Tweeting Into ‘The Nothing’

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If a tweet falls on a timeline and no one clicks it does it make an impression?

 

The Nothing - sig

 

We’ve all blogged into The Nothing. Most of us, anyway. Blah, blah, publish… Crickets.

(Or grasshoppers. I always mix those up. Actually, we found a huge one of these insects a few weeks ago and it turned out to be a katydid. Cool, huh? Just agree. Indulge my inner nerd.)

What about tweeting into The Nothing?

I’m not sure what a tweet actually does if it doesn’t translate to a visit to your blog—a comment, a reading, or a simple “like”. I’m not that great at math but when I see 15 RTs and 2 visits…

“Tweet Activity” is mind-boggling: Impressions, Engagements, Retweets, Interactions, Link Clicks… They even have percentages, line charts, bar charts… It’s wild that I get to see that data & info and you don’t. I feel like the Great and Powerful OZ.

Here’s what you see: I tweeted your post and it only has 1 retweet. Here’s what you don’t see: 12 Link Clicks. Or, conversely, you see 12 retweets but don’t see there’s only 1 Link Click.

Things aren’t always what they seem.

 

My Sunday thoughts in 200 words or less.

ThoughtBubble

Do you view your Tweet Activity?

If a tweet falls on a timeline and no one clicks it does it make an impression?

 

* Tip: hover over each tweet activity—it explains the feature. It’s kind of interesting.

52 thoughts on “Tweeting Into ‘The Nothing’”

  1. I’ve come to view tweet activity with much skepticism. Who is actually to say that the stats you are viewing aren’t randomly generated so that you panic and rush to find one of those “help increase my tweet visibility spam links!”

    Personally, I don’t really care if my tweets go unnoticed. Sometimes they actually do. But I’ve come to consider it no more than just talking to myself. 😉
    I always see your posts though, Sarah. So no matter what stats say you always have at least 1 fan.

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    • Hadn’t thought about that. That’s a good business plan, no? 😉

      I don’t work my life (or online life) around these, I just find the whole thing kind of fascinating. Tweets are different from promoting your (or someone else’s) blog. I write lots of tweets that go unnoticed or aren’t well-received. (Like the “poetry” ones. Ahem.) Those I write for me. They are mine. And I will love them. But, say I tweet your blog and it gets no RTs or 1 RT, you don’t see that it might have had 10 link clicks meaning 10 people visited your blog. See what I mean? Anyway, I thank you for your loyal following and favoriting of my terrible poetry. ❤

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  2. Yeah it’s weird, impression I think is just how many times your tweet has been on someone’s timeline even if that means they scroll past it.

    It’s a funny old thing, I don’t understand all the algorithms but some people seem to be able to drive reams and reams of traffic with Twitter but I’m lucky if I get 20 clicks a day from it.

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    • Yes, that’s impression. I think if you’re scrolling through your timeline and “see” it, it counts. But all the other info is really specific. It’s crazy how much info they have and I don’t understand it all either. If you hover over them, they tell you exactly what they are. Well, I get a fair amount of traffic from Twitter but that’s the only social media I’m on so… Not much to compare it to. (I know, I know. I need to link this stuff to Pinterest.) ❤ I have a post that has well over 2000 "Impressions" with only a 1.6% Engagement Rate (RTs, favorites, link clicks, etc.) and another with around 700 but a 6.0% Engagement Rate (lots of link clicks, replies, RTs, quote tweets, etc.). O_o

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  5. I’ve viewed Twitter data once or twice, but it doesn’t mean much to me. I don’t understand some of it, and I don’t use it to get as many clicks or likes or retweets or whatever. I use it to communicate with online friends and keep up with snippets of information. The same with my blog. I don’t generally view stats. That’s not the point, at the moment anyway.

