As with all social media sites algorithms can be tough to get your head around, especially if you are looking to try and maximize your exposure. No matter whether you are aiming to get a more abundant list followers or you are simply looking to get maximum reach so that you can stay in touch with your existing followers, playing up to the algorithm is key. Every so often however there is a real surprise package which further complicates and confounds social media users, and this is something which often happens to me. I have recently had an experience which has given me quite the pause for thought in terms of how to go about using Twitter. 

Big Boom 

An article of mine was shared on Twitter by a relatively active user who has a grand total of 63 followers, there was little information in the tweet beyond a hyperlink and an announcement that this Twitter user was actively reading the article, he hadn’t even expressed an opinion on it. From this single share I then received 21 visits to the article which had come directly from Twitter sources, and all from unique visitors, meaning that there was zero repetition. Now 21 may not sound like very much, but from a user with just 63 followers that is huge. 

Simplicity 

I have a number of theories as to how this Tweet garnered so much traction on the social media site and one of the first things that came to mind was the simplicity of the content which he had posted. I just wonder whether there is a reflex which many people have when they read someone’s opinion right off the bat. Now if someone has elevated status and has proved that their opinion is worthwhile, perhaps that holds sway. If however someone such as the person who shared my piece is sharing something with no opinion, perhaps that has more credence. It does certainly suggest that some of us may very well be overcomplicating matters when we post tweets or links to our business and blog pages. 

Topical 

Another notion which I have is that the tweet was actually posted on a day where the topic of identity theft, the original theme of my article, was being spoken about quite a bit. Now this didn’t find its way on to the list of trending topics as it wasn’t that hot at the time, but I also noticed that it was being spoken about by some weighty figures on Twitter who also had a good following behind them. I have a feeling that perhaps owing to this, the Tweet was spread wide and far in a much quicker way than most are. After all how long does a Tweet even stay on the timeline? Certainly not enough to gather so much pace in such a short space of time. 

We continue to learn more and more about these algorithms and how we can harness them to gain maximum reach, this is just another step on that road.