Twitter Followers Vs Raving Fans

Years ago, my social media/marketing consultant told me to start a blog, get on Facebook and LinkedIn and then Twitter. He wouldn’t let me go live on the blog for 6 months; he wanted to ensure I was committed to building a business around it. Smart guy. So the blog’s going along nicely, I enjoy Facebook, I lazily follow LinkedIn, and although I Twitter a lot, there seems to be a lack of consensus about best practices.

This article was created as a business exercise for me to figure out why I’m Twittering and what my “rules” are going to be.

For instance, I’ve read recently that, unless I want to be perceived as impolite, I must follow everyone who follows me. And if I don’t they’ll unfollow me. I didn’t know that. I don’t follow odd people who have nothing to do with wine/food and my other interests; so I look at everyone’s profile before I follow them. And, anyone out there who has unfollowed me, there is a good chance that I haven’t gotten around to looking at your profile.

I’ve also read that the point is to get as many followers as possible, like it’s all about the numbers. My goal is to have 1,000 raving fans…not followers…FANS. Fans are people who are committed to me—they talk about Girl with a Glass, they appreciate my contribution to their life and they support me.

Twitter is ONE way that I’m collecting fans. It’s a great tool for finding people virtually. I also use Facebook, email blasts, blogs (my own and others), social events (belly-to-belly marketing), visiting wineries several times a week, volunteering, attending conferences and industry-only tastings, and generally cultivating relationships with people. My biggest fans read my blog & are my Facebook friends & follow me on Twitter & hang out with me at their winery & meet up with me at events & invite me to be their friend/business buddy or similar.

It may take 10,000 Twitter followers for me to find 1,000 fans so it’s not necessarily counterproductive to follow (almost) everyone who follows me. But if I have other things to do, how can I honestly read the tweets of 10,000 people?

It takes work and time. At present, I use Tweetdeck. (I haven’t taken the time to research anything else.) Everyone goes into the “All Friends” Group then gets assigned to VIPs and Non-VIPs. I cultivate the VIPs by replying and sending direct messages, going to events, meeting up with them, commenting on their blogs, etc. I periodically look at the non-VIPs and reassign people. I’m keeping count of the VIPs that are now my “fans” so I’ll know when I’ve hit my magic number. And when the magic really happens, I end up being their raving fan too.

I’m interested in finding out how others organize lots of followers and why they Twitter. Comment or connect with me...via Girlwithaglass.com, Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.