How Not to Twitter

Prologue
In my last post from (ahem) 2014, I said I would underachieve on this blog by posting lighter fare and hopefully, this would lead to blogging more consistently. So, I tried to underachieve and there was much silence on this blog.

So today, I try again. I will try to make this blog a tad lighter, possibly shorter (ha), and yet still be somewhat informative about online marketing and share tips that I learned from having a little handmade jewelry shop on Etsy.

Today's blog tips are direct lessons learned from my Twitter fails.

Three Fails on Twitter
A lesson on how not to Twitter.

Fail #1
Because I used an automated Twitter app (etsy-fu) to tweet my jewelry images for me, I checked my Twitter account off my to do list and never looked at it again.

Although the Etsy-Fu App is amazing and I DO highly recommend it, my extremely neglected Twitter account went from normal inconsistent you can never count on it weird to EVERY eight hours of automatic pictures and naggy posts weird.

Basically, a long long time ago, I signed up for Twitter. Then, I never really used it, then I felt guilty, then I would tweet for a few days, even weeks in a row, then I would get tired of it again, and I would leave it alone again until I felt guilty...yada, yada. It's called the Twitter Circle of Hell Merry Go Round. Never pretty.

Much later, I found this automated Twitter app and thought, "aha, my problems, at least the twitter ones, are solved!" But there was a catch. Inevitably for me, signing up for an automated tweeting app, was not a good move.

Why?
This is because, and this may come as big surprise to many of you, Twitter is for PEOPLE not "bots" (that's short for robots, actual people, readers, you).

Fail #2
Because my Twitter account was automatically engaging my twitterverse, I actually gained more followers. Good? YES! (See, I told you it wasn't the app's fault!)

My Bad Move
However, I never engaged a single re-tweet and never acknowledged a single mention. I probably made more "un-followers" than followers by NOT engaging the actual people at all.

The automated app which was tweeting for me every eight hours made it look like I was active on Twitter, but then nothing, nada, chirping of crickets not birds, only silence from actual ME.

I can just imagine the retweeters and mentioners saying, "well, thanks for nothing @fineheartjewels"

And, they have every right to say so. This is because Twitter is a SOCIAL media app. This means being social, connected, engaged.

Fail #3
Because there has always got to be a #3, here it is. Neglect is one thing. Silence pretty bad. Not checking links on my profile? The worst fail.

When I signed up for Twitter like 100 years ago, it was brand new. Brand new as in new baby smell new; yes, even fresh towels from the laundry smell new. This was BEFORE the Arab Spring, or the Kardasians, or even before Ellen (@TheEllenShow) was on Twitter. It was before anyone had advice on how to actually use Twitter because quite frankly no one knew how to use Twitter. We were all still poking it with a stick.

But, I digress. Oh right, links. When I signed up with Twitter, I linked this blog, yes, this very neglected blog, to my Twitter account: not my handmade jewelry shop on Etsy which I update every hour, not even my www.yvetteperri.com from my empire online which I updated once a week. I linked a un-updated blog, a dead blog, a blog I had not posted on in a long long time to my now naggy updating every eight hours Twitter account.

So, when my automated Twitter app was tweeting for me and people were seeing consistent tweets and wanted to see what I was up to? They would click on my link. Then, they would see a very quiet blog, neglected, an irrelevant post from eons ago, not even a single cricket was to be found. A very sad fail.

Hope
But as always, I can't end this post there. There is always HOPE! Because in life's fails, there are always lessons to be learned.

The Simple Moral of the Story or Lesson of the Day
Twitter was most likely invented for people. Tweets are actually words from actual people. People like to talk and be engaged with whom they are speaking with at the time. If you are going to "tweet" (talk), then by simple logic, there has to be a discourse, a discussion, an engagement. So, do it.

Robots are not people. Leave the robots for cleaning floors and other future household cleaning chores they will one day do for us (mostly me). The lesson? Tweet like a human.

Epilogue
Thanks to Donna Moritz @sociallysorted. I googled and read her article on how to manage my twitterverse better. I like the way she writes: straight to the point, clear instructions with pictures, and easy to read. This is her article for 7 Ways to Attract and Engage Followers on Twitter
(Not affiliated with Donna Moritz but now a fan and a follower).

Sometimes, It Is More Than Just Business

A lesson in humanity. Paying forward and getting a reward back doesn’t have to be instant to be well worth it. The Etsy Forums have always been a source of knowledge, laughter, entertainment, and lately, much controversy, drama, and some heartache. Today, it brings me something truly unexpected: perspective.

Here’s a short story.
An Etsy artist is grieving over her twin sister who had died tragically. A shop owner reaches out to her and sends her a gorgeous handmade necklace as a token of her sister’s memory. They become good “virtual” friends though the Etsy Forums.

Fast forward. The shop owner’s husband falls gravely ill. The woman who lost her sister in the story above now becomes the comforter of the shop owner who first comforted her.

Now, how did I get wind of this via the Etsy Forums? 

Today, the shop owner whose husband is ill thanks her artist friend very publicly on the Etsy Forums. I happen to be a huge fan of this woman she thanked, Trudy. ArtbyTrudy has a virtual fan club and we all chime in and yell our praises for Trudy.

Trudy. She is a source of many laughs, late night chats, and camaraderie. She is a precious woman who does not know the power of her presence, online and off. I am sure. I say that because although I have never met Trudy in person, she is a wonderful motivator, a great source of wisdom, and a very amazing woman to know. Although we both find that owning a small business online is like navigating through a magic maze which changes every time we think we have found the exit door, she manages to have sense of humor through it all. Trudy's fun and positive outlook is infectious. She always manages to bring a smile to my usually frustrated face.

Back to the story.
As Trudy would, she comes in on the Forum thread and finds post after post of accolades and praises sent her way. Trudy immediately switches the focus from herself to her friend, ACelticgirl2, and puts it all out there. Trudy simply states, please visit ACelticgirl2’s shop profile since she needs our help. Trudy is not a subtle gal. She speaks unassumingly and she is always frank and to the point. Because of Trudy’s track record of never steering me (or any of us) wrong, we all click on ACelticgirl2 Profile page.

... which simply it states:
“This is all you need to know about me right now. One day at a time. http://www.gofundme.com/is270"

I followed the link as many others did. We support ACelticgirl2 in our own way. Some donate, some send notes, some simply say a quiet prayer. Just because we know Trudy asked. And just because we know that a few years back, ACelticgirl2 did something selfless without ever expecting anything back.

Why am I sharing this today?
It's been months since my last post and much much longer since my last business advice. But you know, sometimes, something bigger comes our way and we just need to say something, acknowledge its presence and share: yes, sometimes, it is not always about business.

I am hoping that this post will be read as it was intended to be: a small tribute to two women who make me glad to be part of an amazing community of artists, small business owners, collectors, hobbyists, experts, and people who do care.

Epilogue
In the midst of crazy world events, busy-ness, insane deadlines, and lost confidences, I find that indeed, there is a real community inside Etsy. And, Etsy Corp in New York with all its faults, triumphs, failures, and imperfections, has absolutely nothing to do with it.


Editor's Note: Photograph is the property of ArtbyTrudy.


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