So you've created a Twitter account, but now you're stuck with the equivalent of a radio DJ's worst nightmare: dead air.
Introducing yourself to Twitter may feel strange at first - without many followers, it's not much different from being caught talking to yourself. But the more frequently you tweet, the more followers you're likely to attract to your thought stream.
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| The message you'll be confronted with until you make your first Tweet. Yes, now even computers exert peer pressure. |
In the words of Lewis Carroll, let's "begin at the beginning" - with your first Tweet. Even before you start following other users, take a minute to introduce yourself to the Twitterverse. You can type anything you want into that tempting little white box: a joke, a link to your artist page, the day's agenda, even a simple hello. For anyone daunted by the endless possibilities, check out this roundup of celebrity first Tweets for inspiration.
Once you've made that first tweet, you'll want to keep the stream going. Twitter followers are demanding, so challenge yourself to tweet at least once a day. It's kind of like word-burlesque - keep your readers enticed and always wanting to see a little more of your clever wordplay.
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| Think of your Twitter audience as a cat that can't get enough treats. (Photo courtesy of basykes, Flickr.) |
Use Twitter for more than just promoting new art. Try personalizing the experience for your followers by letting them get to know the artist, not just the work.
If life can inspire your art, it can inspire your tweeting. Did you listen to a particular album while working on your last piece? If so, tweet about it. Find an interesting article online? Share the URL. Eventually, you'll develop a Twitter-reflex: if you can think it, you can tweet it. But if you still find yourself stuck, here's a list of 30 prompts to help you out.
Overwhelmed by the thought of all this extra work? Keep in mind that a Tweet is only 140 characters long - at average typing speed, it should take only about 30 seconds of your time. Here's some handy advice from blogger Adam Pash at Lifehacker.com , who was in turn inspired by comedian Chris Hardwick:
"Last year at a Twitter conference here in Los Angeles, nerd, comedian, tech lover, frequent tweeter, and friend of Lifehacker Chris Hardwick addressed criticisms that using Twitter was a big, narcissistic waste of time. In making his point, Hardwick offered an analogy that stuck with me. He explained that it's not as though he's spending hour after hour devising and composing his next tweet, and Twitter's not taking time away from anything else he'd already be doing. Rather, he grouts his days with Twitter. He's got a free moment here and there, he's got a thought/idea/link/joke he wants to share, and he shares it."
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