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[Jerry Chen Company: Symmetry Corp. Contribution Level: 4]

The thought is to build value and follow people (and follow them back if they follow you). I used the follow people first to get them to follow you strategy for a bit but didn't like it. I'd say about 20% of my followers were gained that way. The rest were from conversations and then post links to good content and quotes. It's more of a personal preference than anything in my opinion.

For example, the reason I'm on this thread was because I saw Mike's Twitter update. So I do read the updates as often as I can (or allow myself). When you get to so many followers you can't possibly read everything. The responsiveness depends on how the followers are acquired. Just a matter of approach.

[Mike Klingler Contribution Level: 7]

If you follow more people on Twitter than you could ever possibly network with -- what do you have?

Well, many WILL follow you back and you have an audience.

Will they all listen?

No...

But if you could get up on stage in front of 35,000 marketers, home-based business seekers, business people, etc--and you were given a mic... will they all listen?

No.

Would you ever personally network with all those people?

No.

Might there still be a benefit to being center stage with that audience?

Definitely.

The bigger audience is not the group I'd suggest you try to personally network with (focus on the smaller group within the larger audience and 'attract them'). The larger the audience size, the larger the number of people who are interested in your message.

Think of it this way: You don't know everyone on your email list... your goal is to further qualify people on your email list and get to know THEM.

You can use Twitter in a similar fashion as you do your email list (but with some added benefits)--I will make a comparison and share my results below between email and Twitter... interesting to say the least.

True, an email list and Twitter are not the same. Email is more qualified, typically. So, I think of Twitter as my pre-email list.

I see the points of the opposing argument -- They are similar to what I felt about people going in and just inadvertently 'friending' everyone here at BN without reason. But I think there is a difference. Twitter can be used as a fishing pool, by which you can...

1. follow people to help increase exposure opportunity and then from there...
2. offer value and interaction to 'attract out' a growing target audience through conversational selling, attractive value content, and social proof elements.

It is with that group you attract that you are gaining the QUALITY relationship building benefits.

I'll later give an example of getting a short spot on TV (mass exposure of which most people watching will NOT be interested) and show how that can benefit you just as it does to grow a very large following on Twitter through exposure opportunities, of which you can then 'attract' quality through the quantity. So, for me, it's not an issue of quality over quantity when it comes to leveraging Twitter. It's more about attracting significantly MORE quality through leveraging quantity.

First, to illustrate why I have such a big interest in this topic, I'd like to share some recent results when promoting to a large audience with Twitter. Note as I share this, that if I had not been following large numbers of people my ability to attract QUALITY relationships as shown below would have been significantly limited.

Test:

I have an email list of about 30,000 people (32,454 at the moment to be exact)--this is my own list exclusively and doesn't include a much larger list I share with partners. Typically, I only email my own list and can compare the results I get there to those I get when I promote through Twitter.

My Twitter following is at about the same (37,559 at the present moment).

While an email list is said to be more valuable (and I might agree), I have been amazed to discover some recent stats when I promote a blog post through Twitter vs. through email.

Lately I've done both.

The other day I promoted an article post at Twitter and to my email list:

Results:

1671 Unique Visits from Twitter in 2 days
1483 Unique Visits from Email in 2 days

I sent only one email while actually Tweeting messages quite a few times in different ways related to the article post--with TONS of conversation interaction and Re-tweeting other people's positive comments back to me in between. This is where Twitter gives an advantage (social proof by Re-tweeting testimonies + interaction/conversation + repeating in different ways the original promotional tweet of the day... in this case a blog post article).

Here was the first Tweet promoting the blog post:

BIG Suggestion From Me to You (The Secret Of How I Built My First List) http://tinyurl.com/csjlqx. You can see the original Tweet & date/time stamp here - http://twitter.com/MikeKlingler/status/1332063289

To create a bit more buzz I Tweeted it another way about 40 minutes later (because people who follow a lot of people may miss my original Tweet or the copy writing may have not hit them) so I Tweeted at 10:52 AM

Building ur Biz By Yourself Is Tough..Leverage Others (Their Content, Buzz & Authority) To Get a BOOST (My Secret) http://tinyurl.com/csjlqx

Just to get MORE people involved I then threw it out about 30 minutes later this way:

I Tweeted:

Revised http://tinyurl.com/csjlqx -- So people in ANY business can "SEE" how to duplicate this strategy to ATTRACT tons of business Quickly.

