Happy Blogging #2 – Your Guide to Twitter

May 8, 2015 by Jeann @ Happy Indulgence | Features, Happy Blogging

happyblogging

Happy Blogging is where I offer my blogging knowledge and tutorials.

So I’ve been stretching my brain on what advice I can offer you guys in my next Happy Blogging installment, and what better subject to cover than my daily addiction – Twitter? Based on my recap last week, a lot of you guys don’t use Twitter much or don’t ‘get’ it. I’ve raved about the joys of Twitter enough, and now I’ll actually tell you how to use it from a book blogging perspective.

So you’ve signed up to Twitter, filled in your online persona, followed all of your favourite authors, bloggers and publishers and now what? Now comes the fun part!

Why should I use Twitter?

Be a part of the community 

Twitter is my favourite out of all my social media because it allows me to reach out to anyone on there, share my appreciation and start a conversation. Ever felt intimidated by other bloggers with a bajillion followers? Your favourite authors who seem to be surrounded by author BFFs? Or even some of the massive publishers like Epic Reads or Penguin. Well fear not, because now that you’ve got a Twitter account, you’ll be able to join the conversation, keep up to date with their news and talk to them as if you’ve been pals forever.

A quicker, more personal response 

Because of its 140 character limit, you have to keep the message short, sharp and sweet. I feel like I will get a response if I tweet someone, but not if I write on their facebook and let’s face it – email feels like a lot of effort in comparison. All I need to do is go to someone’s Twitter page and write them a quick message and wait – most of the time they’ll respond rather quickly (different time zones allowing). Unless they’re super famous, because I’m still waiting for Jason Dohring to tweet back at me 😉

Keeping up with the conversation

Twitter is a fantastic resource for keeping up to date with the latest news and happenings. This is where I get 90% of my bookish (and general) news from, from publishers, authors and other bloggers. You can “favourite” tweets that you want to come back to later, which will be saved in your profile. There’s also frequent Twitter chats, like author Q&As and #PTAChat held by Penguin Teen Australia or #OzYAChat held by Shaheen which you can participate in and join in the fun!

A great sharing resource 

If you’re a blogger, Twitter is also a great way to share your posts and reviews. Out of all social media, I get the most traffic from Twitter. If enabled, WordPress automatically shares your post on Twitter (and other social media), so you don’t have to manually do that every time. If it’s a positive review, tag the author and publisher! They’d be stoked and will appreciate the shout out.

Help! What am I looking at? 

There’s a 140 character limit, so we have to get across everything as smoothly as we can. This means people use abbreviations and intentional typos (I keep telling myself that) to fit everything in.

There are two characteristics to Twitter that make it different to other social media: #hashtags and links. #hashtags are now popping up on Instagram and Facebook, and they are great because they allow everything with that hashtag to be categorised under that topic. For example, some popular hashtags for books are #booknerd #bookblogger #arc #epicreads. Some hashtags I use frequently are #AussieYABloggers or #publictransportwoes or #firstworldproblems #foodlover. Hashtags also allow you get creative to get the message across, like #sorrynotsorry or #booknerdproblems. You can also stalk author/publisher chats and events, such as #OzYAChat or #PTAChat #TeaTime.

Talking about links, Twitter is the ideal place to link or retweet to articles of interest, whether that’s from a blog, news item, or your instagram account. Many accounts only link to articles and use Twitter more as a “news sharing” resource. Embedding images or photos in your Twitter will also help your post stand out in the crowd.

What should I tweet?

Anything you’d want say to them in person (or pretend you’d say to them in person)! Got a burning question about when Winter will be released? Tweet your publisher! Want to tell an author how much you loved their book? Tweet them! Want to tell your favourite blogger what an inspiration they are…Tweet me @happyindulgence! Or if you simply want to share some random thoughts about your daily life, what you’ve come across in your reading adventures, or a photo of the bookstore, or whatever. This is YOUR Twitter and you choose what you put on there, pretty much anything goes! Except for the usual offensive, racial, religious, 18+ stuff. Report that straight away if you see it.

Who should I follow?

Authors, publishers, celebrities, producers, other bloggers, readers, youtubers, the possibilities are endless! Here’s my top 11 list of bookish people you should follow:

Bloggers

@pixelski – Jaz knows everyone and everything in Twitterland!
@_KatKennedy – I love Kat’s snarky sarcasm and brutal honesty.
@divainpyjamas – Kelly is snortingly hilarious and makes me laugh.

