DO YOU TWITTER?
Twitter has opened up amazing opportunity in my life – it helps grow my personal brand and freelance business, drives traffic to my website and regularly opens up new relationships and networks that I probably could never have found on my own nor even dreamed of having access to.
I signed up for Twitter just to acquaint myself with the settings so I could offer branded Twitter pages for my clients. What I discovered was a veritable GOLD MINE of information about every topic imaginable – from local interesting people (or Tweeple, if you will) to trends and articles in the design and web fields, foodies, wine lovers, business tips, tourism news, etc etc etc. I quickly put together my own presence and started following – and being followed by all kinds of interesting Tweeps.
More than an online time-waster
Twitter is GREAT for business, networking, information gathering, or even planning a vacation or night out. If at first it looks like another time-suck – and it can be if you let it – set yourself specific times of the day to dive in, post, or just lurk and read about what others find important and relavent to their followers.
Meet like-minded Tweeps
Twitter is a great way to ‘meet’ people in your field, area of expertise, or mutual interest enthusiasts. In fact you CAN meet them at a something called a Tweetup. Like a Meetup – out with your fellow Twitterati. Put faces to names and make some new real friends and connections.
NEED HELP SETTING UP AND/OR BRANDING YOUR TWITTER PRESENCE?
I can have you up and Tweeting in no time! We’ll set up your account, brand your page, select an great avatar, and start you following the right people. You can easily build your Twitter empire from there! CONTACT ME >>
HELPFUL HINTS ON GETTING STARTED WITH TWITTER
1. Set up an account
Go to twitter.com, follow the prompts to secure your name, business, or funny ‘handle’. Something like davesmith, davestours, or thedaveman. Your new Twitter name will automatically generate an “@ sign” that will begin the rest of your handle, like @davesmith.
Give some thought to your Twitter name. You can be creative, but you’ll want it to be relavent for your followers/followees. Might be confusing if Dave Smith the dive shop owner has a Twitter name like @pastordave when he’s using Twitter to drive traffic to the dive shop website. Dave would be better off with @divingdave or @davesdives
2. Brand your page
Twitter settings allow you to really brand your page to match your website, topic of interest, or personal tastes. Choose a standard background style from Twitter’s small collection, or upload a full page background image from your collection. Better yet, create (or have a designer create) an original branded background with a strategically placed logo, information, headshot, business phone, or whatever you desire.
You’ll also want to create an avatar (like a headshot or some other 1″x1″ representation). Logos are nice, but a real face sends a message that a real person is behind all the gems of wisdom you’ll be tweeting about. Whatever you do – do one of the other and NOT settle for the Twitter default – noboby wants to follow a brown square.
3. Follow others
Twitter has a Find People link where you can enter a particular topic, for instance small business, and it will display a list of any Twitter name that contains that phrase. Twitter browsers such as Tweetdeck and Seesmic have an ever more dynamic search engine for topic searches. Identify some interesting Tweeps and ‘follow’ them. Many pages you follow might follow you back, but the goal for the number of followers you have is quality – not quantity.
4. Start the conversation
Twitter is for tweeting as well as just listening. Ask a question, then sit back and listen. Acknowledge your favorite Tweeps, by replying directly to them on Twitter, or retweeting some interesting articles or links. This is agood way to start a base of updates for your page, along with post links to your blog, website, or other articles you’re found relavent to your interests. Using open-ended questions is a good way to generate some conversation.
If you know people that have Twitter pages, search for them, follow them, and let them know (on Twitter of course!) that you are finally in the Twittersphere.
THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO TWITTER
My Quick Tips on the Do’s and Dont’s of Twitter >>
ProBlogger’s TwiTips >>
A collection of nice tourism-related Twitter backgrounds >>
How to Retweet on Twitter >>
A Visual Guide to Twitter >>
A Pictorial History of Twitter’s Rise to Pop Culture >>
