When I first came to Twitter I knew NOBODY.

It was cliquey and competitive, and truthfully, some of the folks I'm good friends with today, ignored me. Days would pass with no replies or likes for my sweet tweets.

BUT, I stuck it out. Determined to break through.

/1

The key, for me, was engaging on OTHER peoples' posts.

The more somebody saw me, SUPPORTING THEM, the more they remembered my name.

Then, over time, twiends started liking and replying to my posts and a two-way street opened up.

/2

Next, I didn't wait for people to find me. I dropped the daydream of my words being some honeypot that would attract the masses. Not how it works.

So, like you have to do on a first date, I'd make the first move and follow the tweeple I liked.

/3

Most peeps will follow you back. Some just won't. BUT, nobody will follow you unless you MAKE THE MOVE.

For the first year or two, I ALWAYS followed more people than followed me. By collecting and engaging with those who did, I started the ball rolling.

/4

Twitter is a equal parts momentum, luck, and skill.

Sure you may get lucky and have a tweet go viral, or get some celeb to engage your shit, but unless you're building a network of peers and friends who know and support you(r content), it's all smoke.

/5

Also, too many metrics on Twitter don't matter. Follower count doesn't matter. Empty engagement doesn't matter. Likes don't equal sales, etc.

The name of the game is connecting and building a network of tweeple WHO LIKE & SUPPORT YOU.

/6

This takes time and patience and a willingness to care about the Tweeple you meet.

There's really no hack to it. No secret.

You need to put in the work. Be humble, be determined, and approach new twiends from a place of humility.

/7

And most of all, try to stay positive (even when it feels like an uphill climb). Instead of feeling dejected, focus that energy into reaching out and connecting to fresh faces.

In my opinion, FOLLOW, ENGAGE, and SUPPORT is the BEST way to build a durable platform here.

/Fin