Getting Started With Twitter: The Ins and Outs of 140 Characters
Twitter, the original micro-blogging network that allows you to network and connect with new friends, potential customers, and anyone else under the sun. With an alarming growth rate and no signs of slowly, Twitter is a social network worth getting active on. Below are a series of easy to follow instructions for new twitter users, specifically aiming to use the service to grow their business.
Signing Up:
After arriving at twitter.com you are greeted with a happy little welcome screen:
Click join and follow the instructions by filling in your information. Pick a user than that is consistent with your branding message. If your business is called Tony’s Toys, a good user name would be Tonys_Toys or TonysToys.
Complete the info and you’re whisked away to the next step on your journey to twitter domination. Next Twitter offers to help you find your friends. Since the service is so much about conversation, you can import your contact lists from various email services to see if any of your friends are using twitter. If so, you can start following them, or recommend them for the service.
After finding a few of your friends, Twitter will then offer you a list of other popular twitter users who you may find interesting and want to follow. This list is long, and it’s up to you whether you choose to follow anyone from it.
After the set up is complete you are taken to your twitter stream where you can start tweeting and join in the conversation. Before you get going with your first tweet, I recommend getting your profile in order. On the top navigation, you will see the settings option, go there first.
Make sure you complete this before you start tweeting or engaging in conversation. Your profile is important, so take the time to do this right. Make your one line bio something easy to read, so people will be able to tell what your business does and who you are right away. Also, change your user picture! Don’t leave it brown, that is the mark of spammers on twitter, and no one will take you seriously.
You are given many options in the settings tab, click through and set it up to your particular preferences.
After customizing your profile as you see fit, it’s time to start tweeting. Sending out your first tweet can be a bit confusing, but it becomes easier as you use the service more often. You’re given 140 characters to send your message. That message is viewable by everyone on twitter, but it is only directly broadcasted to those who follow you. It can take a while to amass a big following, so don’t fret if you don’t have any at first.
Followers and Following
This is the part that can be the most daunting for new users. Finding the right people to follow, and getting people to follow you back takes some time. When you’re starting out, a good place to go is twitter search.
Type in keywords related to your business, or your company name, products you sell, anything you think is related to you. This shows you the most recent tweets about whatever search term you entered. So if you sell toys, type in the name of your hottest selling product and see who is talking about it, and what they are saying. This is a great way to find interesting people to follow and start engaging them in conversation.
Tips For Building Followers
Don’t Over Do It! If you follow hundreds of people at once, it can look spammy. Pick a number, 30, or 50…something relative to the amount of conversation about your industry…and follow a few every day. Twitter is about instant conversation. So spend a few minutes every day updating your tweets and engaging your followers.
Don’t Make Too Much Noise
If your tweet constantly about your deals or services, people will tune you out or block you as spam. The average twitter user updates their twitter stream 15 times a day. Bear this in mind as you plan your updates.
70/30 Rule
This is crucial. For every 10 tweets you send out, 7 should be informative, conversational, or entertaining. Only 3 of the 10 should involve your sales pitch. It’s about balance. Keep the noise level down if you want people to listen.
Remember that Twitter is a great way to assess the general opinion of your business and industry is the social media sphere, as well as interface with customers and potential customers. Stay in tune with your mentions, and you’ll tweeting away with the best of them in no time.
Getting The Lingo:
Twitter does have its own lingo and vernacular which can be hard for new users to adopt. This Twitter Lingo guide offers a great breakdown of how to get “twitter speak” and use it to your benefit.
This resource even offers a “Newbies Corner” which goes further into detail about Twitter and etiquette for new users.
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