Create Twitter Lists To Build INFLUENCE

Twitter lists can be used in a number of different ways to help you build social media influence by putting out excellent content to attract and retain quality followers. It’s not the number of followers that you have, but the quality of these followers that count the most.

Here are four ways that your lists can help you build your social media influence: 1) Keep a private list of people who post terrific content that your followers will be interested in reading and retweet this information from the list straight out to your followers. This saves you valuable time searching through your timeline trying to figure out what to post and ensures consistent excellence in your postings. With only 140 characters, the quality of each message in your post is important.

2) Keep a list of people who retweet you often, mention you often and/or a list that contains followers you want to thank. For example, you can have a “Gratitude For Following” list to thank new followers or a “Thx For Retweet” list as a special thank you for those people who are kind enough to retweet your posts. Don’t forget to Retweet them or thank them in return.

3) Keep a list of people who YOU value as top influencers on social media. This allows you to easily view their tweets for a few minutes each day. By replying and adding valuable information, quips or links into the conversation, you can build loyal, caring relationships with people who YOU value the most.

4) Keep a list of people who have conversations or discussions that you enjoy participating in and Retweet, reply and comment during these. This keeps the “social” in social media and keeps it fun for all involved-especially YOU!

Use your lists to build up your social media influence. Your goal should be to make social media fun and engaging for both yourself and, more importantly, for your followers.

About Jessica de la Davies: Jessica de la Davies is an award winning writer and author. Her book “Slippery When Wet!” is rated 5 stars on Amazon.com. She is on twitter at or on Pintrest at @DaviesWriter ---- Her hobby is lint!

To #Hashtag or not to #Hashtag...That is the Question

There are differing opinions on whether or not to use a hashtag on social media. Here are the pros and cons: Pros: 1) Using hashtags allows people to find the information they are searching for. For example, if I am looking for some editing tips from a fellow writer on twitter then I simple type in #editing and poof-I have tips from a variety of different sources. 2) Using hashtags allows others to know what your social platform is. For example, if I use #amwriting people know that I write. You get the idea! 3) Using hashtags lets people know what your link is. Is it a photo, a website... a blog? For example, if you have a blog that you are trying to promote, adding #blog lets people know what that particular link is.

Cons: 1) Using hashtags takes up precious twitter space. When you only have 140 characters and your hashtag #amwriting it eats up other peoples' opportunity to retweet your post. 2) Using hashtags clutters up your message. If you are only using it to put #quote then you may want to leave it off so more people can retweet your quote giving you great exposure to new people.

#Hashtags cuts both ways as for me, I use them and figure that people can delete them if they need space to write or retweet my post on Twitter or Pintrest. About Jessica de la Davies:

Jessica de la Davies is an award winning writer and author of "Slippery When Wet!" rated 5 stars by Amazon.com. She loves twitter and can be found at http://www.twitter.com/DaviesWriter and Pintrest at http://www.Pintrest.com/DaviesWriter -- Her hobby is lint!

Build Your Social Media Platform & They Will Come!

Building a social media platform is about posting content that you think is interesting and that others will find interesting. Good art provokes a reaction. Post something provocative. This will serve you in four important ways that will garner you attention on Social Media: • It will provoke a discussion about your posts among others and garner you attention for your social media attention. Just be sure that the topic you post will attract the type of followers you want. Good art provokes. Good writing provokes. Good social media provokes-get the reaction!

• Your provocative posts will help you garner extra interactions with your followers and lead to discussions so be sure you are familiar with the topics you select to post. You want to write about what you know.

• If people are discussing your post, it will lead to reposting, blogging or retweeting of your material which will increase your exposure to new people and build your influence.

• Post with a photo or photos when possible. They say “a picture speaks a thousand words” and since on a social media forum like twitter you have only 140 characters, you want to make the most of each post.

Ask yourself, what makes you stand out from everyone else. Use this to drive your brand (which is your business or you) and build up your following.

About Jessica de la Davies: Jessica de la Davies is an award winning writer and author of “Slippery When Wet!” a chick lit novel that has received 5 star ratings on Amazon.com. She is a twitter lover http://www.twitter.com/DaviesWriter and a self-proclaimed Pintrest addict at http://www.Pintrest.com/DaviesWriter -Her hobby is lint!

