Simple Guide: Twitter
Posted on | January 4, 2010 | View Comments
Okay there a million guides to what twitter is, how it works, what to do with it, the tricks, etc. , etc., etc. So for a comprehensive Guide Check out Mashable’s Twitter Guide Book. To get a boiled down version read below.
Boiled down version of Twitter:
Twitter is a chance for you to share what your doing with people that choose to follow you. You get 140 characters. That’s it.
The trick: Brand your Online presence, Get people to follow you, use your 140 characters effectively, and have fun. Yes, this is actually a fun tool to add to your marketing campaign.
So the first thing you have to realise is that is twitter is used to pull people into what you are doing, not to push or force yourself upon others. It’s a soft sale. So look at this as means of leaving breadcrumbs. The more time and energy you lay out breadcrumbs, the more people you can get to follow and subsequently follow your information back to your website.
So if this works for you the next thing you need to do is create a twitter account for your business name, and your personal name. Choose something easy to remember. Create the account and go through the steps. Make sure to fill everything out completely . If you want to track how this is working, when it asks for your web address type in a web address (url) to a specific page on your website, a landing page.
Once you complete the sign-up it will ask you what’s on your mind. This is your first post. You have 140 characters to make your statement.
140 Characters
So now that you have sent your first message, you need to know what you can do with 140 characters. There are several tools and tips that can help you take advantage of all that space. We have listed them below:
Respond to other Twitter People (Tweeps)
If you go to the twitter home page you can look up anyone that is twittering. Just look up their name and find their twitter name. If you go to their twitter page, you can see the tweets (twitter postings). You can now repost their message on your page (retweet) or you can respond to the message. When you respond the mesage box will create the first part of your message @Twittername . This is how you respond to others or send them public messages. If you would like to try this send a message to me: @heymonge .
Re-post (Retweet) other Peoples Twitter Posts (Tweets)
Retweeting is a common occurrence on twitter. The thought or idea behind it is if you like it, you will send it to all of your followers. Imagine a e-mail forward that actually was appealing or made sense. When you Retweet a message it will appear on your page “RT Twittername and the message”. This is where you can also gain people is by generating content that other people pass onto their network. If their people like what you say, they can go to your site and follow you.
#Hastags – Track your efforts
A hashtag “#” is a way for people to communicate on a particular topic or trend. It is also a way for businesses to track how their twitter efforts are taking effect. So in your message you would type “My Business just added added a new product. #myhashtag” The “#myhastag” is the name of your service, your product, or whatever topic you are talking about. If your runs a search for the hashtag you made you can see how many people used the same tag and what they are talking about.
URL Shortners
Using a URL shortener can help you maximize the amount of information you can get into you tweets. If you where to type a full address for a URL there is no way that would work for a twitter message. So if use a Url shortner your long url becomes much shorter: Ex: http://ow.ly/LkG5 . Now I can post websites, links to other sites, or links to articles and still tell people what it is. If you use a URL shortner, be sure you can track stats on that link you post.
That’s enough info to get you started. If you want a little more info to make twitter a success I’ve added some more info below.
Brand Your Online Presence:
1. To thine own self be true. For Twitter you want to stay true to the personality behind the Brand. That means be consistent, share your thoughts and opinions, and don’t fake it.
2. Decide what you want to share and how you want to participate in the online community.
3. Get a custom background. They will help with your branding.
4. Fill out your profile completely
Get People to Follow You:
1. Get your Branding Figured Out
2. Find topics that are in your industry and contribute to the dialogue. You can find topic by hashtags # or look up people in your industry and find out what they are saying.
3. Let others know you are on Twitter by posting links on your site, your blog, and anything else that has an electronic tag.
4. Follow those in your industry
5. Follow competitors
6. Folow your clients.
Use your 140 Characters effectivley:
1. Use a URL shortner service. (List coming soon) or a 3rd party software that can help you manage your postings and offers a URL shortner. This way you can link to any website, link to other media, and link to files.
2. Keep your postings clear and concise. Whatever you need to say, 140 is fine.
3. If you have a really long post learn how to type shorthand.
Have Fun:
1. If you are using the service for business, add some light humor or “non-essential” banter. People like to see personality.
2. Keep in mind your potential client. Anything you say that might lose you that person shouldn’t be said. Anything else is fair game.
3. Be unique. Bring your voice into topics already being discussed. If you like what someone else said Repost with your flavor.
This is a boiled down version of how to use Twitter for business.
Resources:
Smashable: Twitter Guide (These guys are the source for Social Media info)
140 Characters IPhone Application (Written by twitter co-founder)
Twitter Dictionary: 35 Twitter Abbreviations (LOL, remember texting abbreviations?)