Your Nisaba’s friendly guide to Twitter, part three: Finding (real) people

In which the mere mortal Emma humbly suggests ways to find people on Twitter

So, you’ve chosen your Twitter name, got the account set-up and enough information and starting tweets in place to reassure other Twitter users that you're human. What now?

Well, this is when the first huge anti-climax will probably happen. All this effort to finally get on Twitter, and nothing is happening. Where is this buzz of conversation that everyone goes on about? How do you find more interesting things to follow than the bland starter recommendations that Twitter provides (if you opted to follow them anyway)?

Well, I’m going to give you five ways to actively find people to follow on Twitter. That means you will proactively find people you are more likely to be interested in, so you’ll be able to see their tweets and then hopefully join in on the conversation. The next part of this series will be about how to build relationships and really engage with people on Twitter – and why that is not only enjoyable, but really good sense.

Five quick and easy ways to find people on Twitter

1. Email your friends

The odds are that some of your friends are already on Twitter, you just may not know it. Drop your friends a line letting them know what your Twitter name is so they can find you easily and follow you. That will make it easy for you to follow them back (you’ll get an e-mail notification like the one I described in part two) and no doubt they’ll make you feel welcome too!

2. Look on sites you like, and any blogs you already follow

You know what it’s like when someone you know buys a particular car, and then you see that model everywhere you go? Well, it’s a bit like that with Twitter. Now you’re tuned into looking for it, go to your favourite websites, and your favourite blogs and look for buttons inviting you to follow the site, the company or the blogger. There are no standard buttons – but keep an eye out for the little blue cartoon bird, or a blue ‘t’ as most graphic based Twitter buttons use those.

3. Twibes

There are many, many directory sites and places for you to find groups of people on Twitter. The reason I recommend Twibes is because it’s just so easy, I trust it and it’s very easy to find people to follow even if you don’t want to join the group itself. A twibe is a group of people gathered around an interest or topic.

On the homepage, near the top, you can type in a keyword to find people. So as my writer self I could type in “authors” or “writing” or “writers” etc, you get the idea. Pick an interest, a hobby, or professional interest, type in a word that expresses it, and see what comes up.

If there are twibes matching that keyword, simply explore the list. Click to see the members, and if you want to join it, click on the big green button on the right. But if you are uncertain, you can follow people directly by clicking on the little pictures of them. Go play!

4. Ask someone to introduce you

Finding a friend who is already on twitter is only part of what you can do. Why not ask them nicely if they could introduce you to their followers? I have done this several times, and was delighted to do so. I have also followed many people based on an introduction from people I follow and like.

5. Follow the other followers!

Once you have a few people, look at who they are following, you might have something in common. To see who they are following, go to their twitter page. Mine would be www.twitter.com/EmApocalyptic for example. If you look half way down the right hand side of the page, you’ll see lots of twitter pictures – the people who I am following. You’ll be able to see the tweets they’ve made (so you can see if they pass the “are they human and not just trying to sell me teeth whitening test”) and whether you might like to get to know them.

This can be hit and miss, and a bit time consuming, but it’s more likely that if you have already found someone who has a common interest or other connection with you, they will in turn be following people with similar interests, or at least people who are friendly.

So there you have it. Five easy ways to find real people on Twitter. In the next part I’ll take you gently by the hand and lead you through the ways you can start actively engaging in conversation, getting to know people, and the wonderful world of Twitter etiquette.

Nisaba be praised. (What’s this about?)

P.S. If you liked this, you will also like Your Nisaba’s Notoriously Nice Newsletter. You get a free guide to generating positive online PR stories too!