A note to friends: I have realized that people are presenting themselves as social media experts who the things I know, and they’re getting editorial jobs because of it. Or, at least, most editorial jobs these days have some social media savvy requirement. This is a practice in explaining the things I know, to be transferred to my online portfolio to show that I’m fancy with the internet. I’d appreciate your feedback here if you have any.
Whenever people are new to Twitter, they talk about how weird it is that people are following them. “I haven’t written anything!” or “I don’t even know who they are!” they cry, weirded out and slightly thrilled.
Anytime you are putting something on the internet, you have to assume people are reading it, and they have their own wacky and varied reasons for doing so. A formal follow on Twitter just lets you know who they are, and that’s a courtesy, not a threat. Sure, there’s someone (or a bandstand of someones) staring in your virtual window, but when they follow you it’s like a tap on the glass to let you know they’re there.
For people who aren’t bloggers, this is an understandably strange idea, but an important lesson. People put things on their Facebook and Flickr pages all the time that make me gasp. That drunken bday photo? Once it’s out there, you can’t assume that you control who sees it, and taking it down doesn’t prevent someone from copying and re-hosting it somewhere else. Using Twitter on your phone makes this even easier: beware the flippant tweet.
Anyone with a blog who tracks their visitors will tell you this: People find you by searching for strange things. At my work, a green living website, one of the consistent searches that leads to us is “naked families.” Why and how people find us that way, I have no idea. Here at my blog, “blackened tofu” and “first tattoo” are big trafficking words, and links from friends’ blogs send a lot of readers.
So you’ve started a blog or Twitter, and here they come, the mystery masses. They find you, and if they like you, they come back again and again, and eventually they let you know who they are. On a blog they leave a comment. On Twitter they send a follow notice or @ reply. You should be doing the same, as a courtesy and to build your own digital web of the people and information you want to catch.
I should note here that I’m disregarding people who drop by once and send a nasty message and trolls, who consistently leave jerky comments just to rile you up. You’ll know the difference by the thoughtfulness. Someone with a legitimate criticism may be worth engaging, otherwise, you’re free to ignore, delete comments, and block anyone.
Notifying someone that you’re there, or being notified, isn’t creepy, it’s conversational. Unless your Twitter account is locked (so you have to approve each follower), people are going to find you through searches or through someone else talking about you and retweeting (RT) your writing. If they don’t like you, they’ll drop you by unfollowing or no longer reading your blog, and that’s that. Vice versa, if you like them and keep reading, eventually it’s good form to send a little “hello, I’m here!” note.
Don’t be put off by the techy terminology, these are each examples of an opportunity to get to know someone. Since they’ve let you know they’re following you, you may as well take a look at what they’re talking about over in their mini online world. Check their Twitter, see if they have a blog, and listen in for a minute. Worst case scenario, maybe they’re this guy.
In that case, give a squee, be thankful you’re not a susceptible teen, and block him from viewing your tweets. Best case scenario? The person has similar interests, goals, or connections that you can benefit from. This happens more than you might expect, but if you’re new, you’ll have to be the proactive one who tracks down people you want to listen to.
On Twitter, I follow many of my favorite writers and NPR personalities, and the firsthand view into their work and lives has helped fuel my own writing career. On blogs, I click on the witty comments and find another blog, and behind that blog a whole new person and their people. My highlights so far include a photographer that makes me smile everyday, a cooking blog that changed my life with a bread recipe, and several artists whose work I bought for my home. Have a favorite newspaper reporter? Look for them on Twitter, find their blog, and voila, you’ve sent out a strand of your web to that person, and they’re that much more real to you.
Google can bring you a lot of search results, but the connections made between people who tweet, blog, and comment can’t be replicated any other way. It’s your own web, create it. Wave hello, and see who waves back.
All images: Flickr CC/Kelly Hau Photography and www.kellyhau.com.
Twitter still is terrible – you can’t enjoy a sandwich when you’re writing about how much you enjoy the sandwich.
Then don’t write about sandwiches or follow people who do.