When I first heard about Twitter, I thought, “Oh geez, not another social networking gizmo to keep up with.” You know how it is – there’s always something new, always something to learn and figure out how to integrate into your daily life for the sake of keeping up with the times (and the competition).
So finally I took the plunge to see what all the fuss was about and I was actually quite delighted that I did. Twitter isn’t just “another social networking gizmo” it’s something all on its own that I’ve really come to appreciate when I do my daily Tweets (Twitter lingo for posting a message).
There’ve been many posts written about Twitter over the past year or so, so I’m here to bring you the basics and make it all ridiculously easy to understand, in two steps.
In step one (this article) I’ll first catch you up on the Twitter basics – what it is and how to use it. In step two, next Monday, I’ll help show you ways it can benefit your business, as well as some popular tools to augment your overall Twitter experience.
WHAT IS TWITTER
For starters, let’s be clear on what Twitter isn’t. It’s not another Facebook or MySpace and it’s definitely not another LinkedIn, but it can be a seriously useful for business networking. Twitter is considered a micro-blog. Most of us know what blogs are by now, and if you don’t, think of a blog as a modern-day journal – with the exception that millions of people have access to reading it on the internet.
When using Twitter, your Tweets (posts) are limited to 140 characters and you can read other people’s posts by clicking the “follow” button on their profiles – and they can follow you.
There are many ways and reasons to use Twitter and many people have found that it is a vibrant, active community where they can connect with like-minded people quickly and efficiently for both business and leisure.
HOW TO USE TWITTER
1. First, go to www.twitter.com/signup and join. Pick a meaningful username and after the super quick sign-up, you’ll be bought to what I like to call the Twittersphere where you will see people from all over the globe tweeting away.
2. Say you’re reading someone’s Tweets and you dig what a particular person is saying. Just click on their name to view their profile and click the “follow” button to start receiving their updates. This is similar to adding someone to your friend’s list on other networking portals but, in most cases, you don’t have to ask and wait for acceptance. Tweets from the person you’re following will now appear on your Twitter homepage, and if that person is following you, they will see your Tweets.
WHAT NOT TO DO ON TWITTER
There are definitely ways to abuse Twitter and get an instant reputation for being a less-than-useful Twitterer. Here are a few don’ts to keep in mind:
1. Especially when it comes to business use, don’t spam. While Twitter doesn’t push information out like email, you can still be annoyingly spammy by being too commercial or by having too many auto-posts that lack your human voice. People will un-follow you quickly if they feel you are not really there.
2. Don’t be too self-seeking. Yes, you are supposed to be posting your heart-felt Tweets to answer the question “What are you doing?” However, Twitter has evolved beyond this question to include many more facets of dialogue. People are fine with self-promotion but balance it with generous and meaningful Tweets as well.
Don’t be afraid to put your questions out there via your Tweets, and the more people you actively engage with as followers, the quicker you’ll get a response.
The Bottom Line
Twitter is a useful communication tool and a deep knowledge base. Knowing how to tap into it strategically can mean the difference between a frivolous, and a fruitful, Twitter experience.
Stay tuned for step two, to learn a few savvy ways Twitter can benefit your business and extend your professional network. I’ll also introduce you to a couple of popular tools/applications to enhance your Twitter experience.
Want to make sure you don’t miss step two? Go to SNOBS’ homepage and sign-up for RSS. Not sure what RSS is? Former Work It Baby businessmen, Elias Bizannes, explains here.
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I would like to describe Twitter as a place where thousands of conversations are going on at the same time, and where you can have the option of eavesdropping or joining in at anytime you like.