We’ve overheard lots of questions from authors around how to make the most of your content on Twitter and this best practice guide covers some key points to ensure your tweets resonate with teachers and potential customers.Ìý
Twitter best practice guide
Ready to start tweeting? If you'd like to print this guide to keep it to hand you can right click the image above and select 'save image as' and then print this from your computer.ÌýYou can also check out our Pinterest best practice guide for more social media tips.
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From authors to authors
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Brian Taylor, Tes AuthorÌýMagictrickster, Ìýshares his personal author social media experience
A strong social following doesn’t happen overnight, but Brian Taylor -Ìýwinner of the Tes 'Authorpreneur' competitionÌý–Ìýwas given the confidence and skills to increase his Twitter following of two to 578 (and counting) in just over a month. Brian’s gone from a social-media wall–flower to creating engaging posts forÌýover 500 potential customers daily.
Why not follow in Brian’s footsteps and get started right away?Ìý
Brian's tips
- Start off by thinking about what you could offer and consider your audience – what do they want to see on their news feed? I’m not one to talk about myself soÌýI keep things interesting by regularly offering graphical puzzles, releasing the problem first and then tweeting the answer a few hours later. I get inspiration from my own resources as well asÌýfellow mathematicians I follow on Twitter.Ìý
Ìý - Don’t be shy of posting because busy teachers might only log in every now and again and will scroll quickly. As I follow more peopleÌýI notice how much noise there isÌýso upping your frequency is perfectly acceptable.
Ìý - Over time, I have followed over 4,000 accounts and then after a week or so if they didn’t follow me back, I unfollowed them. My advice is don’t beat yourself up about it – it’s all about maintaining a healthy balance like pruning your garden! ÌýBe a bit discerning and don’t just follow everyone;Ìýthink whether they might one day become potential customers, influencers or are relevant to your subject field.
Ìý - Don’t abandon it! You do need to be consistent and I noticed that when I stopped posting, the growth of myÌýfollowers lagged. To reap the rewardsÌýyou need to put some time in, so make it a habit.
Ìý - Don’t be afraid of advertising yourself and highlighting discount codes, as an interested audience will love to takeÌýadvantage of your offers.ÌýIf you post an advert, avoid too much small text that people won’t readÌýand remember to include a link back to your shop.
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Quick links
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Tes Author,ÌýMike Richards, explains why you might want to promote your Tes resources on Twitter.
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How do you make it work?
I’m quite selective with what I tweet and generally only tweet when there is a sale. Sometimes I use the social media cards provided by Tes and also include a link to my shop saying that there’s an additional 25% off all my products. On other occasions, I publicise a specific resource (again at a sale price) like my complete UKS2 Maths scheme of work for October. Most importantly, however, is the way I use hashtags. By targeting twitter groups consisting of NQTs, teachers etc, I can reach a much wider audience than I could ever hope to via Facebook. And by retweeting daily during my sales, I keep reminding that target audience of just what I offer.
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What are your tips?
1. ÌýÌýÌýÌýInclude a link to a specific product or your shop.
2. ÌýÌýÌýÌýTarget specific groups using a # ie, #teachers.
3. ÌýÌýÌýÌýLet teachers know that your products are on sale.
4. ÌýÌýÌýÌýPublicise a specific product at a specific time like an end-of-term resource pack.
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Quick links
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Happy tweeting!
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