I can't recall when it was but somewhere during this time I had noticed hundreds of unique visitors and over 10 or so comments already on my blog post.

Then I went into my Twitter Replies box and found dozens of comments -- from people who had read my article. Note that many of these people are people who I followed randomly. So while I agree following people with no social interaction is useless, you can follow people to gain more exposure and then from there you can create the interaction and relationship building part of it as I am describing.

So I then started copying their Tweets to me to create immediate social proof elements. Powerful stuff you can't do so fast with email.

Here are a few examples:

RT @Rose_Mis @MikeKlingler An awesome blog post http://budurl.com/6dss -- I am sharing it with Everyone I know on and off line...Thank you

RT @JuliaRymut @MikeKlingler I've been following your suggestions on your vid and it REALLY works! I've never had so much community so fast!

(I also replied to a few people and had a little 'side conversation' going on between these... like "@vesonexavier Yes, welcome Super Guide!!!! Looking forward to seeing you climb the charts!" and... "@sheenamariebee Thanks! Yah, having fun with it!")

Then, at 11:42 AM I Re-tweeted the promo of the blog post again (note that while I am doing all this I am attending to other business with phone calls inbetween, emails, and working on tasks for the day... so this is NOT all I am doing during this time). I use Twitter as often as I use the bathroom or getting a drink of water. It does not have to take up all your time here. Fast little info bursts.

11:42 AM. Tweeted:

Ha! I see people already started implementing the strategy w comments @ the bottom of http://tinyurl.com/csjlqx - but remember, VALUE first!

There I'm referencing the comments left on the blog post, establishing MORE social proof elements while getting even more involvement from old visitors to return, plus new people to get exposed to the article for first time who missed my earlier tweets.

Today, I am promoting something new on Twitter. Every few days I promote something different, that is value based... a blog post, a video training, whatever.

And I use conversational selling to "pitch" sales pages, lead capture pages and other things I recommend between.

I don't follow everyone who follows me. But I do follow almost everyone who follows me--

By doing so I am gaining exposure. It's what you DO with this exposure that will determine how many of those people listen to you.

If someone handed you the microphone on the Dave Letterman show and you could talk to millions of people in a moment, are those people targeted? No. Could you get absolutely NOTHING out of that exposure if you had nothing to offer and no where to send those who see you for that moment? Of course.

But if you have something to offer to a small percentage (but still sizable group) who are tuning in, such as those who are tuning into Twitter, than you can direct that group (your target audience) to an Attraction Marketing location of your choice.

In the class series, How I Built My First List I offer 5 hours of training (broken up between 3 classes) + a few click by click bonus classes for those technically challenged on their computer... and go into how I use Twitter to grow my business through conversational style marketing. http://tinyurl.com/d2r23r If you're more advanced, classes 1 and 2 are very basic but Class 3 is well worth it.

Or,just study the heck out of the conversations and the way I "properly pitch" my value and products and lead capture pages in between my Tweets.

This is a style that will make following lots of people work... because you will be using Twitter to gain massive exposure, in which from there you can 'attract out' your target audience. It doesn't take any more time to Tweet 5 people as it does 5000. But the Tweet to 5000 will surely attract out more interaction, more relationship and more leads and sales the Tweeting 5... even if those 5000 were not targeted. My Twitter account is proof. I am leveraging the exposure (high numbers) to attract out the ones who will listen.

But it only works if you apply value and 4 other key components I discuss in How I Built My First List. None of it is all that difficult and it can all be learned by reverse engineering (i.e. copying) what I do at Twitter.

Partners in success!
Mike Klingler

Study what I do at Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/MikeKlingler

[Andrew Peel Company: Magnetic Sponsoring Contribution Level: 3]

MIke I got my approach from your video series and was going to write an article pointing out the very same points you saved me a joib My Twitter page ranks 8/10 on the little page rank icon on the Google toolbar which is insane - the BBC home page only ranks 9/10. I don't know what I've done other than follow your advive so many thanks for that.

[Mike Morgan Contribution Level: 4]

When you get to so many followers you can't possibly read everything. The responsiveness depends on how the followers are acquired. Just a matter of approach.

Jerry - I couldn't agree more. I got to the point where there were too many people on my homepage! It felt like the value I was receiving was lost amongst the hundreds and hundreds of people tweeting...

every 2 minutes all day.

