Nothing hurts more than spending hours creating a Twitter thread, only to see it receive little or no engagement.

When that happens, it's easy to blame the algorithm or something out of my control, but that would be a mistake. Instead, I remember what Jerry Seinfeld once said about the democracy of stand up comedy:

"If it doesn't get laughs, you're not gonna get work, and you're not gonna be comedian. So the audience ultimately decides. It's a very democratic system."

If a Twitter thread doesn't resonate, I realize the audience has spoken, and I need to look inward. I ask myself the following questions:

1. Did my content deliver what the title promised?
2. Did my tone match my authority?
3. Does the subject matter interest my target audience?

After answering those questions, the truth often slaps me across the face; my work was not as good as I thought.

After a piece fails, I choose one of two positive outcomes:

1. Rewrite & republish, attempting to make it better, or
2. Write down my mistakes and be sure not to repeat them.

Either way, I realize my audience has spoken and in order to grow as a writer, I need to listen.