WRITERS CLINIC: 3 Ways to Grow on Twitter

“Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you … fishers of men.'” Mark 1:17, NASB

Dear Christian Writer Friends,

God has blessed my platform on Twitter—He is so good! Since August 2016, my followers have increased from 915 to 5,846 … that’s almost 5,000 people, y’all. This growth began after I met with Tamela Hancock Murray, a literary agent with the Steve Laube Agency. She advised me to work toward increasing my followers and suggested I follow some of the people she follows. This provided a credible place to start, which I continue to appreciate (Thank you, Tamela!).

Today’s post will include three additional methods I’ve implemented in order to grow my impact. I discovered these tips via internet research (amazing, I know 😊). I wish I could give credit by name to the writers who offered advice, but I fail to recollect their specific articles. Needless to say, I appreciate their input and gladly pass it on to you.

Join Emily Wickham as she shares three ways to increase your impact on Twitter. #ChristianWriters #AmWriting Click To Tweet

Method #1: Write a Stellar Bio.

This piece of advice has proven to be a great asset. As I surveyed online examples of excellent Twitter bios, I contemplated how I could improve my own. This involved the following:

  • Highlighting that I write for LifeWay’s Journey Magazine. I also added LifeWay’s Twitter handle along with Journey’s handle. Now, when people glance to see who I am, this information grabs attention. It communicates my achievements as a writer.
  • Adding spaces and bars between the descriptors (e.g. Author  |  Speaker  |  Etc.). This small change provided a cleaner appearance.

Method #2: Post Three Times Per Day

Years ago I was introduced to Hootsuite, a free social media scheduling tool. It enables me to post on Twitter with ease, and I greatly appreciate its benefits. I can write three tweets within 15 minutes or less and schedule them throughout the day. Based on advice I received from an online article, I post one tweet in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one at night. I primarily share biblical truths, brief prayers, and Bible verses, all of which are well received. I also share my YouTube videos and blog posts although they’re usually in addition to my scheduled tweets. (Note: I include two hashtags for each tweet, and this exposes countless Twitter users beyond my followers to my content.)

This recommendation to post three times per day has worked wonders! It hasn’t been a strict rule, either. In other words, I try to post Monday-Thursday, but sometimes I miss a day or two … or three. That seems to be okay because I just pick up where I left off, and traction continues to build.

Method #3: Keep It Professional & Godly

Professionalism is key in making a good first impression. Part of that involved rewriting my bio. as mentioned above, but I also continue to use a professional headshot for my profile photo. I created an attractive banner as well, which includes my ministry name and tagline.

I decided early on to stay away from political conversations, and I scroll through a follower’s tweets before following him/her back. If I see curse words, numerous political tweets, or inappropriate images, I don’t follow back. However, if the person’s tweets are clean, I usually follow back even if their content doesn’t overly interest me. It’s simply a nice gesture to return the favor of following.

Since I use Twitter to benefit my career as a Christian writer, I focus on tweeting messages that magnify the Lord and promote one’s relationship with Him. My God-given words often resonate with others who like and/or retweet them. The combination of professionalism and godliness allows me to grow the type of audience who will be interested in my future writing and speaking endeavors.

Concluding Thoughts:

Twitter’s simplicity as well as its potential to reach hundreds of thousands make Twitter an enjoyable, productive experience for me. I’ve connected with many others who love the Lord—even some of you! I value the uplifting environment of my timeline because it’s filled with tweets of likeminded Christians.

If we haven’t connected on Twitter yet, please look me up. I’d love for us to support each other. And please leave your Twitter handle in the comment section below so others can follow you, too.

In Christ’s Love,

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