Authors

@LaurenDeStefano – Lauren (Author of Wither) is a prolific tweeter who supports the YA community.
@misterkristoff – Jay Kristoff (Author of Stormdancer) has all the sass.
@RachaelCraw – Super lovely and fun loving author who is a real darling (Author of Spark)
@johngreen – It’s John Green and his tweets are fabulous.
@sarahdessen – Lovely superstar YA author with a lot of heart.

Publishers

@HarperCollinsYA – Snarky, fun trolls, who also publish great books.
@PenguinTeenAus – All the fangirling enthusiasm and it’s Penguin.
@textpubYA – I love Text’s impromptu ‘daily life’ tweets.

Now that I’ve prepared you for Twitterland, venture forth and have fun! Feel free to follow me @happyindulgence and tweet me anytime, I’m always up for a chat.

Any further questions about Twitter? Ask me below! 

Got any suggestions on what you’d like me to cover in this feature? Email me or leave a comment!

The following two tabs change content below.
Jeann is an Aussie YA blogger and mum who loves to read and recommend books! You can usually find me fangirling about books on my various social media channels including Twitter @happyindulgence, Instagram and Youtube.

Tags: , , , ,


53 responses to “Happy Blogging #2 – Your Guide to Twitter

  1. You can also add that participation in Twitter chats is fun. I've been in one – during Love-a-Thon – but it was loads of fun and really made me feel like a part of something.
    And, yes, the communication with authors. Not I've had too much of it. But I once tweeted that I dreamt of meeting S.J.Mass and lameted that it would probably never happen irl and she favourited it or something. It think. I know Marie Rutkoski has retweeted my review of The Winner's Curse. I mean, it's nothing much, nothing too personal, but still. Made me all giggly.
    And then I once was very disappointed by Amazon Kindle daily deal. Jeaniene Frost's book was supposed to be for 0.99, but for me it didn't show up. I had a small sad cry about it on Twitter, to which Jeaniene replied that for international readers things might be different. The fact is sad/annoying (and I've noticed from time to time these differences, but that's a different story), but Jeaniene Frost TWEETED TO ME. Small fangirl moment. 😀 Which I then expressed and received a giggle from her about my fangirling ways. It's so silly, but so nice.
    Twitter is a great way to get at least a teensy bit closer to the authors than you ever could.
    My recent post The Sis Reviews: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead #3

  2. Marianne @ Boricuan Bookworms

    I really underestimated Twitter at first… Now I can't go a day without reading my tweets. I'm not a great "tweeter" but I love going through my feed and reading about my favorite books or publishers. I agree that Twitter is the best way of communication… It has to be short and sweet and that's definitely a convenient way to communicate. Awesome post, Jeann!

  3. I keep on deleting my twitter all the time.. I feel super excited when I connect with others on it, but I don't know it just feels too public for me right now. I shall join in the future again xD I love the tweets the publishers give though, it's so snarky and witty lol 🙂
    My recent post Ice Kissed ♥ by Amanda Hocking | Review

  4. Francoise

    I've never been SUPER obsessed with Twitter and I feel like I'm missing out on quite a lot of cool conversations. I've found that I followed too many accounts so my feed has become a mess. I think it's time to unfollow all those accounts like life hacks haha. Anyway, I hope I get back into it!
    My recent post The Winter Starter Pack

  5. Faye M.

    Twitter is one of the best social media tool, period. I love it more than Facebook and Tumblr – you don't just connect with other people of similar interests and goals, it's also now a venue where you can be one with others for a great cause. So many important topics have been discussed among amazing amounts of people using hashtags. It's such a must now to have a Twitter account! Plus, that's where I get most of my news too. If I could have only one social media tool, it would probably be this.
    My recent post BLOG TOUR + GIVEAWAY: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

  6. I would have loved to have stumbled upon this post when I first started blogging! Twitter is definitely my go-to for connecting with the best people on earth – bookish people! I'm so glad for this method of communication because it's quick and so effortless! Thanks for sharing Jeann, I hope everyone can take something away frm this post 😀

  7. LilysBookBlog

    Where was this post when i first started blogging three years ago? I've come a long way since then and (thinkfully) i'm an active Twitter user but it's definitely an art (laugh all you want). Being a part of the twitter network is crucial to blogging, plus you make so many amazing friends.
    My recent post Fuel the Fire: Review

  8. danielleisbusyreading

    Twitter is so necessary to be in this community, IMO. It's where you'll get to interact the most with other bloggers and how you can put your blog out there. If I hadn't joined, I don't think I'd have connected with nearly the number of bloggers that I have.
    That being said, it's easy to rely on that TOO much when it comes to blogging, IMO. It takes away from people actually visiting each other's blogs, you know?

