New to Twitter? Helpful Tips to Start Tweeting
Are you new to Twitter but feel lost? We’ve all been there! When I first signed up with Twitter, I hated it. Tell 
what you are doing in 140 characters or less? Where are the fun applications? I stepped away for a couple months, but then I came back to try it again. I’m so glad I did, because I have been hooked ever since. Here are some tips to help you adjust to life in Twitterverse.
- Fill out your profile. Click on Settings in the upper right corner of your homepage. Put in your real name – do not use a business or fake name. People need to know you are a real person and are more likely to follow you. While still on the Settings page (Account tab), add your website URL if you have one and a one line bio – use short terms such as blogger, mom, actor, etc. (Take a look at mine)
- While still in Settings, click on the “Design” tab. Here you can create your profile layout or use one of Twitter’s. I suggest using your own backgrounds or finding a free one on the web. A good site is www.TwitterBackgrounds.com or www.TwitBacks.com . I use the free ones for right now, but I plan on creating a logo for this blog and then I will use it as my background image.
- Start following people. You follow, they follow. It’s that simple. Realistically, some will not follow you back, like celebrities, because they get too many followers. But a lot of people will. I have about 235 followers, which is not a lot but it’s an amount I can live with for now. To follow someone, click on their profile, then on “follow” under the user’s name. To find a person by name, click on “Find People” up by the Settings link, then punch in that person’s name. Or you can go to www.wefollow.com and find people by category or keyword.
- Once you start following people, tweet! Answer the question, “What am I doing?” in 140 characters or less. It’s easy! Try to abbreviate or tweet like you text: ppl for people, “2″ for “to”, “two”, or “too”, “u” for you, “r” for are, you get the idea.
- Once people, or “tweeps” as we call them on Twitter, start following you, it’s important to respond to them often or retweet (RT) one of their tweets. Let’s say someone tweets something you find interesting. You can retweet it by clicking on “retweet” under their tweet in your timeline (you & your friend’s tweets on your homepage). Communication is key in gaining and keeping followers.
- Take advantage of “Follow Friday”. Twitter is known for its trending topics, and this is one of them. You pick some of your followers and suggest others to follow them, hence the term, “Follow Friday”. When you tweet, you would do something like this: #FF followed by @twitterusername. The number sign in front of FF is called a hashtag, a keyword or term assigned to a piece of information like “FollowFriday”, or you can just do #followfriday followed by @twitterusername (you can have several user names as long as you can get them in less than 140 characters. No need to use commas). Your followers might do the same for you, which means more followers!
- Search the public timeline for great tweets and potential followers. I have found some great people to follow by doing this. There are so many people who have interesting things to say.
It doesn’t take long to get the hang of Twitter. In fact, you can learn a lot by watching who you follow. Twitter does have a help link in the upper right corner of your screen in case you need it.
Are you a Twitter Pro? What was your reaction to Twitter the first time you signed up?
Like these tips? Have more to share? Please comment below!
Follow me on Twitter - @debbiebuck. I will follow you back (you might wanna tweet me first so I know you’re not a spammer).
Microblogging | Deb | 11/26/2009
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