Hello
Twitterers! You may have been using Twitter for a while but did you
know how you've contributed to making Twitter a popular social
networking service website? Since it's launch in July 2006, the
service has quickly climbed the ladders of success.
As
of 2012, there are more than 500
million registered users
on Twitter. And what's more? They are generating over 340 million
tweets daily! No wonder, Twitter ranks as one of the ten 'most
visited' websites on the Internet today.
You
are one of those 500 million users and out of the 340 million tweets,
about a 100 are yours! I hope you are having plenty of fun and are
enjoying subscribing with and following other users and most of all
twitting your 'Tweets' on Twitter-'
SMS
of the Internet',
as they call it.
Did
you say you're not? Has it become more of a chaos than fun? Hmm,
looks like you are suffering from a 'TweetBlock'.
What
is a Tweet Block?
Have
you ever heard of the term 'Writer's block'? If you know what it is,
you know what a tweet block is. No problem if you haven't heard of
it. I'll tell you.
Writer's
block is a condition when the author or writer can't think about what
to write. It could be temporary condition or could last for years.
“Writer's
block is an inability to begin or continue writing for reasons other
than lack of basic skill or commitment.”
~Mike
Rose
So
it doesn't mean the writer doesn't have the skill to write or is not
committed to his work. He can't just come up with fresh ideas or
doesn't have an inspiration to write about. There cold be some many
reasons. I could end up writing a whole book about it!
Just
like a writer's block, 'TweetBlock'
is a condition when a twitterer can't think of what to tweet.
If you are undergoing it, there is no need to panic. It is perfectly
normal. Even the most famous writers, Francis
Scott Fitzgerald, one of the greatest American writers of the 20th
century, for instance,
have undergone this condition and become normal again. So can you.
Even
if you feel normal now, there's a good chance you may fall a prey to
TweetBlock. But you can always get over it or avoid it completely in
the first place as prevention is always better than cure.
If
you have been using Twitter for a while, it is very likely that you
could get a TweetBlock. That’s because you have, most probably,
by now plenty of followers and there are so many people out there
whom you follow as well. Managing such a large number or tweets
and retweets can become a chore and eventually lead to a
TweetBlock.
Don't
worry! You don't have to give up using Twitter when this happens. A
TweetBock can be avoided if you become more organised and start
managing your tweets today. Just follow the steps below:
Step
One: Group Together:
Look
out for the most popular tweets and your followers who retweet most
frequently. Group them according to the popular topics these tweets
have been about. Lets say you received the most retweets about
Olympics 2012 or you posted a picture of your artwork and people
started taking great interest in it. You can group your most popular
tweets in groups such as ' Olympics' and 'Artwork'. You at once know
what are the topics in-demand on twitter.
Step
Two: Time Your Tweets:
When
you start finding out the most popular tweets on your twitter page,
you can at the same time keep a record of the times these tweets were
posted. This will give a rough idea of the time you should be
tweeting so that a maximum number of people can view them.
Step
Three: Ditch Less Popular Tweets
There
is no need to tweet all the time and on any topic. Once you have
found out the most popular time and topic trends , follow them and
ditch all the less popular stuff you or someone else has posted. That
will avoid wasting your time as well as that of others.
Step
Four: Organise Your Ideas:
If
you have an idea to tweet about a popular or trending topic, jot it
down at once before it washes off your brain. Make use of Twitter
tools like 'Tweetdeck' to help you schedule your tweet. Let the
technology do the work for you at the right time so that you don't
panic when you're struck for ideas.
So
it's that simple. Just manage it well so that you know what you are
doing and you will have nothing to panic about when you are out of
ideas out are suffering a TweetBlock.
What
to Tweet When You get a TweetBlock?
Hopefully
by now you have got a few tips on how to avoid a tweetblock, but what
to tweet if you are already suffering from one? Many a times, I've
read people tweeting as 'Suffering from a Tweet Block' or 'Got a
TweetBlock again'. How lame is that!
It
is better not write anything when you get a TweetBlock. Trust me, it
doesn't make a difference if you do not tweet for a few hours or even
a couple of days. It isn't the end of the world. Allow yourself to
settle down and relax. When you're fresh and ready with new ideas,
you could start tweeting again. Why tell the rest of the world about
suffering from a TweetBock. They will only have negative thoughts
about you.
However,
here we'll tell you how you can come up with some creative and
exciting stuff even when you get a TweetBlock. Below are some of the
simplest and easiest ways to tweet when you get a TweetBlock:
Use
Simple Words:
It
is very helpful to engage with your followers and make them feel as
if you know them. If you do not tweet and encourage them, you would
fail in making a long-term relationship with them. If they admire
your posts, replying back courteously with a 'Thank you' is enough.
It's as simple. You can always tweet those who have posted some
really genuine and cool stuff by appreciating their work by saying:
'Very nice', 'Loved it', ' Inspired' or any other simple words which
come to your mind then. You don't have to post extraordinary replies
always.
Share
Cool Content:
If
you are an artist, for instance, an article on artwork or an oil
painting by someone might catch your attention at once. Think that if
it caught your attention so easily, it may help catch attention of
your friends too. Such articles, pictures or blog posts can always be
shared with your friends if you think it is really 'cool.' This
provides you with an easy means to keep your profile updated without
having to do much.
Ask
Questions:
Nothing
left to say. Just ask a random question. It could be ' What's your
favourite icecream?' I'm sure people would love to answer. They
always want to tell others about themselves. You may just discover
some icecream flavours you've never known or icecream parlours or
places where you can buy yourself a delicious icecream.
Share
the News:
Reading
a newspaper, listening to it on a radio while driving or watching the
news on TV can provide you a lot of useful material to tweet about on
twitter. Discuss the weather, an accident, an amazing discovery or
whatever you found on the news was exciting. For most people, weather
is the topic that always works. Even the dumbest person on earth can
talk about weather.
Trending
Topics:
As
soon as you open Twitter's homepage, you'll come across a list of
'Trending Topics', the topics which are the most talked about on
Twitter. Why not use those topics to start off with. They are already
catching public's attention.
Interesting
Facts:
If
you know of an interesting fact or have just come across one. Just
tweet about it and get to know what people think about it. You could
post something like: “A carb called coconut crab cannot only crack
open a coconut; it can live as long as 60 years!” You'll end up
having an interesting conversation about it for sure.
Post
a Picture:
Nothing
to say. Why not just post a picture? It could be about anything: a
picture you took yourself or an interesting one you came across over
the internet. There can't be anything easier than that.
Tweet
about Yourself:
If
there's nothing else to say, there's something about you that needs
to be shared. It could be a hobby, something you like to do or are
planning to do. Find out for yourself what others have to say about
it.
Conclusion:
Psychoanalysts
have suggested numerous strategies for coping with writer's block.
Some of these are:
- Discussions
- Listening and Reading
- Brain storming
- List making
- Getting Inspirations
- Encouragement
You
could use all these to overcome a TweetBlock. The solutions aren't
very difficult to practice. You just need to find friends or
relatives you can have discussions with. If you can't find them, just
read a book, listen to what others are saying or a radio or TV. Jot
down ideas, make a list of them or just brainstorm them on a paper.
Encourage yourself to do it and ask others to encourage you as well.
You will defintely end up coming with more useful ideas and stuff to
talk about and share with others.
Getting
a TweetBlock is no fun, but you can get over it quickly and easily.
Happy twitting!
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