “The best way to use it is take the time you save and use that to engage with your audience.” tweet this
• “Feedback is a form of currency.” tweet this

Links to tools and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Tweet Jukebox
• Hootsuite – social media management tool
• SocialBro – Twitter analytics and management tool
• Crowdfire – social media engagement app
• Buffer – social media management tool
• Check out Britt Michaelian’s Mass Amplify Show featuring Tim Fargo
• Listen to the #TwitterSmarter Podcast episode 15 with Britt Michaelian
• Check out the recent article on my blog, Twitter Chats – The Place Where Everyone Knows Your Name

Tweet Chats Mentioned:

• #MediaChat
• #SocialChat
• #InfluencerChat
• #ViralChat
• #BlogElevated
• #TwitterSmarter
• Visit www.madalynsklar.com/twitterchats for more information.

How To Reach Tim:
You can reach Tim on Twitter at @alphabetsuccess and also through @Tweet_Jukebox. Or send him an email at [email protected].

Your Call To Action:
Your call to action for this episode is to sign up for a FREE Tweet Jukebox account at TweetJukebox.com. If you like tweeting motivational quotes, try out the Free Quote Jukebox. Simply turn it on, set the schedule, and you’re done. This tool is perfect if you’re sending out tweets regularly so you don’t have to spend time scheduling your tweets over and over and over. It leverages flexibility with your schedule.

You can have up two “jukeboxes” for a free account. If you need more than two, you may sign up for their paid membership plan. So try this out and let me know what you think. Send me a tweet @MadalynSklar.

Share The Love For This Podcast:
Want an easy “one-click” way to Share The Love for this podcast? Go here: www.madalynsklar.com/love to tweet out your love.

Thanks for the listen!
I appreciate you listening to this podcast, and would be extremely grateful if you would take a moment to rate & review it on iTunes. By doing this, my rankings will increase and more people will be able to benefit from the tips and tools shared in this #TwitterSmarter podcast series. Please also subscribe to this podcast while you’re there. It will ensure you don’t miss an episode!

I read every review that comes in, so please know that you have my sincere thanks!