Remember, it’s not about the number of followers you have, it’s how you interact with them! If you don’t engage andbuild a relationshipswith them, then your message, and your relevance, will be lost.



In my editorial for the May/June issue of TILE, I addressed the growing importance of social media use. Specifically, I highlighted the relevance of a honedstrategyfor social media and how doing so puts your organization in a positive light.

My no means is what I’m about to say earth-shattering. Much of it is common sense and real-world etiquette. You could consider it a mini “best practices” for skillfully navigate the various platforms available through social media.

To keep things concise, I’ll focus on Twitter this time. Again, these are just my observations on what works best, and a few common pitfalls to avoid.

Remember, it’s not about the number of followers you have, it’s how you interact with them! If you don’t engage andbuild a relationshipswith them, then your tweets will get lost amongst the hundreds or even thousands of other tweets.
  • Retweeting (RT) is one of the simplest forms of appreciation you can show to the originator of the tweet. If you have room, then you can add your own comment. Example: Great info! RT @tileeditor New blog posted on our website …
  • ALWAYS thank your followers when you are included in their tweets! If they can take the time to show their appreciation, then you can take a moment to thank them.
  • Use Direct Messages(DM) wisely: Asking your newest follower to visit your website or “like” your Facebook page as soon as they start following you is considered a no-no. If you really want to thank them for following you, do so in a tweet. Example: A big welcome to our newest followers @xxxx @gggg @bbbb.
In my next post, I’ll touch upon several more topics, including how to best utilize the list feature, scheduling your tweets, must-follow Twitter accounts, hashtags (#TileTuesday), and more.