How to Network Effectively with Twitter – part 4

[tweetmeme] If you find someone on Twitter that you’d like to connect with, but you don’t know what to say – consider simply making a “shout-out” to the person, to get them to notice you. Here are a couple of strategies to do this:

Acknowledge Twitter Contacts with Follow Friday Recognition

You could mention them on Twitter’s “Follow Friday.” To do this, simply say something nice about the person, include their twitter ID, then type the pound sign and put the words “FollowFriday” right after it.

If you’d like to shout out to more than one person, you can shorten the follow Friday notation to just the pound sign and the letters, and then follow with the “@” sign and twitter ID.

Example: #FF @JaneDoe @JoeSchmoe

Remember, Twitter only gives you 140 characters to play with so abbreviations come in handy when you want to reach a few people at a time.

Tell the Twitter World Why You Appreciate Someone

Another strategy for a shout-out is to refer directly to a Twitter user you appreciate. For instance, let’s say you read a blog article that has some useful information in it. Let the Twitter world know about it. Look up the author’s Twitter ID and mention it in your post. Make sure you use the @ sign before the ID so other people can easily look up that person on Twitter.

Example:  Great Twitter networking tips by @johndoe http://sample.com

Notice that I included a link to the article in the post so others can read the blog too. The writer of the article will see that you mentioned his name – and hopefully, he’ll thank you for it. That gives you the opportunity to start a dialogue with him or her.

Use Other Social Networking Sites to Connect with Twitter Users

You can also use other social networking sites to help you connect with people on Twitter. When you’re on Facebook or LinkedIn, watch the conversations. And then show others that you’re paying attention to them.

For instance, if you notice someone’s birthday on Facebook – wish them a happy birthday on Twitter. They should appreciate the fact you took the time to acknowledge it!

If you come across a great LinkedIn question and answer, link to it and give the name of the author on Twitter. Remember – the more often you show others that you are listening to them, the more likely they will pay attention to you!

In the next edition of this Twitter networking series, I’ll show you how to start a conversation on Twitter. If you missed the first parts of this series you can catch up here:

For help setting up a Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn account, email gloria@gloriarand.com.