I’m so slow getting into the Twitter.
I started an account, put up a couple of tweets, kept forgetting to log in, etc.
One thing stopping me is that I don’t know what people really like about Twitter and what they consider to be a worthwhile tweet.
Any requests?
What is it about your favorite Twitterers that makes them worth taking up space in your feed? And, also, what are your peeves?
While no one can expect to please all of the people all of the time, I’d love it if you could comment regarding your opinions, so that if I take the plunge and go for it I can get off to a decent start.
What, if anything, would you like to hear from us?
I use it to post things like links to new blog posts, and I follow people whose interests align with mine. That way I can easily network by “retweeting” valuable posts and still stay relevant to those who follow me. Hashtags are handy search tools, are you familiar with those yet? #homesteading #herbchat #frugal…things like that help people to find your tweets.
I also use a lot of apps that automate my twitter. Whenever I post on my Pixie’s Pocket fanpage wall, it automatically posts an abbreviated version with a link to my twitter feed.
Does that help at all?
By the by…I won the Goodreads Giveaway for your book and am super excited! <3 I'll tweet about that!
You aren’t that slow. I have an account but I rarely check it. As in almost never. The whole concept just doesn’t make all that much sense to me. Of course, I haven’t posted to my facebook account in at least a year either…. Guess I’m saying I like the blog posts and read them in Google Reader. Tweeting won’t make that much difference to me…..
I like Twitter for quick, bite-size bits of info. The folks I really pay attention to use Twitter for sharing links (to your own post or others), casual photos, quick not-so-Googleable questions (e.g. “Does anyone have a recommendations for a dish at this restaurant?”), and just funny on the fly stuff. These folks also retweet a lot and interact with others pretty frequently.
One thing I’ve noticed is that the folks who make the most use of this social network tend to carry their smart phones with them or else are stuck in front of a computer all day. Twitter is made for quick, bite-size socializing — and if you aren’t glued to a screen for most of the day, you’re not going to be able to get the most out of the service.
And it really is OK to go without Twitter. I think a lot of folks don’t really “get” it, and that’s totally OK — if you don’t get it, it probably isn’t designed for you, and you (and your followers) would be better off with something different, like Facebook or StumbleUpon or Pinterest.
But if you *do* decide to give Twitter another chance, please PLEASE avoid: posting only links to your blog, spamming (more than 3 or 4 posts and hour is WAY too much for most folks, unless you’re like a national newspaper and even then….), just reposting whatever you just put up on your Facebook, and failing to actually interact with other people.
I personally really like Twitter, but then my job is mostly desk work with brief bits of slack time between periods of intense customer service. I tend to just leave Twitter up in the background and browse it in the 2-3 minutes between patrons. Twitter is great for this because I can still interact with others and find fun links without worrying about finding time to read whole backlogs of blog posts and things.
But that’s just me. Whoa, I did not mean to write a whole essay here, but thanks for taking the time to get some feedback. I hope that whatever you decide to do about Twitter, you don’t forget to enjoy yourself!
I don’t twitter. I do enjoy your blog but I prefer to read entire posts instead of quick blurbs. I think I was born in the wrong generation = ) Why? I actually enjoy reading books…not an e-reader!
Love the blog!
I’m not on Twitter, because most of it isn’t content I care about. If I were to follow a Twitter account about a garden like yours, though, what I would love to see would be occasional updates of garden “moments”, like “The spinach is up!” and “Time to thin the carrots,” and “Today’s harvest: green beans, summer squash, and chard.”
As a looky-loo with no real garden of my own, I would look at your Twitter feed as a way to connect with the rhythms, rewards, and daily chores of an interesting, complex garden like yours.
For a blog like yours, quick tips and each new blog announcement is appropriate. Also personal correspondence on topics of interest between followers and some retweets. Don’t be afraid to post personal family times either as that reminds us you are a real family. I agree with looloolooweez, though, once a hour or more is too much.
I am not a Twitter fan. I found it completely annoying.
Thanks to everybody for the advice. Congrats to Amber on winning the Goodreads giveaway! Very pertinent observations, looloolooeez, good points. I’m going to give it a try, I think. We’ll see if I can make it work. No worries on the spamming. Are there really people who post every hour? Yikes.
If you want to follow me on Twitter, I’m @daisysiskin
I don’t twitter although I do have an account — no idea what my name is, so it is interesting to read more about what the point of twitter is.
I do Tumble.
On a totally unrelated note — I think I am going on a chicken tour in a couple of weeks, so I am one step closer to getting chickens.
Robert Blackburn, Jr.–Sounds good. Can you recommend some ppl I should look at as examples?
These are some Twitter accounts I follow that use a good mix of blog updates, RTs, and personal tweets, so you get their specific type of knowledge and a sense these are real people. Note that these are not homesteaders (with one exception) so I am focusing on tweet practices instead of similar topics: @realchriselrod , @maurilio , @MichaelHyatt , @antiquityoaks .
Robert Blackburn, Jr.–I picked a couple from your suggestions to follow and learn. Thanks for your help.
I am fairly new to Twitter but enjoy it for quick encouraging or funny tidbits or words of wisdom. It’s a short spurt of joy to brighten up my day. I also have followed a few people who link to their blogs, and it’s a good way to keep up with those when I have time. Depending on what you are posting, two or three times a day is not too much, especially if most of it consists of short, upbeat or helpful and “newsy” one-liners.
I don’t really understand the allure of twitter but do have an account set up to automatically tweet all my fb posts. I NEVER look at twitter tho, its all automatic and only used as a way to further enhance the online presence of Fresh Eggs Daily. I would love for you to follow me tho if you are so inclined ! https://twitter.com/#!/FreshEggsDaily
I really think that the quick tips idea is the best thing. i know that I appreciate those useful things that I can pickup quickly, read quickly, but also answering questions that people might have that show up in your content page. they will come in time.