Twitter Traffic
“That which is measured, improves.”
I am honestly still getting the hang of Twitter. So far, I have 39 followers and one person following my “design” list.
I have found that following people in my community will sometimes lead to a follow-back. Encouragingly, some designers are starting to follow me before I have even followed them!
My “top mention” from the month of June (so far) is from me and earned 120 impressions with an engagement rate of 20.2%. I had tagged myself in my own post, which looks self-serving in retrospect, but my intentions were good.
I was, and continue to be, interested in how other designers are reacting to the protests over the killing of George Floyd, police brutality and institutional racism, and I want to encourage further constructive action and communication on these topics in my field.
My hope is that I can initiate new threads of dialogue in our professional community about the need for change in such areas as systemic racism and police brutality reform.
This was a Twitter “moment” tweet. I think what made it the top mention for June was that I used broad-but-relevant hashtags that address a sympathetic audience on the topic that weighs most heavily on our national conscience.
My top tweet in June was for a fundraiser I created. I used a number of hashtags in it, as well, and incorporated it as part of my Twitter moment. So far, it has received a little over 400 impressions with over 60 engagements. This tweet got the most retweets, including three from classmates and my parents. It also led to two profile clicks.
The top tweet, above, was for a fundraiser that I created through Custom Ink to benefit the NAACP. Nineteen people clicked the attached link. No one has yet bought the mask. The greater tragedy by far, though, is that the list of victims who ought to be mentioned on the mask has only grown.
Posting this analysis of my own Twitter activity may seem inconsistent in tone amidst the urgency for social change that I have featured in a number of my other messages.
However, allow me some leeway to reflect on my actions and impact. “That which is measured, improves” is an adage that any organized effort must follow to become successful.
The more mentions and retweets that artists and designers like us can obtain, the more far-reaching and influential our voices can be as we speak out.
Improving the effectiveness of our communication becomes more and more imperative — we are no longer only posting about our art and the people and pets who inspire us. Addressing issues like law enforcement reform and racial relations raises the stakes to a level that demands we refine our communications skills and capabilities.
