Get More Eyes On Your Tweets

5 Ways to get more Twitter InteractionsLast week we wrote about the Twitter Twelve—minimizing the time it takes to effectively use Twitter. This week we’ll focus on getting your Tweets noticed. Here are some simple steps you can take to get more visibility on Twitter and grow your platform.

1. Be Yourself – As with any platform, keep it real. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. You see all kinds of Tweets out there. You don’t have to mimic others. The social media world will recognize a fake faster than the lifespan of a single Tweet (which isn’t very long.)

2. Get Personal with Retweets – When we share, we tend to click the Twitter share button and hit “Tweet.” This is a time effective way to engage, however, take a moment and add a question like, “Does this happen to you?” or “What do you think?” People are more apt to engage when asked a question. Or, you can add a comment like, “Must read for writers.” Continue reading “Get More Eyes On Your Tweets”

Cute Pictures of Puppies and Kittens

Jeeves! Where the devil are my bath salts?

Every once in a while I see someone bemoaning the fact that nothing they do on their Facebook page gets any attention unless it’s a cute picture of a puppy or kitten.

You can put a lot of fanfare into a book announcement, post an opinion poll, ask for help with something, and all you get is the sound of chirping crickets. But post a picture of a cute little animal, and whammo – near instant virality.

I have a theory about this. It seems to me that the appeal of puppies and kittens cuts across the lines that otherwise divide people. Race, age, gender, and income level just don’t apply. You don’t have to live in a certain part of the planet, speak a certain language, do a particular thing for a living. Continue reading “Cute Pictures of Puppies and Kittens”

Typopotamus At Large

Typopotamus
© 2012 Anneliese Hise

We’ve all seen them. They leap off the page, out from a billboard or a marquee. Ridiculously obvious typos somehow make it past every eyeball and out into the public.

We’re all human. Mistakes will be made. We might as well laugh about it.

Send us your original pictures of goofy typos and we’ll post them here at Indies Unlimited, with a photo credit to you. Here’s how to play along:

 

1. If you see a funny typo while you are out there in the wide world, snap a picture.

2. Obscure any identifying information. (We’re not in this to embarrass anyone.)

3. Use the contact form to let us know about it, providing a description of the hilarity.

4. We’ll send you the super-secret atomic access code so you can get the picture to us.

5. We run a feature post with the picture, your description and a credit to you!

Sound like fun? Warm up those camera phones and Polaroids or whatever ya got and let’s play!

Stay tuned for upcoming tutorials on screen captures and how to blur identifying info.

Writer on Vacation: A Guilty Pleasure

Recently my family and I decamped to the Polish coast for a week of quality time before the annual school grind sets back in for another year. I didn’t plan to write anything substantial while there, if for no other reason than the Baltic is at its warmest at this time of year: sometimes the water is as mild as +5 degrees and, if one can dodge the icebergs*, one can have quite a refreshing swim. However, these swims do not promote creativity. Instead, afterwards I indulge in my guiltiest pleasure: taking photos of strangers. Continue reading “Writer on Vacation: A Guilty Pleasure”