The Three Golden Rules of Twitter

Like any form of social media, Twitter has it's rules. Here are three of the most important ones: One: Tweet others as you want to be Tweeted. I don't think this needs any big explanation, do you? If so, you are invited to post a comment below. In fact, post a comment even if you don't want to add an explanation. :)

Two: Twitter is a two-way street. Acknowledge your followers who are retweeting or socializing with you in some kind of manner within a reasonable time period. You can do this by saying thank you, retweeting them in return, mentioning them in a weekly or bi-weekly tweet, replying to them directly or by marking their post to you as a "favorite" tweet. This lets your followers know that you are also engaged with them. Your social media relationship goes both ways.

Three: Don't ever spam. If you are promoting something, for example, I have a book released right now, then mention this fact no more than one out of five tweets. Also, do not direct message someone a sales pitch. It is considered bad taste to do this right away. Instead, tweet a welcome to your new follower or simply follow back. Also, it's interesting to read other people's tweets, check out their bios and visit their websites. Be engaged and be engaging! Good luck and see you on twitter. I'm @DaviesWriter and I love Pintrest too

Please leave your comments below.

5 Steps For Getting More Quality Twitter Followers

Here are five easy tips for increasing your twitter following with QUALITY followers. Step One: Follow people who are similar to you. The reason for this is that these followers will be more likely to take an interest in what you are posting. This will help you in three ways. First, these followers are more likely to follow you back. Second, they are more likely to read your tweets. Third, they may even retweet your tweets to their followers giving your more exposure to potential followers. Hooray!

Step Two: Follow people back. It is frustrating to be thanked by someone for following them and then not be followed back. Companies especially need to follow back since they obviously are building a brand and brand loyalty. You are more likely to build a loyal following of people who care about your content and care about your company or you if you follow back.

Step Three: Tweet content that can be retweeted. This involves a couple of things. One, you need to use less than 120 of your 140 twitter characters so someone else has room to add their name and RT to your tweet. Two, you should post some content that your followers will want to retweet to their followers such as a quip, quote, blog post or picture.

Step Four: Retweet others who post content that is of value or interest to your followers. Your followers may retweet your posts in return or say thank you. Now, you are networking with others to increase your success and their success!

Step Five: Don't ask someone to "Like" your Facebook page, buy your product, vote for you for an award or give you a shout out the first time you tweet them. It is more polite to say hello and introduce yourself. Take some time to build relationships with your friends on twitter-it's social media-and considered "SPAMY" by most people on twitter. Be engaging, be social...be a success on twitter!

Best of luck on Twitter and you are welcome to join me on twitter @DaviesWriter -- I look forward to meeting/tweeting you soon!

Jessica de la Davies is an award winning writer. Her novel "Slippery When Wet!" is out and Amazon has rated it 5 Stars. She is working on her next novel "Quit It Some More" which is due to be released in August of 2014. Her hobby is lint!

Things not going right? Just write. _ Jessica de la Davies - Author, Writer & Social Med...

From The Desk Of Jessica de la Davies: Jessica de la Davies - Author, Writer & Social Med...

The Wizard of Oz, Martha Stewart and U-Haul

When it comes time to selling our house, I click my heels together three times and turn into Martha Stewart. I race around in my preppy shirt and apron organizing and labeling my closets, de-cluttering the house and Swiffering the floors within an inch of their lives. I plant wisteria along the front walk, fold the toilet paper into nifty points, create a fire hazard in the foyer with glade scented candles and cover the dust on the coffee table with coffee table books like my current novel “Slippery When Wet!”-shameless plug! In short, I would sum myself up at this point as: INSANE. When my sanity returns, I find every bath towel in our home is rolled up into logs, unused soaps adorn our sinks, tubs and shower and a lovely bottle of White Star Champagne sits beside two fluted glasses next to the soaking tub. In short, my home makes me look like a lush who doesn’t use soap! I have fake fruit in a bowls on the kitchen counter, fake plants on top of every available surface and my bed has disappeared under a pile of oversized pillows. When buyers come through to view our home, the glass tables sparkle, the linens are ironed and the Pillsbury Dough Boy is snoring peacefully on top of freshly baked rolls next to the oven. When my boys come home from school, Mark exclaims, “Mom, can we live here?” The house sells quickly and I begin packing. I call this “Operation Shock and Awe!” I wrap everything we own in newspaper and stack it into boxes. Soon, I have created a fantastic maze through our home. My boys, Mark and Chris, set about selling tickets to the maze to the neighbor children to pay for the pizzas we are now eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A week later, our U-Haul is loaded and we are rolling toward our new home. Another two weeks of pizzas later, we are beginning to feel at home in our new place. The towels are no longer rolled into logs and are where they belong-on the bathroom floor in a heap. The soaps are falling apart and I’m loopy on White Star champagne. It’s 10:00pm on a Friday night and I’m tracing into the dust on our coffee table: There’s no place like home.