Steve Martin’s Twitter Book Teaches Us 4 Lessons in Engagement

February 24, 2012 by in Social Media

steve-martin-banjo
Steve Martin and his Twitter book make this Twitter Tuesday funny.

Since starting as a stand-up comedian in the late 60s, Steve Martin has been an actor, playwright, author, and one hell of a banjo player. In 2010, Martin brought his famous persona to the digital frontier: social media.

Steve Martin hit the social media scene in a big way; his Twitter account now boasts over 3,000 tweets to his 2.3 million followers. One of the greatest stand-up comedians of all time has found a new medium and audience for his legendary humor. And now, Martin has re-purposed his tweets in the form of his new book: The Ten, Make That Nine, Habits of Very Organized People. Make That Ten.

The book of tweets.

steve-martin-twitter-cook

So why the book of tweets? Martin initially hoped Twitter would help tighten up his comedy/banjo routine for touring, but in his book he explains why that didn’t pan out:

“All this tweet material turned out to be good for only one thing: tweeting.”

Tweeting and a book.

We recently explored what celebrities can teach us about Twitter, but the internet marketer in me insisted Steve Martin’s Twitter account get its own post. There are four great lessons of social engagement we can learn from Martin.

140 characters is not the limit.

A tweet may only be 140 characters, but that shouldn’t stop you from telling stories. Well-timed tweets that are interesting pieces of your overall message can form a daily storyline for your brand. Martin uses this technique to tell extended jokes on Twitter.

 

 

 

 

Provide unique content on Twitter.

Why would someone follow you on Twitter when they could just visit your website or Facebook page? If there isn’t a reason, you might find it hard to gain followers. Fans are engaged with Steve Martin’s feed because he tweets unique insight and jokes on Twitter and only Twitter. Martin focuses on the social network that fits his style and persona best, and his fans love it.

 

Twitter engagement is a two-way street.

Martin’s book is not just a collection of his tweets, but also many funny replies sent to him by fans and other comedians. Fans are more closely connected with their favorite celebrities and brands than ever before. Conversations with fans can create long-lasting loyalty. During the Christmas season Martin did just that, using fan replies to rewrite the lyrics to Jingle Bells.

 

 

 

 

Promotions don’t have to feel like promotions.

Martin plugs his books, television appearances, and banjo band concerts on Twitter, but you never feel like he’s over-doing it. That’s probably because Martin’s promotional tweets also double as jokes. Your audience is more likely to read and share your self-serving tweet if it offers them useful information or a good laugh (or both!).

 

The Ten, Make That Nine, Habits of Highly Organized People. Make That Ten.

Steve Martin cuts through the loud noise on Twitter to deliver solid content to his audience. Even if you’re not interested in improving your Twitter game, you can still pick up Martin’s new Twitter book and enjoy some killer comedy. I’ll leave you with some more good ones. Which tweet is your favorite?

 

 

 

 

 

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Jack Martin
/ @jackthemartin
Freelance Copywriter

Jack dreams of content strategy and keyword research. He also has an unhealthy obsession with Twitter.

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Comments

One Response to “Steve Martin’s Twitter Book Teaches Us 4 Lessons in Engagement”

  1. Katie L Fetting
    Katie - February 24, 2012 at 11:20 am #

    Great post, Jack. And I’m a big fan of the first one. Clowns are usually guilty of something… (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wayne_Gacy)