Following on from last week's tips for getting started with Twitter, today I'm going to look at 10 ways for making the most out of Twitter. Follow these tips, and you may find yourself climbing to new heights - either with more followers, a boost to your online profile, or just the increased enjoyment of engaging with such a great community.
1. Use TweetDeck or Twhirl.
If you want to follow more people and use Twitter in the most effective way possible, tweeting on the Twitter website just doesn't cut it. I'm not a mobile user (although this may change later in the year - I'll keep you posted!) so I recommend using a desktop application.My personal choice is TweetDeck, although Twhirl is good too. Here are some things I like about TweetDeck:
- Replies and Direct Messages appear alongside the tweets from the people I'm following. No need to go to another screen.
- A scrollbar provides easy access to tweets that don't fit on the page.
- When you've finished reading the tweets on your screen, just click "Clear all tweets" in each column. This is absolutely great for the times when I step away from my desk and intend to come back to Twitter, but can't sit and watch it at that precise moment. (Making a cup of tea at 4pm is a good example!)
- It's easy to shorten your URLs before you send your tweet, rather than afterwards. The Twitter website can shorten your links, but the long version of the link still contributes to the 140 character limit, which isn't much good. You could use a third-party site to do it, but you'd have to shorten the link first, then paste it into your tweet - a bit long-winded.
- On the General tab, untick "Play notification sound". (Does anyone leave this on?)
- On the Colors/Font tab, change the primary and secondary background colours to white. Change the primary and secondary text colours to black. And change the input area background colour to light blue - or whatever you like. The main reason is because I find the black background very hard on the eyes - but you may think differently. Feel free to try a different colour scheme!
2. Tweet regularly, but not constantly.
In my previous post, I said you should tweet selectively. While I stand by this comment, I think you should try to tweet fairly regularly, too. Don't tweet all the time, but don't forget to tweet every now and again.It's like going for weeks without writing a new blog post. Reappearing occasionally but not putting in a regular appearance, even for a short time, can lead to people forgetting about you.
To maintain an online presence, you need to be present!
3. Don't follow everyone.
It may seem like a good idea to go to a popular user's profile and follow everyone on their list - but it's not. Adding loads of people in one go can make it all too easy to forget who you added.If you add people slowly but surely, you can make time to get to know the new people on your list. Also, don't follow someone just because they follow you - check out their profile first.
If you're not finding new people, you could set aside some time to look for new followers. Look for Twitter usernames on the blogs of people whose writing you enjoy, and try following them. You may find other people through them, too.
4. Ask questions.
Asking questions can break the ice with people who you might not have chatted with yet. It can also introduce you to new people. And it can get you some great answers!Why not ask questions and use the answers in a blog post? Don't forget to link to the people who answered the question. This can help your readers to find new friends too.
5. Answer other people's questions.
Watch out for questions that you could answer. Don't answer every question, but do answer the ones that interest you. Again, this can link you to new people.6. Retweet the good stuff.
Some comments or links are worth passing around, so why not retweet them? On TweetDeck this is as simple as hovering over the person's picture and clicking the bottom-left icon. It will look like this:RT @Tojosan: Good morning. Can't stay and play. Off to work. Have a blessed day. Chat later. Me.
On the Twitter website, you can just cut and paste the tweet and put "RT" at the start, but TweetDeck makes it much easier.
7. Click on profile links.
Twitter isn't only about what goes on within the community, it can lead you to other sites, too. If you find someone you like, don't just follow them - visit their site. If you like their blog - subscribe to it, comment on it, and let the author know you visited by replying to them in a tweet.It's all very well interacting on Twitter, but if you don't look outside Twitter from time to time, you're missing out.
8. Share other people's posts.
It's not just about retweeting - some people may not have linked to a post on Twitter, and others may not even use Twitter. A good way to show your support for a site you enjoy is to link to it from Twitter. It may even push those people to join Twitter if they're not already members.Of course, don't go link-crazy - share what you think is worth sharing. The higher the quality you give to your followers, the more likely they are to read your tweets and click your links.
9. Exchange feedback.
Want to improve your blog? Need some feedback on your design? Got a coding issue? Why not ask on Twitter? In return, offer to help the people who help you. Twitter isn't only for chat, you can get help, too.10. Observe.
Perhaps the most vital tip of all is to stop tweeting from time to time, and just watch how others interact. Listen to what they have to say. Learn how different people interact. Watch how other people promote their sites, and read the resulting conversations.We all have our own thoughts and views, and we all use Twitter in slightly different ways. The key is to find the way that works for you. Tips may help you, but you have to decide what you want to get out of Twitter before you can really use it to your advantage.
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