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    • I’m the same, for the most part. I use Twitter to communicate, have a bit of fun, and keep up with blogs I’ve missed. Also, I love writing micro fiction on there with the various writing prompts. But I always tweet my blog at least once or twice a week because it’s the only social media I’m on. Funny, though, that I never view stats for my WP blog. I think it’s because the Twitter stats are right in my face. 😀

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  6. I sometimes notice a couple of more blog followers after sharing a post using one of the weekly hashtags but how important this is in the long run I don’t know! However, interesting to think that if we aren’t attracting a search engine to our blog posts we’ve got to draw new people somehow!
    My guess on other single tweets is that they’re lost in the ether unless someone happens to be looking at their feed at just the right moment! Occasionally I look at someone’s feed to see what they’re up to.. That’s when I notice your poetry. I do ‘Like’ some of them don’t I?! ❤️

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    • Well, I’m certainly not attracting people with any search engine. And I know I get some people visiting from Twitter, but those stats are interesting. For instance, right now, I have a tweet with 797 “impressions” and 1.3% “engagement” (RTs, favorites, replies, etc.) and another with 778 “impressions” and 6.2% “engagement”. But no one but me can see that…
      I do like to play writing games. And you do “like” them, yes. ❤ Thank you!

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  8. I suck at Twitter. Ok, lately I suck at all things social. But with Twitter, I never know what to say, and I definitely avoid looking at the “engagement” button. I don’t need it rubbing my lack of engagement in my face! 😜

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  9. I love your question, Sarah. It’s a great post title. Yes those naked tweets, those without a hashtag or directed to someone via their handle, may go unnoticed unless someone happens to be looking at their home feed at the moment,(which I am rarely) or goes to your profile to check out your tweets (which I do very occasionally, which also means not very often). I haven’t looked at all the numbers as you have so I haven’t a clue. Must see if I can figure out how to do. I’ve been a bit slack on Twitter later. I have engaged in few conversations, which I used to enjoy so much, and really only tweet and retweet, especially on hashtag days. I had been thinking that it may be all rather pointless, but who knows. Sarah knows! Thank you for opening my eyes.

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    • Lots of people on Twitter join in the hashtag days and pretty much that’s it. You do get to RT a lot that way. Interestingly enough, those are the days that the engagement rates are the most ‘off’ – tons of RTs without a lot of link clicks (blog visits). I’ve seen many tweets that have 10+ RTs and the link doesn’t even work. O_o

      The activity is in two places:
      One is a simple bar graph icon on the actual tweet box (bottom right corner). The other, really in-depth one, is a box over to the right of your own timeline.

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      • Hi Sarah. Thanks for that added explanation. I have to admit that, when I am pushed for time on a hashtag day, I may retweet without clicking the link or reading the post; but this is only for people I am comfortable about doing so – bloggers with whose work I am familiar and trust. I won’t RT anyone I don’t know. Sometimes I will follow the link to ensure the material is acceptable against my criteria. I guess the purpose of the hashtag days is to get the content in front of as many new readers as possible. I think: I may not have time to read it, but it might be just what someone else needs to read right now.
        I found the bar graph, thank you. It does provide interesting information. Many of the tweets had a large number of impression but no RTs, clicks or likes. I couldn’t see the other one though. Is there a post in it?

        Liked by 1 person

      • I never RT without clicking the link. (I used to never RT without reading but, like you, I now skim if it’s someone I know, and read it later.) I guess you’re right. The whole point of hashtag days is to get the post seen. But…if the post isn’t being visited (the “engagement”) does it matter if it’s just being recycled on Twitter? You just hit the proverbial nail on the head. That’s what this whole post is about. If the link doesn’t get clicked, the blog doesn’t get visited, the post doesn’t get read…what’s the point of the tweet? It can be retweeted 25 times but, if no one clicks and reads it, what is the point?
        The other, more in-depth one, is mysterious. Maybe someone can shine a light on this for us. It’s sometimes on my page and sometimes not. (Never on my phone.) It’s a box over to the right of my own timeline right under “Edit Profile” (at least on my computer) and says “Your Tweet Activity” with a larger bar graph.

