Whether you’ve been on Twitter for years or are brand new to the platform, many people wonder exactly how to go about interacting with people. One of the best parts about being on Twitter is that all users have the chance to interact and befriend people they would not normally be able to meet in real life.
So how do you go about making a new friend on Twitter, you ask? Here are five tips to help you make connections that will greatly enhance your experience.
Use @ replies
An obvious first step to meeting people and interacting with them is through the use of @ replies. As noted before on this blog, @ replies are very simple to use and the primary way of interacting with others on Twitter.
Direct message
Direct messaging is another way of building up a friendship with a Twitter friend. If the other person is following you back, you will be provided with an option to direct message. While many marketers and people in general may use direct messages to spam, use your direct messages to send personal messages to others.
Whether it’s checking in, a reaction to a tweet or just saying hi, most people appreciate it when others take time to contact them directly, off the Twitter public stream.
Retweet often
Another way to build up connections and make new friends on Twitter is to retweet them. Retweeting is one of the easiest way to support others and expresses your approval of their content.
While some retweets may be hostile or out of pure disagreement, retweeting someone and attaching a personal message or response at the end of the tweet shows the person that you care about the content they share.
Endorse them
A fourth way you can build Twitter friendships is through endorsing them. This can be done in a variety of ways. You can submit a recommendation via a Twitter recommendation system (such as Mr. Tweet) or by attaching a follow-friendly tag (#followfriday, etc.).
While there has been some debate over whether tags such as follow friday are still valued, it is still a nice gesture and is likely to be noted by the recipient.
Offer help/assistance when necessary
Assuming that you like a fellow tweeter enough to keep tabs on them, make sure that you respond to calls to action or questions when appropriate. For instance, if your Twitter friend is looking for a restaurant recommendation and is away from a computer, you could help him/her out by researching and tweeting a few reviews.
Generally, the more you support your Twitter friends, the more they will support you back. As long as you make an effort to build relationships on Twitter, you will have little problem doing so and will greatly improve your Twitter experience in the process.
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