| Mark Shaw |
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Tweet Don’t Sell Mark began his career in sales, where he had considerable success and won awards. However, this was due to the fact that he chose not to actively sell. He sold intensive care and theatre products to hospitals and when he had trouble getting new sales he would contact the hospital and ask the nurses if they would like some training on the various pieces of equipment. Mark found that after one of his training sessions the nurses were far more likely to order his products over another brand. Mark was keen to point out that Twitter isn’t about selling. As time went by NHS funding decreased and he decided to retrain as a mortgage broker (he re-mortgaged his own house and someone told him that he would be good at it)! In April 2008 he came across Twitter and initially thought it was all nonsense and just for celebrities. He got an account, but did nothing for three months. However, he kept hearing about it, revisited the site and subsequently became obsessed. People started to follow him and ask how he was so successful (30% of his website traffic comes from Twitter) and if he could help them. At the beginning of 2009, he made the decision to turn this into a full-time pursuit and now advises and trains individuals and businesses on how to use Twitter. I asked Mark just how he got so many followers and he put this down to a number of factors. A few years ago Mark had many projects on the go, but now he is focused and positions himself as being all about Twitter. He has a love of people and likes helping others and sharing things; he is also a big fan of networking and is good at connecting people. In addition, Mark only advocates what he has tried and tested and puts in the hours to really learn something. He stressed the importance of being authentic and allowing your personality to come through. For example, Mark does a daily weather report from Barnet and ends his Tweet with “What’s it like where you are?” Sharing information (such as resources or useful links) or passing on your knowledge by answering questions or connecting people to someone who can, all helps to build trust. Mark often does a free half hour Twitter clinic so that people can post any queries they have. Tweet Your Book I was keen to find out just how authors can benefit from Twitter and Mark gave me the following advice: When you set up your Twitter page write a biography and keep it short and personal. For example, here is Mark’s biography: Advising businesses how to get the most from Twitter, Speaker, Lover of: fresh air, humour, walking ,haribo sweets, connecting peeps and dealmaking, enviro friendly Upload a picture of yourself (not Darth Vader), so people can see you are real. You can add your website details, which is where people can find out more about you and buy your book. It is essential that the information on your website is consistent with your Twitter page. This also helps to maintain your brand. Once you have set up your page, you can start engaging with people. Mark suggested that you could begin by following other authors to see what they are doing. You can also follow publishers that you like and engage with them on a personal level (this doesn’t include asking them to read your manuscript!). Once again, it is about being authentic and interesting, so don’t be afraid to share things that are unusual or humorous. You can track down these kindred spirits by doing a keyword search on people’s biographies via Tweepsearch or Search.Twitter.com You could search under ‘being an author’, ‘how to get publishing’, ‘writing my first book’ and so on. What you give out, you get back, so if you share your knowledge and expertise then you’ll become known as a ‘go to’ person in a particular area. There is no excuse not to be visible says Mark because now we have the tools. Twitter can feel time-consuming, so set aside a period each day, even if this is only 20 minutes. But use your time effectively. Don’t just follow people; do a search and engage in a conversation or start one by ending your Tweet with a question to get people thinking; that is how serendipity and synchronicity can happen. In addition, Mark suggested sending out 5-10 Tweets per day providing information or sharing an inspirational nugget as well as more personal messages. This may feel like a tall order, but Hootsuite or Tweetdeck can help you manage this. You can use either of these to send out Tweets at set times even when you are on holiday. The key here is consistency. If you don’t tweet regularly people will lose interest or feel that you only show up when you want to sell them something. Mark told me about what he calls the four Rs, He feels this is what is so valuable about it. Once you build up a regular group of followers, you can do targeted research (Mark feels that Twitter is more powerful than Google in this respect), ask for case studies, get feedback on your book, find a co-author, tweet an extract, do a focus group or a virtual book launch. Tweeting can even help to get you media coverage. A recent survey into book-buying habits, carried out by the website Lovereading and Book Marketing Ltd, revealed that only 2% of respondents consider Twitter a useful source of book recommendations. However, there are increasing numbers of publishers on Twitter as well as journalists, reviewers and bloggers, providing ample opportunities for all kinds of connections and discussions. In addition, there have been some titles that have seen an increase in sales through Twitter, notably when Stephen Fry recently tweeted about Sum by David Eagleman (published by Canongate), which subsequently shot up Amazon’s book charts like a rocket. This demonstrates the power of creating advocates for your book. I discussed these findings with Mark and he added that if people are not on Twitter or don’t really understand it, then they would be unlikely to trust it as a possible source of information or recommendation. He felt it would be interesting to do the same survey but from within Twitter to see if it generated a different outcome. Now, there’s a thought… Mark was keen to stress the fact that following people is a myth. You only need to follow someone to get their information stream on your Twitter page and he said that you should only follow those whose information you value (around 100 to 200 people is about right). This means that you can interact with them more fully. The important thing is how many people are listening to you; Mark suggests that you let people know you are on there (e.g. put the Twitter icon on your website or your Twitter address on your business card) to encourage them to connect with you. Passion coach, Vena Ramphal, who Mark and I both know, recently told me, "Tweeting regularly has helped me hone my writing voice. The more of myself I put into my tweets, the more @ replies, RTs and DMs I get. I love Twitter!" What Next? Mark struck me as someone with a great sense of fun; when we met he was wearing cufflinks with a clock-face on them, although he admitted these had stopped! One thing for sure is that the internet won’t stop developing and I asked Mark where he thinks Twitter will go in the long term. He reiterated that it is the real-time nature of the information which is the exciting part and the fact that you can search for anything at all, given that there are 50 million people on Twitter. Mark also thinks that the technology will become more sophisticated and we will be able to geo-locate e.g. I’m on Oxford street. Is anyone else there right now and do you want to meet for a coffee?” Latté anyone?! Final Thoughts “It takes years to build up and only one Tweet to blow it” said Mark, so it’s important to be careful what you say online. He added, “It’s cool, so have fun and enjoy it; it’s not all about being serious.” He told me about a client who does his ten Tweets before breakfast, so he has the rest of the day free. Mark said that if you feel that way then you probably shouldn’t do it. Twitter should be an enjoyable part of your life; it is an opportunity for noticing what is going on around you and then sharing it. Recently, he saw people giving out free Aero bars at Goodge Street station and sent out a chocolate lovers alert! Want to Connect with Mark? You can follow Mark on Twitter If you would like to raise your game on Twitter, then go to Mark’s website to find out more about the intensive one-on-one coaching services and group training courses that he offers to businesses and individuals. Happy Tweeting and remember to enjoy it! |
I recently caught up with Twitter expert, Mark Shaw, who has been ranked as high as number 3 in the UK and number 49 in the world for Twitter Elite, and has been on radio and published in the media. We met at Costa Coffee in London (Mark being partial to a latté) and I was keen to find out the secret of his Twitter success and discover how authors can use it to raise their profile and connect with their readership.