Twitter users are quick to get caught up in the follow numbers. For the most part, followers are a good thing. Without followers, there’s nobody to talk to. Without followers, your message get’s lost.

The problem is, Twitter gets noisy very quick and the easiest way to manage the noise is to cut out those that fail to provide something of value. Users create lists, use programs such as TweetDeck or even stop following all together as a way to manage the noise and increase Twitter productivity.

The secret to success on Twitter is to be one of those people who is regularly listed, who is still there when the follows are dropped, who’s Twitter stream is deemed important enough to survive when the others have been tossed off the island.

Here’s five tips that can turn your Twitter stream into a Twitter survivor:

1) Tweet topically

This is by far the most important thing you can do. Turn your Twitter stream into a resource and create a place people go to for information. You can do this by providing “topical tweets.” In other words, consistently tweet on a specific topic.  If you’re a Realtor, provide real estate information. If you blog about the environment, provide informative environmental Tweets. Consistently provide information of value and people will listen.

2) Sharing is good

The majority of your Tweets should share information relative to your tweet topic. (blog posts, informative articles, etc.). If you read trade publications or daily blogs, send links of interest to your readers. If possible, credit the author or publisher by including the twitter id. This can lead to positive relationships with others in your “topic” and add targeted followers.

The same holds true for Retweets. Retweets are an easy way to share information of interest to your followers and are a nice way to recognize the original sender.

3) Talk to others

The best way to stand out above the noise is to make personal contact. Look for opportunities to join discussions relevant to your Twitter topic. If someone shares a valuable article, reach out and thank them. If you read a blog post you like, Tweet the author and let them know.

Hashtag (#) discussions relevant to your topic can be a great way to add followers that listen. Twitter discussions often have huge followings, many of whom are just reading along. Adding thoughtfully to the discussion can quickly add quality followers. This also works well with live events. Live Tweeting from an industry function can provide valuable information for those who can’t attend the event.

4) Follow topically

Follow people who tweet about your topic or people who might be interested in your topic. Programs such as  Tweetdeck or Twitterfall allow you to search the stream by keyword which can help you find other Tweeters of interest. Directories such as Twibes make it easy to find and follow Tweeters by topic and keyword.

Be sure you give people a reason to follow back. Make sure your Twitter page tells potential followers something about yourself and your “topic.” Look at the tweetstream of those you follow and respond to tweets of mutual interest.

Whatever you do, don’t introduce yourself by sending them a link. Make it personal and they are much more likely to follow back.

5) Localize your Tweets

Look for opportunities to move your Twitter discussions beyond the Twitter stream. This could be as simple as meeting a fellow Tweeter for coffee or talking by email/phone. When traveling, take advantage of opportunities to meet a fellow Twitter “friends” who you may not normally have the opportunity to meet in person. You’ve already formed a common bond through your online discussions.

Networking in person can lead to much larger, mutually beneficial relationships.

It takes time

As with all social media, nothing happens over night. Set a plan, tweet with a purpose and provide value to your followers and you’ll rise above the noise and create a powerful Twitter following.

How have you built a quality Twitter following?

Do you have a tip to share? Please take a moment and add it in the comments below.

Social media blogger Chris Brogan recently wrote about the idea of “microfame” and the power of social media to make people “famous” on any of a number of levels. Chris Brogan for example has become “famous” in the world of social media as an expert in the latest trends and developments. Likewise, I have a friend (offline) who has become “famous” within his small Facebook circle because of his profile pictures (currently John Travolta circa Sat. Night Fever) and updates.

The point is that we now have a very powerful platform to connect and express ourselves in ways that weren’t possible just five years ago. However, while it is much easier today to become “famous,” this fame doesn’t necessarly mean opportunity. According to Brogan,

We have this distribution mechanism, this platform, this potential to share ideas that matter, that brings us a further opportunity.

But fame isn’t trust, and the real goal, in my estimation, would be to develop trust, build relationships, and earn the attention of people in our circles of interest. That’s what matters.

