How Not To Feel Dead on Twitter

+ Favorite recent Twitter threads

Hey! I’m Josh Spilker and this is about online writing, creativity, and culture.

I’m in NYC this weekend, but today this is about Twitter. Let’s go:

Since it’s the silly season when grown, adult people start pandering to various bases about their 4th-grade dream of becoming leader of the free world, it’s the perfect time to think about how not to feel dead on Twitter.

However, let’s be honest: Twitter doesn’t do itself any favors and is a fan of self-sabotage.

And yet, we persist.

This is not to grow your following on Twitter — I am actually not that good at that part.

There are tons of others who will tell you how to do it.

This is about staying sane on Twitter¹.

1. Don’t follow people on Twitter. Do this instead

The simplest Twitter hack isn’t buying an auto-scheduler, it’s to make lists with people centered on particular topics.

Gone is the free-for-all about commenting on sports, TV, food, religion, personal advice and politics — people now choose a lane and generally stick with it.

To follow what interests without your timeline going into a sidewinder of detritus, place all of your favorite Twitter people into lists.

I have several lists for different areas of interest: NBA basketball, politics, SEO, Christianity, music, writing, and tech.

If you’re like me, I need to go on Twitter for work.

I do this to promote or research, but also to obtain new knowledge, especially for SEO, marketing, and writing. To do this, I selectively choose my list and then stay there. Yes, I still get distracted but not as distracted.

2. DM people and create group chats

Direct messages and group chats help you stay sane on Twitter, because you can have actual conversations. Form group chats around particular topics — I’m in 1 or 2 about SEO, another about writing (I think?) and then I’ll also send DMs to people for extra information or just to say nice job.

Honestly, I don’t do this enough — Twitter is good for that — but lots of the “how to grow on Twitter” crowd will suggest DMs.

3. Mute words

A lifesaver, especially when avoiding politics or other too-hot issues when you just can’t.

4. Do ask people to Zoom meet

Twitter can be used for friendships or to say hello or to well, yeah, network. Do the DM thing, and keep it above board. Once you make a friend or two, it’s okay to share ideas via a Zoom meeting.

5. Use bookmarks

We all know the threadbois are out in full force, but sometimes they actually have something interesting to say. This can distract you from your other distraction, however. Bookmark this and come back when you have a moment to spare. This is your only recourse to stay focused on your first distraction and away from the threadboi’s beguiling hook.

Guess what? I bookmarked a bunch of (helpful) threads and will share them below.

6. Pave your lane & stay there

When someone sees your tweets in their Twitter timeline, they should generally know what to expect.

Time-based topics are no longer for the average person, unless you make time-based and newsworthy topics your main course.

Then poeple will know to expect that from you.

You do not have to tweet about every situation or news event on Twitter. Our minds can’t handle it. Most people won’t see it or change their minds anyhow. It’s the truth.

Staying in a lane helps you stay sane on Twitter.

If you want to create a Twitter lane for commenting on news and politics and social trends, go for it. And be consistent.

But if not, just get out of there. Or find a different platform. Otherwise, you will not be sane on Twitter.

7. Comment more than you post

This is a little growth-hacky, but if you need to say something you don’t have to create a tweet, you can just comment. That’s where the interesting stuff is anyway.

Twitter is a death machine that you must carefully calibrate to stay sane. You can find lots of interesting stuff, find new ideas, and meet great people, you just have to know how to do it.

Good Twitter Threads

I’ll try and keep the Twitter positivity going. Here are some threads I bookmarked recently. Most of these are around writing and creativity:

1. You’re playing too many games

2. Networking is a superpower

3. How to tell the CEO about the conversion rate

4. The creativity faucet

5. Writing principles

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Last Week

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Last Things

• “Clarity about what matters provides clarity about what does not.” — Cal Newport

• Enjoying the newsletter? Send it to a friend.

• You can follow me on Twitter if you want!

• In SEO? Check out my playbook.

Keep going!

-Josh Spilker

1. I know nothing about Twitter Blue or any of that, maybe that helps you stay sane? Not sure