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  11. I track my data like you do katydids and grasshoppers. Nerd, tho in a casual way because I’m not a hardcore data person. I prefer the soft data that’s harder to measure, but more evident in real engagement. For example, I notice that my data gets more travel when I share the links of others. What I’m pointing out is if I tweet “me” my tweet may or may not forward. But if I join group activities, like #MondayBlogs or “LinkYourLife, and I tweet other people’s links, others come and tweet my pinned tweet. An exchange. Now does that matter? Well, I have a blog I don’t really promote because it’s my place to nerd out over birds or talk silly country girl talk. Yet, I’d link posts through #Mondayblogs. I have a crazy readership now, for a blog I ignore most of the time. Carrot Ranch of course is vibrant, but that again goes back to engagement. Final point — we do less on our own. Jump in with the katydids and sing. 🙂 Okay, I’m hopped up on coffee, getting back to work now!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • I kind of have some idea what you’re saying here. 😀 But not all of it. Yes. The “exchange” of tweets and RTs is big on Twitter. Have seen it. Have done it.
      P.S. I like your silly country girl talk. I’m jumpin’ in with the katydids and singing! (After the snowstorm, that is…)

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  12. I used to love Twitter and even Facebook to a degree. I still use them, but sadly I admit some of the joy is gone. The ‘engagement’ factor has disappeared. Even the ‘gurus’ of Social Media are suggesting we get programs to do the ‘tweeting’ and postings for us so our message is out there; it’s humanly impossible to keep up otherwise. I’ve been on twitter at night and I look at my feed and chuckle: the entire feed is one programmed tweet after another. Somehow you can tell. So here’s to ignoring the statistics, connecting and just doing what’s fun.

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    • Engagement rates have gone down. In stats and in just, you know, engaging with others. I don’t schedule anything. It’s all me. But you’re right – it’s impossible to keep up. That’s the trade-off. I’m willing to have less. Less views, less followers, and higher engagement from my readers and online friends. I do ignore stats (especially on WP since I don’t really know how to read them) I just find people’s social media behavior interesting. Cheers, lovely lady. 🍷

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  13. Sometimes I view my tweet activity, but I try to ignore. I wrote about not paying attention to numbers because seeing tweet activity, G+ activity, blog activity or sales is an easy way to land smack into disillusionment and frustration. Goes back to the validation station.

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    • True this: “is an easy way to land smack into disillusionment and frustration. Goes back to the validation station.” I’m actually happy with my little slice of the blogosphere here and would ignore stats on my blog and G+ if I even had a clue how to find them. Since I don’t… Join me for a beer? 🍺

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      • I’ll join you for two if that’s ok, already a long week and still in the middle of it lol. And I’m also very happy with whatever impact I’ve been able to achieve. I get read, and people genuinely enjoy so woohooo. 😀 Cheers

        Liked by 1 person

      • Right? I don’t really do anything differently because of them but I do think they’re wicked interesting. Glad you checked them out. (The larger one on the side has so much info I haven’t even looked at it all. It includes personalized times of day for most engagement. Wild.)

        Liked by 1 person

  15. Interesting conversation. I think it’s a combination of factors. Tweeting on it’s own isn’t enough. You need to link to somewhere such as Facebook or blog, or news etc. And use hash tags. I’ve met lots of writers, bloggers and readers on twitter. I read somewhere that you have to see a tweet 7 times before you show an interest….

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    • Right. It’s the link I’m talking about. When you link to a blog (or FB) and that link isn’t clicked, it’s a bit of a cycle of RTs without any benefit. 7 times?! Really? Interesting. That would explain the gap between impressions (times seen) and engagement (replies, link clicks, etc.).

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  18. Been catching up on some of your posts! Very interesting what you can learn about tweeting, RTing, etc. I never knew about the Twitter stats thing, now I want to look at mine. WP stats I hardly look at. Twitter used to have such good conversations between people, now not so much. The best interactions/communications now seem to be through our blog comments! Love reading comments! 🙂

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    • I still see conversation on Twitter but, now that you mention it, not as often as before. And I completely agree about comments. Depending on the blog, that section can be really interesting. 😜
      Thanks for adding to the discussion here.

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