As more and more self proclaimed “marketing gurus” and “social media marketing experts” jump into the world of social networking, it quickly becomes obvious that while they may have thousands of friends on Facebook or friends on Twitter, what good is it if they don’t provide something of value.

As my Twitter following grows, I’m finding that I’m being followed more and more by people with 10s of thousands of followers and I’ve followed some of them in return. However, I’m quickly finding many of the twitter users with the most followers have the least to say. I even followed one who has “twitted” about nothing more than how many followers she has and an occasional comment about coffee or something.

I’m also finding, that as I follow more and more people on Twitter, the less I’m actually reading on Twitter. I know which twitter users I enjoy, those who I talk to and those who provide valuable information. The rest get screened until I find value in something they provide.

The same is happening to my Facebook account. As the list of Friend’s grow, I tend to look for those I am interested in reading about and letting the rest go by. As the numbers grow, it’s the only way to manage these networks.

Without providing value, internet “fame” is worthless. People quickly learn how to screen the noise and even worse, label the spammers as such.

And yet there are so many out there that don’t get this basic concept. Take a look on almost any LinkedIn group and you’ll see people looking to blindly expand their network. There are now a number of Twitter applications that do nothing more then bring the classic pyramid scheme to Twitter to build followers. If you’re looking to add a random collection of followers quick, they may work well.

The RNC leadership even got into it a few weeks back bragging about who had the most “friends” on facebook culminating in the absurd challenge, “I’ll meet you on Facebook any day.”

From a business perspective, a large network is of no value unless the members of your network see value in what you bring to the table. By consistently providing value and conversing on a level of transparency and trust, the network will respond. Your network will grow, it will be much easier to spread content (with your name attached) and ultimately, bring in more customers.

What does your business bring to the table? Have you considered a white paper? White papers provide valuable information and can establish your company as an expert in the industry. Contact Jim Lodico to see how he can help you harness the power of white papers today.

I finally broke down and joined Twitter this week.

I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now and I’ve been holding back. I have information channels to keep track of as it is. But something finally spurred me to it.

It was David Henderson’s examination of the FedEx-Ketchum Twitter saga from the journalist perspective. Like a good journalist, Henderson went looking for the story. And what he found didn’t reflect all that well on anyone involved.

Reading about yet another Twitter flap got me thinking: 95 percent of this so-called news has little to do with social media transparency or PR capabilities in the Web 2.0 era. Isn’t it really about using common sense and practicing reasonably professional communication? Which, as communications professionals and business owners, is what we’re being paid to do.

So armed with my newly minted Twitter account, I decided to explore the landscape a bit more firsthand. And in this new wild west of communication, sure, there may be some new rules and a lot of new opportunity to engage people. But the old rules are still in play, too. As I read what’s floating around the Twittersphere, I wonder whether we might all ask ourselves a few questions before we start typing into that little box.

1. What’s my strategy? Social media tools are no different than other marketing tools. It’s important to know why you’re using it, how you’re using it, and how that ties into your business goals. If you’re using it for business, then keep your business in mind.

2. Would I send this to my clients and customers? If you can’t say anything nice… then, as your momma probably told you (and as Ketchum could attest), it’s better to hold your tongue. If you wouldn’t email it to your boss or your clients, then why are you typing it into Twitter?

3. Am I taking “authentic” too far? Bringing your authentic personality to your marketing doesn’t mean being the least professional side of yourself. If you’re a spokesperson, you’re still responsible for the brand image. If you’re a consultant or a business owner, you are what you put out there. Twitter is a messaging platform just as much as a conversational one.

4. Am I saying this just because I can? Do your followers really care what you had for lunch? Some may disagree with me here-and I value the conversations that can develop on a number of topics- but these are the tweets I just pass on by. There’s too much else of value out there.

5. What’s the value in this? Guy Kawasaki has written a great post on how to attract followers on Twitter. What’s so great about Guy’s advice? Almost every one of his suggestions boils down to this: add value, engage and offer something interesting to your audience.

Right. In social media circles, just as with anywhere else, common sense still rules.

