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Weekly Digest of the Social Networking Space: Dec 19, 2007 »
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Leveling the playing field: How to be ‘popular’ on Twitter

Categories: MicroMediaPosted on December 19th, 2007

I realize that folks are concerned about another leaderboard as a gaming mechanism, and while it stroked my ego for a while, I’m equalizing the field by giving away what I’ve learned. After having dinner with Shel last night, I realize I need to give and stay humble, and focus on community, so this is the right thing to do.

I ran into tweeterboard yesterday, and found it valuable, when I first saw it, I was in 8th place, then moved to 1st. Now I’m going to relinquish control to the community, I’m going to give away my secrets in how I was able to attract a large following, in the spirit of sharing because it’s the right thing to do.

1) Figure out why you want to use this tool. Is there a reason, an objective? For me it was to have greater reach in listening and in talking to others, and to really, really know Micromedia and how to use it. Being popular really isn’t a great objective, but being meaningful to your specific network is much more important.

2) Integrate it throughout your online experience. You’ll notice that I ask people to add me from various posts, have it listed in my side role and on my facebook account. It’s available for anyone that’s looking.

3) Add people back. I follow everyone that follows me, I’m following more people than are following me, and that’s a sign that you want to listen to what others have to say. Sadly, it’s a lot to digest so I end up scanning conversations. Go back to number 1, and figure out what your objective is first.

4) Add value when you tweet. I’ve given up on my google reader link blog, instead, I leave links to what I think is interesting during the day. Since I consume a lot of content, I’m acting like a filter. Most who know me know that my focus is on social media + marketing. Last week’s twitter storm was a rare opportunity to connect folks, keep listening to find an opportunity to help the larger group.

5) Ask questions. I didn’t realize this was going to be one of the largest attributes on tweeterboard, so I got lucky. I find Twitter a useful tool to get information back from people, so I like to ask a lot of questions. I learn a lot this way, in many ways, this is an example of social search.

I’ll remind you again, focus on your objectives, what is it that you’re trying to accomplish, if you’re just trying to keep track of your friends or immediate contacts, this is not the strategy for you. This strategy only works if you are trying to gain a large following, it’s not recommended for everyone.

So there you have it, that’s what I learned over the past 9 months of using the tool, hope that helps.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 19th, 2007 at 4:30 am and is filed under MicroMedia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

22 Responses to “Leveling the playing field: How to be ‘popular’ on Twitter”

  1. [...] I’ve just published all that I learned about Twitter on a subsequent post, please read [...]



    2. Posted by Finally, a Twitter Measurement Tool that works on December 19th, 2007 at 4:32 am

  2. the spirit of sharing…

    Ein wirkich netter und interessanter Zug. Jeremiah Owyang (Web Strategist; Sr Analyst at Forrester Research: Social Computing) ist einer der allzeit einflussreichtsen Twitterati und beschliesst umgehen……



    3. Posted by MarketingWelten 1-2-3.0 on December 19th, 2007 at 5:24 am

  3. Amazing, the idea and the description! Blogged about it and translated it in German. Michael (http://blog.kmto.de/index.php?itemid=86)



    4. Posted by KMTO on December 19th, 2007 at 5:28 am

  4. Thanks for the translation, wow that was in under an hour.



    5. Posted by jeremiah_owyang on December 19th, 2007 at 5:30 am

  5. Jeremiah,

    This post further supports the concept we spoke of yesterday http://tinyurl.com/2joszz that social media allows companies to think and act more like political organizations. Most of those organizations are first listening all the time (your point in # 2)

    Then they create a movement through growth and connections. hhmmm, civil rights, Vietnam war, bad memos reported by network anchors, regardless of the issue, political/grassroots organizations have been practicing “social media” for decades.

    Because of technology those who have ideas, want to stimulate discussion, and quite frankly enjoy seeing people engage and build upon it are in a wonderful position to make society better. Social media has proven you can identify, rally, and motivate people (your point in # 4)

    This concept struck me when I attended a panel at BlogWorld and Paul Dunay blogged about it http://tinyurl.com/292rfe

    Your concept of the community manager http://tinyurl.com/39bglh fits right in with this idea and I’m looking forward to see how it plays out in 2008.

    Next time I’m in San Fran we’ll have an Irish Coffee.



    6. Posted by Albert Maruggi on December 19th, 2007 at 5:31 am

  6. Jeremiah it’s is indeed human nature. I am no different in that matter. It is “fun” and sometimes feels great to be included into a list. I think you have describes the best use of the Tweeterboard. For personal use and to gain insight in why you are twittering with certain people and they with you. The “who is most influential” aspect is not so important to me, although I can see the spin doctors preparing to enter the community and start influencing the talk.
    But honestly, my best experiences with Twitter are the times that I get into a flow of thoughts/comments with one or more people. It is the interaction that is best about it. I will let others worry about communication patterns and simply engage in it because it brings me inspiration. Thanks for your response, I wanted to say I really like your writings! I think I will try to join into your Twitter conversations ;-)



    7. Posted by Alexander van Elsas on December 19th, 2007 at 5:54 am

  7. #4 really strikes a chord with me. Friends are great and fun. But expanding my network is another benefit of twitter. I definitely look for the folks that know how to add value in these micro-conversations.



    8. Posted by Steven mandzij on December 19th, 2007 at 6:34 am

  8. Jeremiah, It was not our usual back-slapping, gossip-sharing, joke-filled night, but I’m glad some of my points may have come through. You are one of blogging’s shining stars and, hopefully, you you get to glitter a lot longer than I do.



    9. Posted by shel israel on December 19th, 2007 at 8:30 am

  9. [...] Aww to hell with productivity applications - you’ll soon find fame and fortune as a Twitter star. [...]



