One of the reasons I find Conan's Twitter Tracker funny, is because the tweets he features are so lame. Now, people will follow celebrities no matter how lame their tweets are because, well, they're celebrities. For the rest of us here are 3 ways to keep your tweets filled with extra bird bacon:
1. BE RELEVANT - offer a helpful tip, a compelling link, or other valuable resource.
Examples:
- @nancyduarte Tim Burton is a visual genius. Pan around "Alice in Wonderland" http://bit.ly/9mW4e
- @kjoneskc 5 Job Blogs You Should Be Reading http://bit.ly/3tjVm
- @mashable TIP: If you're new to Twitter, our Twitter How-tos & Resources section might be useful: http://bit.ly/163Pmp
Not Cool: Using as many trending topics as possible in your tweet to show up on current searches.
2. ENGAGE OTHERS - ask questions, answer questions, respond, or retweet.
Examples:
- @davefleet @trchandler Yikes - a bit of free software convinced you to commit to an iPhone? That's powerful. Is it worth that much to you?
- @ditty1013 @trchandler Thanks for the comment & link! I don't think I've heard from a single person who didn't cry at Up, so we're in good company. :-)
Not Cool: Asking others to RT your message.
3. USE HUMOR - doesn't have to make others laugh out loud, just smile.
Examples:
- @badbanana 100 degrees today. 99 if you factor in windchill.
- @phillygirl In my next life I'd like to come back as someone who goes to Kmart less frequently.
- @SeoulBrother This is the kind of heat that kills off brain cells. Explains a lot about the South.
Not Cool: Tweeting old one-liners.
In his book Twitter Power, Joel Comm divides tweets into two types: broadcasts and conversations. The celebrities I've seen seem to focus on more broadcasts, and far too many businesses on Twitter fall in the same trap. They could both be more interesting with a little less broadcast and a little more conversation.