Sally Anne Giedrys is the founder of artisan communications, an independent copywriting and communications consultancy that works with businesses and nonprofit organizations to craft compelling marketing and PR messages. For more than 15 years, Sally has been making businesses “sound good” in print and online through a potent combination of great writing, savvy strategy and high integrity communications. Learn more about artisan’s services at www.artisancopy.com. Or reach Sally directly at sally@artisancopy.com.

I recently posted a discussion on LinkedIn asking how many people first heard about the Hudson River plane crash on Twitter. I had recently written a post on this blog about how I saw the story break on Twitter and was amazed to see the story develop and (and somewhat resolve) in real time on this relative new social media service.

While there were a handful of responses agreeing that Twitter provided an amazing new way to witness news, I was surprised by the number of people who either didn’t understand the gist of my point about Twitter or didn’t know what Twitter was in the first place.

The more you use social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, the easier it is to think that everyone else is also. The more you get involved, the more you network with others the easier it is to quickly believe that social media has become the norm.

However, step back into the offline world for a moment, it it doesn’t take long to realize that using blogs, Facebook, Twitter, or any of a number of social mediums for business purposes is not the norm. Take a moment and ask your friends or neighbors what social media sites they use. Sure, a couple may enjoy sharing pictures on Facebook and many have LinkedIn profiles but chances are, the majority of them are not actively using these sites for business – yet.

And while these sites are growing fast, there is still time to be an early adopter. Now is the time to not only establish an online presence but to be sure that the presence is up to date. It isn’t enough to have just a “website” today. Customers want to interact, they want information, they want to see a company actively engaged in the community.

By getting in now, you not only learn what is expected online, you can refine your presence or brand and be there waiting as more and more customers join the party.

Old vs new Whitehouse.gov web page. Click for larger photo.

And what a difference a web page can make.

While it appears that the Obama transition team ran into a few technological snags as they encountered what to them is outdated technology (ie. Apple vs. old Windows) and government beurocracy which hasn’t yet adopted to the world of social media, it appears that the White House web page is embracing the fundamentals of social media.

A blog post on The Breifing Room: The Blog states that the new website will be based on Communication, Transparency and Participation. That pretty much covers the building blocks of all social media.

There is no question this administration is wired into the world of Web 2.0. The Obama campaign utlized Facebook, Twitter and other social media applications in a way that many businesses would envy. By now, you’ve probably also heard how the new president was determined to keep his Blackberry and they also plan on using Youtube to present what used to be known as the Fireside Chat. It appears that the Obama administration has recognized the power of social media and plans to use it to its fullest.

And yet while an office which needs to “control” the message (if for no other reason than security) more then almost anyone can embrace the world of social media, I believe it is safe to say that the majority of businesses and business executives are still cautious, don’t understand or are even afraid of the world which is about to pass them by.

In a meeting yesterday with a colleague whom I met on Twitter, we both agreed that as much as 90 percent of the population still haven’t even tested the waters of a forum, blog or social networking site. It is doubtful that I will be able to make the same comment this time next year.

So for now, I’ll leave you with a great resource of case studies I came across this morning. The following link is by Jennifer Van Grove on Mashable.com. In it she lists 40 companies which are successfully using Twitter provides and breif analysis as to what they are doing right. It’s a great resource for both the beginner and advanced user alike.

Update: Want to see the impact of the new president and inauguration day on social media? Check these numbers: Twitter had more than 150,000 tweets containing the word “Obama” on Tuesday, YouTube had more than 300,000 videos with the tag “Obama” uploaded this week, and more than 80,000 “inauguration” photos were uploaded to Flickr.

Jim Lodico is a freelance commercial copywriter and public relations/social media consultant. If you’d like help with your social media campaign or communications project, please contact him at jalodico@bizwritings.com.

Like a lot of Boomers, my client in today’s meeting said that, while he had heard of Twitter (which is not the typical response I’ve been getting so far) – he was shying away from it. He had the same reaction I did initially when I became aware of Twitter.

Who’d want to hear about me going to the grocery store? He asked.

(In my case it was: Who’d want to read: I just took the puppy out for the fifth time today. Or: I just got back from the drive-through at Wendy’s…???)

