Gavin Bennett's Blog: Respond to Three Tweets: Day 7 of the 2015 October Platform Challenge

The post is a little later than usual today, but the task is also a little lighter than usual. So great timing, I guess.

Respond to Three Tweets

For today’s platform-building task, respond to at least three tweets on Twitter. Since you created an account yesterday, it’s only fitting to put that account to use and start connecting with other like-minded folks.

Here are some tips for responding to folks:

Follow like-minded people. I shared my 50 Best Tweeps for Writers to Follow 2015 list, but participants in this very challenge shared their Twitter handles in the comments of yesterday’s task (which, by the way, I’ll fix into a list sometime this month).
Make the comment about them. Or in other words, don’t make it just about you. Don’t respond to someone by telling them THEY can follow YOU, or that THEY can buy YOUR book, or that THEY can read YOUR blog. It might seem counter-intuitive to some, but people like to hear from you when you’re not trying to sell them something.
Retweet folks and include a comment. It’s easy to retweet something on Twitter without leaving a comment. However, if you retweet something and add context or your opinions, it adds more value for everyone.

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Build Your Own Writing Platform

Build Your Own Writing Platform

In the 60-minute tutorial “Build Your Own Writing Platform,” writers will learn how to start building their writing platforms in a step-by-step format taught by Robert Lee Brewer, editor of Writer’s Market and national speaker at writing conferences.

Writers will learn:

Common platform-building tools.
Social networking etiquette.
6 strategies for building their own platforms.
And so much more!

Click to continue.

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Why Interact at All?

I know some people are thinking it: Why should I interact at all?

It’s a good question, and here’s my answer: Ten strong connections are more valuable than 1,000 half-hearted “followers.”

While it’s great to have more than 10,000 followers (many of them strangers) on Twitter, I know the people I’ve built connections with over the years are far more valuable than thousands of people who may (or may not) read my tweets.

So why should I even jump on social media, you might ask.

And here’s my answer to that: Because you make those strong connections on social media…

…if you interact.

See where I’m going with this?

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Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community, which includes editing Writer’s Market and Poet’s Market. He regularly blogs at the Poetic Asides blog and writes a poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine. He also leads online education, speaks on writing and publishing at events around the country, and does other fun writing-related stuff.