    10. Posted by Opinion Roundup - Online Office Suites | Michael Gracie on December 19th, 2007 at 9:11 am

  10. Good post. I agree u need to determine what u use twitter for. Having 1000 followers and adding them means you need a twitterscan, google reader or particls to mine value-which you need time for as well - not enough of it!

    What valuable thing does Twitter allow me to do that I cannot do anywhere else? Follow @jowyang, @gapingvoid or @briansolis. Human filters and adaptors that think like me, sort & render new social & communication prototypes, experiment w new communication proxies, all of this on the fly in an R&D environment like Twitter. Without these people knowing, they are co-creators & co-pavers in my business and that of my clients.

    I can see the impact @jowyang has on the social environment and how he becomes the sharp edge and represents an early marketing opportunity for the Forrester brand in Social Computing. This is interesting as you normally have to pay handsomely to even get access to a Forrester Analyst-is part of the revenue model. @jowyang on twitter is the first time a Forrester employed analyst shares ip and intelligence freely-at no cost.
    Now imagine ALL Forrester analyst getting on Twitter(and the less visible-famous Jaiku). Imagine them allowing subject matter expertise sampling and sharing, through bite-size gems of content;fantastic opportunity for Forrester to gain marketshare virally -especially outside USA where they are relatively unknown to corporates-and show leadership when it comes to social computing. They would have to use @jowyang as a twitter activity template(RFM - recency,frequency, message format), as @charleneli and @forrester are not prolific enough yet.

    When mobile networks started offering sms in late 90′, little did they now about the revenue opportunity that was about to rise to the occassion from nowhere . I think the Twitters and Jaiku’s (micro-blogging) could well become to blogging
    ,email,pocast and IM what sms became to mb talk-time.

    In absence of a laptop & stylus,patiently typed on a veteran O2Xda mini, sent via the Telstra 3,5G network
    from Sydney, Australia

    http://m.twitter.com/hans



    11. Posted by Hans de Kraker on December 19th, 2007 at 9:19 am

  11. Hans

    Wow, thank you for these tremendous comments, its really nice to be recognized for this, you’ve made my day!



    12. Posted by jeremiah_owyang on December 19th, 2007 at 9:42 am

  12. [...] Bancroft, that I know of — seem to be Twittering with real savvy.  Here are highlights from Jeremiah’s post about how he reached the top ranks on Twitter. “…focus on your objectives, what is it [...]



    13. Posted by How to Twitter Better « Movin’ Ahead on December 19th, 2007 at 10:22 am

  13. [...] Jeremiah Owyang cheerleads once more for how the playing filed is being leveled, by instructing “how to be popular on Twitter,” just like him!: I realize that folks are concerned about another leaderboard as a gaming mechanism, and while it stroked my ego for a while, I’m equalizing the field by giving away what I’ve learned. I realize I need to give and stay humble, and focus on community, so this is the right thing to do. [...]



    14. Posted by Insider Chatter by Donna Bogatin » Twitter and Facebook: The BIG Illusions of Friendship and Influence on December 19th, 2007 at 10:44 am

  14. [...] Owyang has an interesting post on how to be “popular” on Twitter. There are some interesting gems in there, [...]



    15. Posted by Twitter Revisited : [chrisbrogan.com] on December 19th, 2007 at 4:22 pm

  15. [...] Leveling the playing field: How to be ‘popular’ on Twitter more on twitter from Jeremiah. (tags: twitter) [...]



    16. Posted by James Governor’s Monkchips » links for 2007-12-19 on December 19th, 2007 at 4:24 pm

  16. [...] let me know she actually agrees with Mark Cuban. The line I quote was her reaction to a post from Jeremiah Owyang). I call it “exploration and experimentation”. We’re learning as we [...]



    17. Posted by The Praized Blog » Blog Archive » Mark Cuban’s New Facebook Friend Strategy on December 20th, 2007 at 11:44 am

  17. [...] been a lot of discussion in Twitterland about how Twitter has changed people’s lives, can change people’s lives, can change how we work, and has changed how at least one woman (and her friends) help her [...]



    18. Posted by peas across the twitterverse « small dots on December 20th, 2007 at 8:18 pm

  18. The 10 ways I learned to use Twitter in 2007… (aka Why and How I use Twitter)…

    How have I learned to use Twitter in my online communication? Let me count the ways… After Chris Brogan posted his “Twitter Revisited” piece last week and on the same day Jeremiah Owyang talked about popularity and Twitter, I put…



    19. Posted by Disruptive Conversations on December 27th, 2007 at 12:31 pm

  19. [...] influential for your niche as guidance for who to reach out to. Jeremiah Owyang has some tips on becoming more popular on Twitter. Be interesting and useful. Make your Twitter profile visible on places like Facebook and your [...]



    20. Posted by Everything You Wanted to Know About Twitter. Now In Podcast Form. on December 28th, 2007 at 1:29 pm

  20. [...] son business. Il existe plein d’autres utilisations de Twitter comme a pu le citer Jeremiah owyang par exemple qui va jusqu’à donner des astuces pour être [...]



    21. Posted by Twitter l’avenir de l’information ? | akashrine on January 2nd, 2008 at 1:09 pm

  21. [...] And Jeremiah shares tips on how to attract a large Twitter following: [...]



    22. Posted by Dan Blank: Publishing, Innovation & the Web » Blog Archive » Journalists: Twitter is Trend Worth Embracing on January 23rd, 2008 at 8:34 am

  22. [...] Owyang - How to be popular on Twitter; Conversations Shifted to Twitter; Twitter username: [...]



    23. Posted by women 2.0 Canada » Technology purse: the power of Twitter and microblogging on February 5th, 2008 at 2:41 pm

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