This went on for a few weeks and it drove me crazy!

Now on the flip side - I did meet a few cool people, and I made some new friends...but Mike, like you said,

people who follow a lot of people may miss my original Tweet

and that's what was happening. My tweets were starting to go unanswered and I was starting to see more strangers than normal. Come to find out - my account randomly follows people on its own - W/O me manually pressing the follow button! So what do I do about that? I can't find an app that can stop this auto-following.

I have been swayed in my opinion of this subject - thanks to you Mike...but I think my particular issue stems from a malfunction in my account. I want to be the person who follows people. If someone follows me - I don't jump the gun to follow them back. I examine their profile and see who they are - if they are into Internet Marketing (and say something cool about it in their bio) then I'll follow back, or if they're into Self-Growth and Personal Development I'll follow back. - Or if they're funny. I just don't want a bunch of crap on my homepage - what am I gonna learn!!

Leaders Lead - but they are students too! I never have stepped down from my student position and I take my knowledge intake very seriously. So when I have 20 new tweets on my homepage of bullcrap (every time I refresh the page) what am I supposed to do? Live with it?

If I'm supposed to be givin' out so much value...where the hell is the value I'M supposed to receive? (from Twitter)

I'm gonna take this statement - and implement it further.

I don't follow everyone who follows me. But I do follow almost everyone who follows me--

By doing so I am gaining exposure. It's what you DO with this exposure that will determine how many of those people listen to you.

Mike - I'm about to send you a tweet, I have a "exposure"-like question to ask you. Hope your down.

Anyone else feel a certain way about "The Following Issue"?

[Alicia Andersen Contribution Level: 2]

Thanks Mike! A serious Aha moment. Posting is an organic process, answering @replies & DMs is organic, learning from other people should be too--instead of stressing about trying to find others in the crowd, I'll just see who 'catches' me with good info in the moments that I'm on, and expect the same when I post. Having a huge following can FEEL too big, but I think now that it's a matter of how you approach it.

I'm from Alaska. We used to fish the big salmon runs. Wall to wall fish! You don't fish like you would anywhere else. Other times, you seek out a good hole, the right spot, wait patiently, know where the big fish are. If you tried to do that in a run, you'd feel nuts. In a run, you throw the line in and see who bites.

In twitter, it's a huge run. I'm biting, other people are biting, and you have to embrace the randomness & take stock at the end of the day of what's come of it.

Does anyone think I'm on the right track?

[Mike Klingler Contribution Level: 7]

I think you nailed it.

Some, particularly those with a large audience already, will seek to use Twitter as a means to just network with a core group. They don't need to use it to build an audience.

But right now it's the mother load for those who are eager to get out there & MAXIMIZE Twitter during it's 'golden growth' days we are seeing now... to then attract their own first large audience onto their email list (and to build a relationship with a large group with a high credibility ranking).

I really like the way you summed it up! The fishing metaphor is perfect.

If you want to use Twitter to build an audience (rather than to network with the one you already have) then you can't control it. You get up on the stage and give em your best. You connect with people as they stand in line to talk with you at the breaks (in your reply inbox mainly as DM will become over populated after 5000-10000 audience). You can't manage all of them individually, just the ones that come to you... or those who follow up on your suggestion at the end (like, click on that link!)

Mike

[Jan Shimano Company: ASEA, LLC Contribution Level: 3]

It has been very interesting to read all the previous posts. Right from the beginning I had my misgivings about Twitter but the course I was taking said that it was THE place to be as far as Web 2.0 was concerned. I will be honest in saying that I am trying to build up my business (I think that the majority of you are probably in the same boat). I looked carefully at the amount of time I was spending on Twitter (and Facebook) and compared that to the results I was getting...not too impressive!

Granted, I have met some very nice and knowledgeable people and have learned quite a few things. However, this was not my intention initially when I signed up for Twitter. I was told that this would be a great way to generate leads. I was given an example of a person who tweeted about a new launch and within a matter of days he had made himself over $45,000.00.

This person, however, had a huge following....a real following of people who legitimately cared about what he had to say and what he recommended. Do you and I have that type of a following.....I know for a fact that I don't. Therein lies the problem. People really don't care very much about what we have to say or recommend.

