How Twitter Lists Can Help Build Your Network

If you're a writer, Twitter can help build your network, but you do know how to maximize lists for this purpose? Today, I'm guest posting at Positive Writer again, and I have some tips for setting up Twitter lists, plus recommendations for eight lists every writer should make. Here's a sneak peek! 


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Despite the numerous benefits social media affords writers, you’ve probably thrown up your hands a time or two, vowing to close your accounts and hibernate. After all, it’s impossible to keep up with the ever-evolving stream of articles, photos, and conversations that exist on Twitter every day. And that’s just one social media account! Add Pinterest, Google+, Facebook, or other tools to the fold, and our time and attention are easily strained.

Before you decide to give up, it’s helpful to remember the true purpose of social media: to build relationships. Twitter, like other services, should be a welcome addition to our toolkit a a means to accomplish this, and if you’ve never set up Twitter lists to help with these efforts, you’re doing yourself a disservice. The tips below will reveal why Twitter lists can make your writing day more productive and expand your network.

4 Ways Twitter Lists Can Help You

Like your shopping list that keeps you organized in the grocery store, Twitter lists serve the same function in the social media space. Lists help you organize people, organizations, and topics by category within Twitter to help you engage in a more targeted way.

It’s unrealistic to constantly follow your Twitter stream throughout the day. Even if you have that kind of time (and if you do, you should probably stop procrastinating and start writing!), lists will ensure the time you do spend on Twitter is more productive. Here are four ways Twitter lists can help you.

1. Maximize your time. Our time is valuable. Lists help you organize information so you can more easily stay informed on topics in the writing world and manage relationships. Creating lists means you’ll spend less time filtering through a never-ending stream, and more time gleaning content from the people that matter most.

2. Find what you’re looking for. Let’s say you put the finishing touches on a few short stories you’d like to send out. By checking your list of literary magazines, you can see if any contests are running, or tweet the journal directly asking questions about the submission period. Interested in contacting a fellow writer about a possible interview for your blog? Check your Favorite Writers list.

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