twitter tips for n00bs

By: Kim Randall

A Beginners Guide To Twitter

Chapters1. Creating A Twitter Account

2. Connecting On Twitter

3. Twitter Lingo

4. What The Hashtag?

5. Twitter Lists

6. Sharing On Twitter

7. Third Party Twitter Applications

8. How Twitter Can Help Your Business

Kim Randall | Social Media Strategist | kimrandall.me | kimrandall.biz | @_kimrandall

Before you create your Twitter account I want you to grab a piece of paper and write down3 possible Twitter Usernames.

Example:

If your name is John Smith then you might want to write down

1. JohnSmith2. TheJohnSmith3. John_Smith

The reason that you are writing down three choices is because your name may very wellalready be taken by someone else.

OK so you have the three that you are good with written on that piece of paper, right?Great!

Go to Twitter.com and select the option “Sign Up”


Sign Up by choosing this option.

After you have chosen this option you will be taken to a page that willAllow you to create your Twitter profile. Do you remember those three Names you wrote down? First start with the one you want the most andIf it’s already in use try the next and then the next. If all three are unavailableYou will need to try something else.


John Smith

JohnSmith

*************

[email protected]

Once you have done this you will need to verify your account.To do this Twitter will send you a verification email to the emailaddress used to set up the account.

Moving along….

Next step is to create your presence. This is adding your website link,Bio, your image and your location.

Make sure you are adding your FULL weblink (http://yourwebsite.com)

Where do you live? Let everyone know because this is one way that people will find you.

Your Bio is 160 characters to describe who you are, what you do and your passions,hobbies.

Try to use an image of yourself and not your business logo. Social Media is aboutconnecting with people, not things.


http://yourwebsite.com/

Chicago, IL

http://ursite.com

Small business owner with a lovelyFlower shop off of Michigan Ave. Blackhawks fan…….


Finding other people to connect with on Twitter is probably one of the most Challenging things about Twitter. People tend to quit very quickly when they don’tSee their Twitter account grow fast.

Hint: It isn’t about the number of followers, it’s all about the quality of them

To find relevant people to follow you can use”

• Search.twitter.com

• Tweepml.org

• Twitter Lists (I will explain later)

•See who other people are Tweeting with


The only way to truly be successful on Twitter and see the successIn your efforts for your business is to be social. Tweet with others,Get to know new people and provide quality content.

By talking with other people on Twitter you are allowing others to See that you are a real person that does not want to spam anyoneWith promotions, viruses and malicious sites.

By talking to people day in and day out you are getting to know them And this makes you trustworthy.

By sharing quality content people await your Tweets and want to seeWhat you suggest.

To find good content you can use Google Alerts and monitor keywords Associated to what your business is and what your hobbies might be.

Example:You are a coffee shop owner so you can use the key words

Coffee, mocha, coffee recipes, espresso,You will receive updates in your email pertaining to these keywords.This is what you choose to share with your following along with your own Tweets for your business

Yes, it’s true. We have our own language when it comes to Tweeting and we are nothing but proud of it. These are highly crucial components to your Twitterexperience

A Retweet or a RT is when you or another Twitter user chooses to

Share a fellow Twitterer’s Tweet/Post

Example: You sent out a Tweet that said “Check out my latest blog post onWhy coffee is AMAZING http://bit.lyyshsb”

I see this Tweet and have read your post and because the post is really informative I have chosen to RT it to my followers. I simply would Retweetthis post so my connections have the chance to see what I found to be greatcontent.

RT @JohnSmith Check out my latest blog post onWhy coffee is AMAZING http://bit.ly/yshsb


An “At Reply” or @reply is a simple way of connecting

with a specific person through Twitter.

By placing the @ sign then the Twitter name (no spaces)

your Tweet or response will appear in their mentions.

This is what you will do when you are connecting with one or a fewSpecific Twitter users.

Example: @JohnSmith Loved the blog post just as much as I love coffee!

This allows “JohnSmith” to see the reply or Tweet to him in his mentions


Direct Message or DM is a private message

(140 characters) between you and another

Tweeter.

