How to Use Twitter Lists as a Book Promotion Tool

In late 2009, Twitter introduced a new list feature that allows users to create lists of other Twitter users and follow the tweets of those people. When you create and promote your own lists or other people add you to their lists, it increases your visibility on Twitter.

I have just updated the Twitter Guide for Authors and added a tutorial on how to use Twitter lists. Here are some tips excerpted from the book:

You can create private lists (visible only to you) to categorize people that you want to follow or create public lists that are visible to everyone.

It's best to plan your lists in advance and choose appropriate keywords for the list names. Create your lists in reverse order of importance because the most recently created list will show up first on the list section of your Twitter profile page.

To create a new list, click the New List link in the right column of your home page. To add someone to your list, visit the person's Twitter page and then click on the Lists icon and check the box next to the list you want to add them to. Don’t forget to add yourself to any relevant lists that you create!

Each list has its own URL, which you can promote through your blog, ezine, and social networks. I have created these lists for authors and publishers:

http://twitter.com/bookmarketer/book-promotion-experts
http://twitter.com/bookmarketer/book-publishing-experts
http://twitter.com/bookmarketer/online-marketing-experts

You can also "mention" a list on Twitter by using its Twitter handle, such as @bookmarketer/book-promotion-experts.

What creative uses can you think of for Twitter lists?