Yes, when someone like Mike or Perry makes a recommendation, people listen. They have worked for many years to get that type of respect and recognition...they have earned it. As a side point, Mike is now is the process on unfollowing thousands of people. He has come to the realization that it is not a good thing to automatically follow everyone that follows you.

I now believe that Twitter is not a good avenue for lead generation for the average person. Even for a person like Mike (this point I believe was mentioned earlier) who might have 10,000 followers...if he makes a tweet say at 9.00 a.m. how many of those 10,000 do you think will read that tweet. They will actually have to be watching the stream of tweets within maybe 30 seconds of Mike making his tweet, to be able to read it. It's crazy to think that is an effective form of great communication between you and your followers. Now, I will be the first to admit that I will seek out Mike and Perry's profile and click on it so that I can see what they have been tweeting about. Do you think that people are going to be so interested in us, that they are going to actively search around for us to see what we have been saying over the last few hours...I don't think so!

I am not sure how to proceed when it comes to Twitter. I was shut down by them when I was following 2,000 because only about 1,750 were following me. I went into my account and unfollowed those people who had not posted for at least 30 days and now I can start to follow others again. But I am still not happy with how things are. Is it really worth the time spent on it?

Tell you the truth, I am feeling much the same way about Facebook and I do not like the configuration of their new Home Page....sure reminds me of Twitter!

Well, I think I have ranted on long enough. This has been something that has been on my mind for quite a while now. Everyone (perhaps not everyone!) is raving about Twitter and it's THE place to be but for someone like me who is looking at it as another lead generation tool in my arsenal, it is coming up short.

[Mike Klingler Contribution Level: 7]

Hi Jinny,

You must have missed my post above. I am amazed at how easy it is to build an audience of people who listen at Twitter. I've busted my tail for 14 years to try to figure out how to get people to listen. Applying attraction marketing principles and a little common sense leverage (like following people in my own target audience) Twitter is by far the easiest (I'd say almost like a miracle compared to anything else--though after the massive growth slows down in 18 months it'll probably become more like growing a list anywhere else). For the time being, Twitter is where I'll be building my biggest following. I had less than 2000 followers in January. I have nearly 40,000 now. As I mentioned above, my email list of about 30,000 didn't pull in more results than my Twitter. Amazing to me when I compare cost and time put into growing my Twitter following vs. building that email list.

But enough said! Suggest reading my post above.

Back to business
Mike

[Jan Shimano Company: ASEA, LLC Contribution Level: 3]

Hi Mike:
I didn't see your post before I posted mine. I have gone back and read it and I do indeed appreciate what you are saying, but in all fairness to the rest of us, you have to admit that you are not an unknown. You are partnered with Ann Sieg and are involved in one of the biggest launches in network marketing history. I know that the use of Twitter, Facebook etc. is now a large part of your teaching method with Ann and naturally you are going to speak very highly of it.
I agree that it works great for people who already have a know profile, like yourself.
I am certainly not saying that I am going to stop participating on Twitter, but I am being realistic in realizing that I am not likely to get an extra 30,000 followers in the next few months unless I use some tools that indiscriminately manipulate the system, and I am not interested in that.
Just my two cents worth!!
Jan

[Andrew Peel Company: Magnetic Sponsoring Contribution Level: 3]

I am utterly amazed people that people still don't get the basic point Mike and I have been trying to make for days. Twitter is TOOL as far as you are concerned. You don't personally vet everyone on your potential leads list in emailresponders. You do that when they want to become members of your team.

So STOP thinking of Twitter as YOUR friends and get out there and recruit. Has no one thought of the obvious solution to the problem if you only want to Twitter with friends and family - open a second Twitter account as a personal Twitter account.

Web 2.0 is NOT hard it's just a new label for the internet and it came about because now individuals take part in the marketing process instead of passively receiving it from TV and Radio.

So makingTwitter, Facebook, Squidoo and a Blog all business based ones not ones for chatting about your cat or favourite beer are a must. By doing this you do as Mike says build real estate on the internet that is yours and please, please professionally brand yourself in all your Web 2.0 stuff. That means a logo, a strap line and a vision statement and your personalised landing page. No brand = no credibility. Your brand should be based on one or two words about what you are, I am a problem solver always have been so mine's based on Solution.

One last point if Mike Kinger has 40k followers on Twitter isn't the smart thing to do to say hey he's at the top lets not reinvent the wheel? Of course your square wheel may work better who knows.