But I took the plunge and signed on to Twitter. And I admitted to my client that at first I asked myself what I thought I was doing. Did I even belong? Like him, I’m interested in results. Would there be any for me?

For months I’ve been gathering more and more info on things like Facebook vs. Twitter, and how to use blogs, backlinks, linkbaiting, and other social media channels. I feel like I’m in an accelerated MBA program – all it’s costing me is my time, which is considerable.

Actually, being a writer and so not a tech person, I feel like I’m back in Sister Kostka’s freshman algebra class – clueless, lost, and frightened that everyone will notice how little I know.

[Caveat: OK - if you're one of the honors kids and know all about this stuff -- proceed on to the blogs and links that feed your soul.]

I’m talking to people like… well, me… and my Boomer client. And anyone else just becoming aware of things like Twitter – and wondering what it means. Or if it’s worth it.

You see, my client is a very, very successful businessman who has created a second career as a motivational speaker, partner in a web design firm (www.SiteBrandBuilder.com), and poet. I learn a great deal from him. He can see the value of a Facebook page and a profile on Linkedin. He just doesn’t want to be that connected through something like Twitter.

Does he need to be? Not if he’s happy with his scope of success and quality of business and personal life. (And he is.)

Are there downsides to Twitter? Sure.

The benefits of using Twitter as a part of your communication can also provide results you could never imagine.  Let me give you a sample:

A few weeks ago, I read a question on a LinkedIn group that I belong to. It was from Michael Stelzner (www.stelzner.com), the white paper specialist. Michael Stelzner originated the first On-line Copywriting Success Summit last October. I attended the Summit — which was excellent — and have a great respect for Mike.

His question was: Is anybody else addicted to Twitter?

This question became a perfect example that I can use to explain to my clients about how social media is directly benefiting my work. Stay with me.

Doing an online conference in October led me to:

• join the LinkedIn social networking discussion group from the summit conference
• which led me to post a comment on the group discussion
• which led me to read Cindy King’s (www.cindyking.biz) very helpful comments about Twitter
• which caused us to become aware of each other
• which led me to watch her name become more prominent across social media
• and influenced my decision to join Twitter and “follow” this woman, in addition to professionals from the summit already on Twitter
• which caused Cindy King, a cross cultural marketing consultant located in Paris to also follow me on Twitter (@writerdiehl)
• which led me to ask her a question about another social media network in Europe that I’m on (Xing www.xing.com)
• which led to her answer to me by email (which was very helpful) and
• she requested that we have a phone conversation to learn more about what I do (www.marcidiehl.com).

Ultimately, we had a 1.5 hour phone meeting.

This is a perfect example of the result of social media networking.

In one week, I gained a contact and valuable resource, and she learned more about me and my work. We exchanged insights and tips, and plan to keep up our contact via Twitter and the phone. All that was missing was a cup of coffee and a table to sit at. I gained by learning some things I should do for my blogs and website, and how I might seek work on an international level.

I’m using this as one example of how fast this kind of thing can start gaining. I’m still learning – but as I learn, the results can be surprising.

And exciting. And yes – ultimately profitable. In all sorts of ways.

Marci Diehl (www.marcidiehl.com) is an experienced, high-level commercial writer and consultant with an unusual background. She’s a content creator and storyteller who believes it’s not just writing-it’s solutions.

Where were you?

Ask yourself for a moment how you first heard about the plane which went down in the Hudson River. If you’re like me, you first heard about the story on Twitter. Within minutes of the crash, Twitter suddenly came to life not only with news of the crash but with reports from eye witnesses and even the amazing photo above taken by a passenger on one of the first ferries to arrive on the scene.

While citizen journalism has been growing for a while, Twitter’s ability to rapidly spread information by “retweeting” information took citizen journalism to a new level. Not only that, the speed of the news cycle was absolutely amazing. Within 15 minutes of the story breaking, word was spreading around Twitter that miraculously, everyone was off the plane and survived.

