Monday, September 23, 2013

Why You Should Be Tweeting About Your Failures, Not Just Your Successes


It might seem counter-intuitive to say that everyone, including businesses and professionals, should be tweeting about their failures. However, that's exactly what you should be doing. By tweeting only your successes and not the mistakes, you risk losing some of your followers and making your tweets less interesting.

The stories of failure, regret and mistakes can often be the most entertaining ones that you can tell. While it's nice to hear about all the good things that people are accomplishing, it's also nice once in a while to sit down and enjoy some old-fashioned schadenfreude. Think about your favorite comedy sitcoms or dramas. Which scenes stick out most in your mind? If you're like many people, you immediately think of awkward or disastrous situations as the best scenes. If you want to entertain your followers, you'll have to revel some things that revel your clumsy side.

Sometimes the funniest stories are ones where you don't look like the strong, macho hero. Become comfortable with being able to laugh at yourself. Others will respect you more if you can see the humor in everything.

Remind your followers that you are human and make mistakes like everyone else. When a company tweets only about their successes, they risk people forgetting that there are real people behind that company. Human interaction is key when developing business relationships or clients, so let your followers know that there is a human writing all of those tweets.

Remember, misery loves company. Everyone has been in a bad situation at one point or another, and you know that sometimes it can feel good to see that others are having just as many problems as you are.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. If you find yourself stuck on a project or in a bad situation, ask your Twitter followers what they would do. Of course, make sure that you aren't asking for help with something that you should be expected to do on your own. For example, if you business makes apps, you shouldn't ask your followers how to build an app.

People will respond to cries for help, however, because they love to feel needed. Let this be their time to shine. Ask them for advice or what they would do if they were in your shoes. When they response, tweet them back sincerely but kindly, and don't forget to thank them.

If you do find that you've made a large mistake that has cost the respect of your clients and followers, be sure to apologize publicly. Part of that public apology should include Twitter. Remain brief, but acknowledge that you did something that you should not have done. If there is a specific person who you have slighted, make sure to apologize to them personally as well.

It's okay to not be perfect. Part of being human is making mistakes and learning from them. Don't be afraid to show your Twitter followers that sometimes you do fail but that you are growing from it. If done correctly, it can engage even more followers and earn their respect.

Here are "10 Extrememly Successful Failures" you might find fascinating [http://super-trainer.com/10-extremely-successful-failures/]

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