Use Twitter Lists to Build Your Personal Brand

If you’re a personal brand, or are looking to build your personal brand, you can use Twitter lists as well. Here are some easy things you can do to get noticed:

• Thank every person who lists you. While it may take only a second to add someone to a Twitter list, it also takes a second to notice that you’re on someone else’s list. If someone thinks you add enough value to warrant addition to their contacts, thank the person who adds you. If you’re not following the person who added you, give them a follow and then, once they follow you back, DM them a quick thank-you note.A thank-you note will get you noticed, and it’s yet another opportunity to talk to people in your network.
• Follow lists compiled by people you’re looking to network with. If you’re an ultra-networker, a job seeker or simply someone looking to be seen, one way you can get noticed is by following someone else’s list.Many lists have no followers, and if you can distinguish yourself by being the first follower of someone else’s list, not only does it distinguish you, but it gives you and that person something to talk about. Also, it shows you who they think adds value to their day.
• Create lists of people you meet offline. Some folks have thousands upon thousands of Twitter followers, most of whom they’ve never met before. As you meet people at conferences, networking events and through work, you may want to add them to a list devoted to people you’ve met.An easier way to do this could be to create a new list for each conference/event/etc. you attend. This way, your Twitter contacts would be organized for quick recall.
• Create lists to show how well-rounded you are. Some folks live, breathe and evangelize social media all day, every day, and quite often, their Twitter streams are filled with all sorts of social media-related blog posts, re-tweets and general observations.While this is great, it will cause their stream to be one-dimensional and, therefore, useless to most people who actually use Twitter.Create a list of useful people to follow in your city or town. Create a separate list about your interests. Create lists around your musical and/or artistic tastes. Show me that you’re a well-rounded person, and I’m more likely to follow you on Twitter.
• Showcase your happy clients. For successful consultants, whether their business grows depends in part on positive word of mouth. If you connect potential leads with your happy customers, you’ll find that there’s a good chance your business will grow.Twitter is just another channel through which you can connect your clients with potential customers. At the end of your projects, don’t just ask clients for LinkedIn recommendations, but ask if they would want to be added to a special Twitter list just for clients who recommend you. This way, a person who goes to your Twitter profile can instantly find people who like your work.Just keep in mind that it may be easy for business competitors to scour your lists and pick out your customers, and that a “client recommendation” Twitter list could be an incubator for negative word of mouth, or that there are some clients who just won’t want their names out there. Be very careful in who you pick.

These are just some ways to grow your personal brand through your Twitter lists. If I left anything out, please feel free to leave your suggestions as comments after this post!

Author:

Daniel B. Honigman is a digital communications supervisor at Weber Shandwick, where he works with clients like General Motors, Oscar Mayer, the Campbell Soup Company and the Milk Processors Education Program (MilkPEP) He also is the co-founder of the media blog Old Media, New Tricks. He can be reached on Twitter here or via e-mail at daniel [dot] honigman [at] gmail [dot] com.

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