It was also interesting to watch the traditional news outlets on Twitter and how they handled the event. At the height of the story, I received a “tweet” from the Washington Post asking followers if they wanted them to report the story on Twitter admitting that they would be doing little more than reporting news that was being broadcast on the AP wire.

Think about that for a moment. As a big story is breaking, one of the country’s major news outlets stops and asks it’s readers how they want them to report the story. This has to be a first and to be honest, I don’t know what to think about it. I started to send a response saying, “DON”T ASK! REPORT!”…but I let it go.

It is also interesting to note that I don’t recall seeing anything from the New York Times (who I also follow) until after I had heard that everyone was safe. One thing however, both news services were the first I saw to post contact information for both eyewitnesses and passenger lists. As opposed to just reporting the news, both were also serving as resources in a time of emergency.

How does this apply to business?

Now, let’s take the lessons learned from this to a business level. As demonstrated, Twitter has the ability to spread information very, very fast. There are enough users and if it is interesting enough, the information will get passed around. This can be both a good and bad thing. In a crises situation, Twitter can be a very effective way to curtail the spread of false information and stay informed about what is being said.

A company actively listening on Twitter for comments about their company or product can instantly join the discussion. If the company’s Twitter account is active and has a strong following, they can instantly tell followers about what is going on from their end or reach out and offer help to users who may be spreading negative information. (Tweetdeck is an excellent tool for actively monitoring key words in Twitter)

From a basic customer support perspective, Twitter is becoming a way for companies to communicate directly with customers. For a good example, check out Comcast. Comcast has a dedicated customer support representative working solely on Twitter.

Thankfully, nobody was hurt in the US Airways plane crash. From a breaking news perspective, it was amazing to see the “real time” aspect of this story coming from many different perspectives. From a business perspective, it reminds us that the conversation will go on with or without us. The question becomes, how will we participate.

Jim Lodico is a freelance copywriter and public relations/social media consultant. If you’d like help getting your message out to the world, contact Jim at E-mail Me!jalodico@bizwritings.com.

Social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter are taking on many of the functions once completed by email. In the same way text messaging changed the way we use cell phones, Twitters and “status updates” are changing the way we communicate online.

Here are seven reasons social media will make email obsolete.

7. Email takes too much time

Nothing like opening the morning email to find 100 or more emails awaiting your attention. Just sorting them can take up the better part of a morning – least bit reading and responding. While email has made communication easier, it has also made our lives much busier.

6. Email Etiquette demands are greater then with social media tools

Email etiquette stems from traditional letter writing. Salutations and signatures are somewhat expected – at least upon first contact in an email string. Tools such as Twitter, with it’s 140 character limit, don’t allow for such formalities.

5. Email discussions can be hard to follow

Email discussions can often become so long and unwieldy as they get passed from one participant to another that those late to the discussion have no chance of catching up. Add to that the failed “reply to all” and you are soon missing important elements of the discussion.

The basic structure of a forum with the topic posted at the top of the string makes the conversation much easier to follow. Remember how the email user group used to be so popular? Now the discussion takes place in forums.

4. Social Media allows quick communication to the group

Social Media sites make it much easier to broadcast messages to the group. Instead of emailing pictures of the children to each and every family member, they are now easily posted on Facebook pages or Flickr albums.

Businesses are using social media to broadcast content to massive audiences in ways email does not allow.

3. Email can’t accommodate larger files or group access

Ever try to send a video by email? Video hosting services such as YouTube eliminate the bandwidth constraints of many email servers. Forums also allow users to post files needed by the entire group. No need to email each document individually.

2. Social Media Tools are quick and to the point

When you are limited to 140 characters (Twitter), you’ve got to be concise. Get to the point, respond, move on. Twitter also has the advantage of both broadcasting to the group or responding to the individual.

1. NO SPAM!

At least not yet. Spam is one of the biggest reasons many dread opening their morning email. Even with the best filters, it still gets through. Worse yet, spam filters often block the messages we need to see.

Unlike email, social media sites allow us to choose who sends us messages. While social media makes it easier to broadcast to the group, it also makes it easier not to listen.

So while email will always have it’s place, many are finding social media tools filling in for the shortcomings of email.