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10 tips for getting started with Twitter

Posted by Ben on January 16, 2009 | Permalink | Hits: 691 

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This is the first in a two-part series of Twitter tips. Don't miss part 2 - subscribe today! Follow me on Twitter.



Twitter is a great tool for networking with friends, old and new.  You can use it to promote your blog, but what are the best ways to do this without doing too much promotion?

1. Link to your blog from your profile.

Your Twitter profile is the first thing people look at when deciding whether to follow you. They might be clicking curiously because they saw your name mentioned by someone else. You'll want to give them a link to go to - if they like what they see, they may click through and check out your site.

Some people suggest the use of a Twitter landing page - a page on your site designed specifically for Twitter people - and linking to that instead. I can see the benefit in doing this, but it's another page I might forget to update. I may try it at some stage.

To set your profile link, click on "Settings" and change the "More info URL" field.

2. Use a background image.

Hopefully in the above screenshot you'll see the background I'm using for Twitter. If not, check out my Twitter profile. Background images are just about the only thing you can customise on your profile. You can change the colours and add your bio and a link, but there's not much else really.

As a result, a lot of people have started using background images to add a little personality to their profiles, as well as contact information and additional links. Make sure to create an image with an "info box" similar to the one I used, and set a solid background colour - you can then choose this same colour as your profile background to ensure everything looks good.

To set an image, click on "Settings", select the "Design" tab, and you should see a link at the bottom - "Change background image". You can change the colours there too.

3. Follow people who interest you.

It can feel a bit lonely when you start using Twitter. So, start looking around for bloggers who might be on Twitter. Add anyone who you want to read more from. But don't go crazy adding loads of people at once.

If you want to add some Twitter friends, join the CMF forums, and click on the Social Groups link. Join the Twitter group (you'll need to join to participate). There, you'll see some profile links - do follow anyone who interests you. And add your own profile link so they can follow you, too.

4. Tweet selectively.

Nothing is more annoying than a person who tweets constantly when they don't really have anything to say. By all means share your thoughts and views, but don't tweet when you have nothing to say.

5. Reply to other people and get into a conversation.

Once you're following a few people, start reading their tweets and reply to any you find interesting. If you're using Twitter.com to keep updated (there are some great alternatives - more on this in part 2!) then click the arrow next to the tweet you want to reply to. This will put the person's username with an @ before it, e.g. @benbarden. You can then type your message. For instance:

@kateblogs Well, I'm a bit backed up with projects and a bit short on motivation - but otherwise doing good thanks

Don't reply without using this format, otherwise nobody will know who you're replying to.

6. Keep an eye on who your followers reply to.

A great way to meet new people is to look at who your followers are talking to. If the tweet interests you, click the other person's username. Should you follow those people too? As above, if they interest you, add them - and better still, send them a "hello" tweet using the @ symbol, so you know they'll see it.

7. When the time's right, link to a post you'd like to share.

I find the best way to share links is to get into a couple of conversations first. Then, once you're in a conversation and a few people are reading your tweets, it can be a good time to link. Especially if the link you wish to share is relevant to the discussion. Even if it's not, making the effort to get into discussions on Twitter is the key to getting people to click your links.

8. Don't just post a link and go away.

Following on from #7, once you've posted a link, watch out for any replies. If the comments warrant a further comment from you, continue the discussion. If you post a link and immediately go offline, perhaps to "let it gather momentum", you may find it fails to reach its full potential as you didn't get to reply to any of the follow-up tweets.

9. Don't go crazy with promotion.

Don't link to every post you write. Don't link too frequently. Make sure you do more than just post links on Twitter. You'll find the experience is much richer and far more enjoyable, and your followers will thank you for it.

10. Before you go offline, make sure your last tweet is worth reading.

This is really important and a very easy one to miss! If you're just about to stop using Twitter for a few hours, you're going out, or you're going to bed, leave a closing thought or something profound as your last tweet for the session.

While I do think you should wait for replies, not everyone replies immediately anyway, and you can't be on Twitter 24/7 - so don't try. Instead, make sure that if you're about to go offline, the latest tweet on your profile is a really good one. People visiting your profile will be more likely to follow you.

Do you agree with these tips? (I have a follow-up post coming, so there will be more tips soon.)

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