Your Guide to a Better Understanding of Twitter

In my opinion, Twitter continues to be one of the most unique social networks out there. Not because its premis is anything insanely innovative or profound, but because there aren’t many spin-offs or wannabe micro-blogging sites that really compare. Its original purpose was pretty straight forward: Send 140-character messages to anyone who will listen. However, as it continues to grow, Twitter is becoming so much more, specifically in the marketing realm. Here is a beginner’s guide to Twitter for marketers.

Learn the Jargon

For a Twitter newbie it can seem like the popular social network has a language all its own. The reality is, once you know and understand a few key words, you’ll be talking like a Twitter native in no time.

Tweet

A Tweet is a public message that you send in the form of a status update. It goes out to all of your followers and can contain up to 140 characters. Tweets can include links or photos to elicit better engagement and more interaction.

Direct Message

A Direct Message, or DM, is a private message that you send to just one person. Like a regular Tweet, a DM is limited to 140 characters.

Retweet

A Retweet, or RT is when you simply Tweet what someone else has Tweeted. If you like what someone Tweeted and feel compelled to share it with your own following, simply click the RT button that’s attached to every Tweet. You can add your own statement to a Retweet, but for the most part you RT to share what someone else has already Tweeted.

Hashtag

Hashtags or the # symbol are used to discuss specific keywords or topics on Twitter. By typing the # symbol prior to the keyword, you categorize your Tweet, making it easier for people to find your Tweet based on that keyword.

Choose Your Twitter Handle

One of the first things you’ll be asked when you create your Twitter account is to set up a Twitter handle. You shouldn’t have to put too much thought into choosing your Twitter handle, or @Name. Especially if you are Tweeting for professional purposes, you want your user name to sound polished and straight forward. What do I mean by straight forward? Here’s a tip, don’t go by anything you would have used for an AIM screen name 10 years ago, like @CrazyGurl02.

If you choose to set up your Twitter account under your individual name, use your name or something closely resembling it. You might have to get a little creative depending on how popular your name is, but try to keep it professional. If you are going to be Tweeting on behalf of your business, simply use your business name.

Grow Your Following

When you first start out on Twitter, you will have no followers and there’s no quick and easy way to gain followers. Just like with Facebook, you have to put in the time and effort to grow your following. Start by following people yourself. Twitter recommends people to follow if you don’t know where to start looking or can’t think of any fellow Twitter users. Simply search by any topic and choose from a list of suggestions.

Tweet Early and Tweet Often

Sending out regular Tweets is the best way to gain exposure new followers on Twitter. Especially in the early stages, do your best to interact with other people. And by that I mean reply to other people’s Tweets and Retweet.

What to Tweet, What to Tweet

The nature of your Tweets is up to you. Use it to tell your followers about promotions or sales going on at your business, share useful links, or give tips on your area of expertise. At first it may seem like a challenge to come up with things to say or simply to remember to do it. Until Tweeting becomes second nature, make yourself a daily reminder to send out a Tweet.

Twitter Etiquette

Respond Promptly

There probably won’t be a whole lot of activity at first, but once you’ve been active on the Twitter scene for a while you’ll start to have some steady dialogue with clients and colleagues. The whole point of Twitter is to interact in real time, so if someone mentions you in a tweet or sends you a message, reply as quickly as possible.

Don’t Abuse the RT

Retweeting is a great way to show generosity and support of others on Twitter. It shows that you care about what someone else has posted enough to share it with your own followers. It’s great exposure for the person you Retweet, and hopefully some day they’ll Retweet you back. When that day comes, don’t be afraid to thank them for it.

Give Credit Where Credit is Due

Twitter is great for curating content that others have created. If you find an interesting article or piece of information that you want to share, go ahead and share it, just make sure to site the website or person who is responsible for providing you with that content.

Twitter Tools

I would highly recommend using an application to help you manage your Twitter activity. TweetDeck, Seesmic, and HootSuite are a couple of the most popular apps out there and they all have a free version available. Any of these social media dashboards will allow you to monitor several Twitter streams at once. For example, I like to monitor DMs, RTs, @mentions, and the home timeline for each Twitter account that I manage. The application that I use allows me to do this, which guarantees that no interaction goes unnoticed.

This is really the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Twitter, but it’s enough to get you on your way to micro-blogging proficiency. Feel free to weigh in with your own Twitter advice or additional Twitter questions.