    • I totally agree, my first year of blogging I didn't have Twitter but now I do, it feels like there's a big community of us you know? Yeah, we do need to focus on our blog first and foremost.

  9. Eugenia

    Great tips Jeann! Twitter is a fantastic tool to interact with other bloggers and keep up with what's happening in the bookish world. The chats especially around #OzYAChat and #PTAChat are wonderful for interacting with other readers too.
    My recent post Genie's Weekly News (32)

  10. Precious

    Thanks so much for this post! I recently got a Twitter, and while I find it interesting for the occasional laughs, I'm finding it really hard to get into. I'm definitely going to make an effort to get more acquainted with it over the summer.
    My recent post Mirror, Mirror

  11. Charlene @ Bookish Whimsy

    Loved this post – twitter can seem intimidating, but you broke everything down perfectly! I've been on twitter for awhile, but I feel like I haven't taken full advantage of it's possibilities. It is so wonderful that we can send a quick message to an author or celebrity and maybe get a response! 🙂 Great tutorial post!
    My recent post Star Trek VOY Season 2 – Top 5 Favorite Episodes

  12. I should probably listen to your advice and start using my Twitter account more often. I have always been Facebook kind of girl but since it started to ask money from bloggers this year if we want our posts to be seen by our followers, I lost a big portion of posts views and have been seeking new social platform. Seems that Twitter may be IT for me 🙂
    My recent post EARLY REVIEW: 5 to 1 by Holly Bodger

    • It's so much fun Lucia, Facebook seems to have gone downhill since the paying model, I don't see many posts pop up anymore.

  13. Loved this, Jeann! I am obsessed with Twitter. I love how you can be completely crazy and honest on Twitter and everyone will just humor you. And it's definitely a lot less nerve-wracking than talking to someone in real life. 🙂

    Spot-on recommendations as well! Really, anything Kelly says is absolutely hilarious. 😉 Also the banter between Aussie pubs = the best. ^_^
    My recent post Review + Giveaway: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

    • Thanks Aimee, how much fun is Twitter and just reaching out to people anywhere! Hehe thank you, I'm so glad our Aussie pubs are recognised too!

  14. I adooooore Twitter! I'm not sure how I got the hang of it, but I love it! I get so many of my news from Twitter and have met so many awesome bloggy friends in there!
    And I've got to interact with authors in a way that I would have never expected or imagined!!

    Even with the occasional drama, I love Twitter!
    My recent post Interview with Holly Bodger author of 5 to 1!!!

  15. Text is HILARIOUS. I love them. I love how they tweet something all serious and promo-y for the publishing house…and their next tweet is just so witty and dry and wonderful. xD I want to be Text Publishing when I grow up.
    This is such a good list of twitter tips! I'M AWFUL in that, I started off using twitter as just a way to get more entries in giveaways. >_< But now I use it properly and it is. the. best. I love how friendly and accessible people are and how authors tweet back! ^-^

    • I knowww, they definitely brighten up the day don't they? They are hilarious! Hehe, I've loved our chats on there Cait!

  16. Aww, thanks for the shout out Jeann. It's hard to believe that even 12 months ago really, I was in this boat. I was on Twitter, but never REALLY on it, if you know what I mean. I loved the concept and to be able to connect with other readers, rather than talking the ear off the very board gaming nerd of a husband, but felt like I was always interrupting everyone elses conversations. Then Jeann came along. I'll be honest, you brought me out of my Twitter shell, and now you can't shut me up. The most fun I've had as a blogger has been on Twitter, and it's all thanks to bloggers such as yourself who took the time to interact with little known bloggers like myself.

    AND I'M THE FIRST TO COMMENT! Oh gosh, this has never happened to me before. I'd like to thank Jeann, and my agent. The academy for taking a chance…

    Wonderful post Jeann, perfect for those wanting to get stuck into social media, great talking point <3

    • No problems Kelly, it looks like you just missed out as the first by a margin, Lucy got in before you! Awww Kelly don't give me all the credit, your wonderful hilarious self should be thanked 🙂 Thanks for gracing Twitter with your hilarious posts!

  17. Lucy

    Lovely post! I love Twitter and I'm almost at all times reading Twitter-posts. But I keep telling myself I have to use it more often! I love reading every post but rarely reply *note to self, reply more often*
    My recent post Books I Got #1

Leave a Reply to LilysBookBlog Cancel reply

CommentLuv badge