My Thoughts on Technology and Jamaica: How to create Public Twitter Lists and gain more followers

If like many bloggers, you regularly write about what the Jamaican Government is doing or you track news via Twitter as noted in my Geezam blog article entitled “Social Media Management Tools help you to manage your Social Networks all at once”, you may find this bit of information interesting.

You can follow the various Government Ministries and the Executive Agencies via Social Media, particularly Twitter. But you might now know all of their Twitter handles as listed in the article “List: Jamaica Government Twitter Handles”, published December 22, 2012 by diGiJamaica.

Worse, you may not have the time to join them all as Listed below:

1. Jamaica House @OPMJamaica

2. Jamaica Information Service News @JISNews

3. Jamaica Information Service TV @JIS TV

4. Jamaica Tax Administration @JamaicaTax

5. Ministry of Youth and Culture @myscJamaica

6. Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries @agriministryja

7. Ministry of National Security @NatSecurityJa

8. Ministry of Education @MOEJamaica

9. Ministry of Tourism @TourismJamaica

10. Jamaica Business Development Corporation @JBDCJamaica

11. Broadcasting Commission Of Jamaica @BCJamaica

12. National Housing Trust @theNHT

13. Early Childhood Commission @ECCJA

14. Electoral Office Of Jamaica @ECJamaica

15. Access To Information Unit @atiunitJamaica

16. Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management @ODPEM

17. Heart Trust NTA @HeartTrustNTA

18. Met Service @metserviceJa

19. Jamaica Customs @jacustoms

20. JAMPRO ICT @JAMPRO_ICT

21. e-learning Jamaica @elearningja

22. Urban Development Company @UDCJamaica

23. JAMPRO Creative Industries @jamprocreative

24. NEPA @nepaJamaica

25. National Gallery of Jamaica @natgalleryja

26. JAMPRO Film @filmJamaica

27. Jamaica Tourist Board @askJamaica

28. Jamaica National Family Planning Board @JNFPB

29. Children’s Registry @OCRJA

30. Bureau Of Standards @StandardsJa

31. Jamaica Intellectual Property Office @jipo_govjm

32. Child Development Agency @CDAJM

33. Jamaica Cultural Development Commission @jcdcjamaica

34. Jamaica Foundation For Lifelong Learning @jfllalert

35. Jamaica National Heritage Trust @JNHTJamaica

36. National Road Safety Council @NRSCJamaica

37. Institute of Jamaica @instituteofJa

38. JCDC Jamaica – Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Office @JCDC_KSA

39. Jamaica Productivity Center @JAMPRODCEN

40. National Youth Service @NYService

41. Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) @KSACORP

42. National Export Strategy Secretariat @JAMAICA_NES

43. Land Information Council of Jamaica @LICJ_NSDMD

44. Jamaica Constabulary @JamaicaConstab

45. Jamaica Defence Force @JamaicaMilitary

46. Jamaica Post @JamaicaPost

47. National Export-Import Bank Of Jamaica @EXIMBankJa

So is there an easier way to follow so many people on Twitter without your timeline becoming overcrowded?

How to create a Twitter List – Gain more followers as they know your interests

If like me you're Twitter follow List is getting a bit overcrowded, you can always subscribe to a Public List. According to the Twitter Help Page, a Twitter List is a Listing of Twitter followers that you like to follow made available for other to follow.

In the case of the Government of Jamaica Twitter handles, you can follow them all by joining the Jamaica Government Public Twitter List on DigiJamaica.

You can also follow other Public Twitter Lists, albeit they’re somewhat difficult to find via Google or even using Twitter’s built in search engine. When you visit the profile page of a tweeter, you'll be able to see their public Lists as well as Lists they follow.

Creating Public Lists not only makes it easier for your followers to follow the Twitter feeds you like but people are more likely to follow you if your interests, reflected in who you choose to follow, matches with their interests.

Even better, if you tweets are considered noteworthy, your Twitter feed might end up being added to their Public Twitter Lists, thereby expanding your range. You can benefit from Lists by creating your own Public List as follows:

Go to your Profile button and select Lists.

Then click on Create New List button.

Give your List a name, description as well as select to set it Public (anyone can see the List) or Private (only your followers can see the List) and Save the List

Once you do this, you can then choose to add to your List either from Twitter or from the List of Twitter handles that you're already following.

In my case, I'll choose to add from my Following List by clicking on the option. When the List of followers comes up, click on the Gear Icon and select Add or Remove from Lists...