2. Setting up a Twitter account Go to http://www.twitter.com Select a username that is easy to remember Usernames can only be 15 characters long If possible try to keep same username across all social media sites: http://namechk.com
3. Personalize it! Click on Settings Fill out account info, web site, short bio, location, etc. Add a picture (square) Select your background, color schemes You could even do custom backgrounds. Click.
4. Start Tweeting! You have 140 characters or less per tweet. Tweet daily! Great examples to tweet: Interesting news articles (w/links) Press releases New reports Diversity info and facts Opinions Observations Locations/events
5. Different ways to Tweet Include links in your tweets Use http://tinyurl.com or http://bit.ly/ to shorten links Use http://www.twitpic.com to post photos Reply or address specific people by using ‘@’ Direct message someone by using ‘D’ ReTweet others tweets by using ‘RT’ Use hashtags for easy search Events Categories #followfriday
6. Finding Your Audience Use the ‘find friends’ feature on twitter.com ‘Follow’ their friends that share the same interest Use search.twitter.com to search relevant subjects and geographic locations ‘Follow’ your followers (if not spammers) User Twitter Directories: http://www.wefollow.com (Detroit) (Diversity) http://www.twellow.com (Twitter Yellow Pages) http://www.tweetfind.com http://www.justtweetit.com
7. Finding Key Twitterers Newspapers that twitter http://www.MuckRack.com TV & Radio stations in Detroit who twitter @PaulWJR, Ann Thomas at WJR Stephen Clark (@sclarkwxyz) of Channel 7 News Join Tweet Ups & Get to know these people http://dtweetups.ning.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=41198537056
8. Use 3rd Party Applications Tweetdeckhttp://www.tweetdeck.com/beta/ Great way to organize Twitter Share on multiple accounts and facebook HootSuitehttp://www.hootsuite.com Tweet to multiple accounts Allow multiple users to tweet from one account Track URL stats
9. Listen to the Twittersphere Take time daily to read tweets. Retweet information that is important or that you found useful. Use the power of Search: Tweetdeck searches http://www.Search.twitter.com Advance search (search.twitter.com) w/ operators RSS feeds into your reader Get email alerts from http://www.tweetbeep.com Trending topics Trending topics on twitter search Go to sites like http://www.twitturly.com Trending sites like: What the Trend, Twist, Twopular
10. Promote Your Twitter Add your Twitter link to Twitter directories. Include your Twitter link on other social sites: LinkedIn Facebook Blogs Include your Twitter link on your email signature. Include your Twitter link on your web site. Use keywords in your tweets that like-minded people will be searching for.
11. Other Useful Sites: Twitter Grader – What is your rank? Mashable Twitter lists Other articles - http://delicious.com/huthandr/Twitter
12. Twitter Etiquette Be transparent. Let them know who you are. Respond to all ‘@’ replies and DMs (unless they are auto DMs or spam). This is like not returning phone calls. Listen. Don’t just speak. This is a conversation. Don’t type in ALL CAPS. This is yelling to the online world. Consider quality vs. quantity. Follow back unless they are not people of interest or they are spam. (http://www.friendorfollow.com) Be friendly. Don’t be a ‘mean tweeter.’
