About a year ago I got really into Twitter.
Maybe a little too much into it. Huge timesuck.
I’m still on it, but I ration myself. Now I waste time on Facebook.
But I tell yer – it’s rough and tough in the Twitterverse!
Some people on there really work it. They post many times a day and, most importantly, they add value when they post. They don’t share what they had for lunch, but they post interesting, provocative, useful information. All in 140 characters.
I got twittering (I think that’s the right verb) with one of the twitterati (I think that’s the right noun) and she came out with this zinger: “Bore me and I block you.”
I felt like I’d been put on notice.
You can imagine the stress.
But she was right.
In today’s mega-multi-channel universe, attention is at a premium. People will decide in five seconds if you are worth another 30. It’s like a bar in Manhattan.
Bore them and they block you.
The same goes for newsletters, of course. Bore them and they ignore you.
The good news is, most newsletters are boring – and that means you don’t have try that hard to be interesting. The bar is pretty low.
So here’s 5 ways to avoid being boring:
1) Don’t be that guy at the party who just brags about his latest triumphs. The harsh truth is that nobody cares about you – all they care about is themselves.
2) Think about what interests your readers and what will make their lives better.
3) Be yourself, not some dull corporation. People like people, not organizations.
4) Take a risk. Be brave. Get naked.
5) Engage in conversation, not a monologue.
Still with me? Good. Glad I haven’t bored you yet.
Feel free to share your ideas. If they’re interesting, I promise I won’t block you 🙂