This is a private message between you and ONE (1) other Twitter user.You cannot add more than one Twitter user in a DM. This would be used for Tweets that you do not want others to see.

Example:

DM JohnSmith Call me when you can 555.555.5555. Need to talk


Trending topics keep you updated in real time!

Trending Topics can be found on the right side of your Twitter page and consist oftopics, keywords and hashtags that are popular at that moment. Trending Topicsare in real time and constantly changing


So many people get confused on hashtags, but once they understand they become unstoppable hashtaggers.

A Hashtag or # is the pound sign with a

keyword or phrase placed directly after it.

Example: #TwitterTips #Twitter #n00b Hashtags allow people to follow the specifickeyword or key phrase easily.

This is really good for Online Twitter Discussions, Offline events or simply to connect to relevant Twitter Users.


“Did you see the lasted cinnamon coffee recipe I put on my website? #Coffee #CoffeeRecipes”

This Is What A Tweet With A Hashtag Would Look Like

This allows coffee lovers that are following the hashtag #coffee or #CoffeeRecipes to easily findYour Tweet. People that follow that hashtag do not have to be following you on Twitter to seeYour Tweet. They just need to follow that hashtag.

Hashtags do not always need to be used in a Tweet. They are best used when tracking/Tweeting about breaking news, events, specific topics and Online Twitter Chats.

# + Keyword/phrase = Hashtag

#Keyphrase


Twitter lists are a great way of categorizing Twitter users by location, likes, businesses,Expertise etc…

If John Smith was put into Twitter lists, he might be categorized in lists such as:

• Coffee• Coffee Tweeters•Coffee Bloggers• Coffee Addicts•Coffee Shop Owners•Coffee Enthusiasts

This would be because John Smith owns a coffee shop, Tweets about coffee and connects withOther java bean enthusiasts.

Twitter users do not have to be following you to follow a list. This means that if you are a consistent Twitterer and you provide quality to your TwitterStream other people will list you in relevant lists.

YOU WANT THIS TO HAPPEN!

You can create your own lists too!


Ever since we can remember we have been told that we need to share. Even today we needTo be reminded that sharing is good and on Twitter sharing is what needs to be done. This is what Twitter is for. You have something to say and you now have a platform to say it.

Before you start sharing remember to:

• Not send the same message repeatedly, this is called spam.• If you are sharing a link add a blurb about what the link is.


This Is Why You Want To Use Twitter To Share Your Information

Did you see the benefits for drinking a cup of coffee a day? http://bit.ly/hgsf

Your followers

Two of your followers liked your content and chose to share it or RT the Tweet.

One Tweet couldReach thousands ofPeople that you haveYet to connect with.

This is why you need To Tweet consistentlyAnd provide quality content.

Your followersfollowers

Your followers,Followers, followers


There are many different applications that you can use to Tweet if you choose to.Using a third party application would mean that you would not Tweet from Twitter.com, but from the application you desire.

Here is a list of some of my favorite applications. This is not something that I wouldSuggest until you are familiar with Twitter.

• TweetDeck.com (download)• Twhirl.com (download)• Seesmic.com (download)• MyVBO.com (web based)

You can find others by simply Googling “Twitter applications”

Kim Randall | Social Media Strategist | kimrandall.me | kimrandall.biz |

@_kimrandall

In conclusion, Twitter is a great platform for branding yourself and/or business. I have given You tips that were never even thought of when I first started Twitter and I hope it helps make Transition into Twitterville a painless, easy and fun one.

Remember:

If you provide something great, people will begin to follow you. Do not give up or get discouraged. It takes time to build a community.Have fun!


@_kimrandall

About Kim RandallKim Randall is a Social Media Strategist that is completely obsessed with all things Social Online. Kim began her Online career working for a real world company that was based within the Virtual World of Second Life and from there she was hooked. Kim now builds strategies, communities and images Online for her clients across the globe and in the Tampa Bay area with the many popular social tools available. Kim has earned her title as “Social Media Addict” when she created her 200th Social Platform profile and her 30,000th Tweet.


@_kimrandall

twitter tips for n00bs

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