Engaging the Twitterati

2009 October 28

When you’re new to Twitter and building your following, a good way to do so is to follow the Twitterati in your area of interest. The most common definition of Twitterati describes this select group as ‘power tweeters’ and often includes pop stars (like Britney Spears), or other celebrities. These are the tweeps who often have a large following and command substantial influence. However, to me, Twitterati are not necessarily the ones who have the largest number of followers or who are celebrities per sé. They are often the ones who get re-tweeted and recommended the most. These are the people who tweet intelligently, have a quality following, engage their follower base and are generous with re-tweets. 

Follow me tooIf you’re a Twitter newbie, one of the first things you should do is explore your area of interest, follow people who tweet about things that interest you and observe their interactions with others. You will soon get an idea of who the Twitterati are. Start by following them. One great advantage of following Twitterati is it easily puts you in touch with a whole group of other interesting tweeps. Watch out for their Follow Friday recommendations and follow these. If one of your purposes on Twitter is to market a product or your blog articles, it makes good sense to follow the Twitterati. They are often up-to-date on developments and trends in your area of interest. Moreover, they may contribute substantially to the exposure of your tweets once two-way engagement has been achieved. In addition, their influence and connections may one day be helpful.

Following them does not necessarily mean that they’ll follow you back. Don’t fret. Follow their tweets, re-tweet things that interest you and you may @reply to share your opinion on a certain subject or to thank them for useful information. Include them in your ‘Follow Friday’ recommendations as a token of appreciation for their interesting tweets. Sooner or later, you will get their attention and before you know it, they may even start to re-tweet your tweets – this will be the first sign that you’re on the right track. If they re-tweet you, THANK them! Re-tweets by Twitterati tend to carry more weight and hence are re-tweeted more frequently by their followers. This will, in turn, add more exposure to your tweets. If they @reply to any of your tweets, make sure to respond in kind. The whole idea is to interact with them and build mutually-beneficial relationships.

It’s also a good idea to observe who these Twitterati engage with most. Follow these tweeps too and you’ll soon have a community that shares valuable information, re-tweets and engages with you.

2 Responses leave one →
  1. 2009 November 4

    Great advice! I agree that Twitter is such a powerful tool for social media. I have met so many great people via Twitter by follow the #FollowFriday and #TravelTuesday hashtag. I’m glad you create this blog and looking forward to more tips in social media. :)

  2. 2009 November 4
    velvet permalink

    Thank you Amy. Glad you like the articles on this blog.

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