How did the singer Dionne Warwick morph into one of the most captivating personalities on Twitter? In recent months, her sharp and humorous tweets have spread to viral acclaim - Twitter billboard included. Think about it: do you ever ‘Walk on By’ when you see a tweet from Dionne Warwick? You can’t. While she makes us laugh and hit that heart button, we can learn some valuable tips from the musical diva about how to engage with professional peers on social media.

Revamp your profile and curate your feed

Despite being on Twitter for eight years, it’s only recently that Dionne Warwick’s Twitter presence exploded. Why? She changed how she showed up on social media and trusted in her voice. You might have a lurker account you use from time-to-time. Maybe your last tweet was two years ago. It doesn’t matter. There’s no time like now to join in on the conversation. 

Spruce up your bio with more info about who you are and what you like. Follow people, topics and brands that make your online experience enjoyable and informative. If you like to keep tabs on tech news but don’t want your feed inundated with it, create curated lists of news profiles or thought leaders so you can still see what’s happening without overwhelm. With these foundations in place, it will be easier to find updates to riff off.

Ask questions to prompt conversation

Dionne’s humorous questions about the names of rappers may make us chuckle, but her curiosity is an asset because it opens the floor to conversation. Do you want an insider’s perspective on industry trends or experiences? Ask questions to your followers and you might learn something useful from the responses. It might not result in a  budding charity single with Chance the Rapper and The Weeknd, but it will open your eyes to new perspectives.

Engage with people on your feed

It would be easy for Dionne Warwick to ignore the masses that follow her account, especially given the incessant deluge of notifications she must receive. Nonetheless, Dionne actively engages with followers on her profile. She understands Twitter is a place for conversation. It’s social media, after all. You should do the same, whether it’s responding to a thoughtful comment with your considered reply, acknowledging someone’s response with a ‘like’ or adding to a tweet with your own spin.

Shine the spotlight on people you admire and shoutout your peers 

Highlighting people is a great way to engage and form meaningful connections. With the #DionneCovers hashtag, Dionne encourages fans to share their covers of her songs, which she reposts on her profile. Though she’s already created a bond with fans through her music, these interactions are a powerful way of acknowledging them. It’s kinship and a unique show of appreciation they’re unlikely to find anywhere else. 

Look for opportunities to give people their dues. It doesn’t matter the stage of your career; you can always give a shoutout and show admiration for what others are doing on your profile.   

Cultivate connections within your network

Dionne opens her platform to her audience of hundreds of thousands of followers and helps them connect for meaningful causes. How can you help people succeed in your network? Whether it’s sharing someone’s request, DMing with a helpful tip, or introducing mutual contacts, sharing is caring.

Share interests outside your main remit

No topic is out-of-bounds for Ms Warwick. Music? She’s a pro. Books? Check. Pets? The woman (almost) does it all. That’s not to say you should spread yourself thin, but sharing the occasional topic outside of your main expertise doesn’t make you unfocused -  it makes you human. We are all multifaceted beings, and as our exemplar diva shows us, it’s a great way to interact with people and provoke wider conversation.

Tweet how you’d like to be tweeted

With her wit and brevity, Dionne Warwick dazzles but at the heart of her Twitter success is an ability to resonate with people through a mix of humour and inspiration and information. You don’t have to imitate her verbatim - you’ve got your uniqueness to share with the world, What you can do is share something valuable - whether its useful insights, an encouraging word or something that makes you smile. 

With her vibrant presence on social media, there’s no doubt Dionne Warwick is marking her stamp online. This year is the opportunity to make yours, and with a few notes from the Twitter connoisseur, you’re well on your way.