Join Twitter - It’s Easier Than You Think

Posted on January 5, 2009
Filed Under Archives, Blogging Lessons, Comments, Increase Traffic, Networking, Social Networking | 36 Comments

As some of you know, I used my time off from blogging to take the plunge and join Twitter.

It all began in an earlier post when I asked, “Do You Really Care What I’m Doing”? Many of you responded and let me know the Twitter question “What are you doing?” is misleading and Twitter can actually be a great resource for bloggers, business owners, and/or anyone who is looking for valuable information online and/or to increase traffic to their site.

It was Hunter’s guest post (Twitter - Social Media’s Hidden Gem) and the views he shared about Twitter that began to make my hesitations about Twitter vanish. Convinced it would be to my advantage to give Twitter a try, I signed up. The lesson for today is what I’ve learned thus far.

Today’s Lesson

The process I followed to become a Twittering blogger was as such.

1) Signed up for Twitter - a fast, free and easy process.
2) Set up my Twitter page, added my avatar, background image and color preferences
3) Signed up for TwittterDeck. TwitterDeck is an desktop interface which allows you to organize your tweets into columns (plus much more).
4) Added the WordPress Plugin - Twitter Tools
5) Began “following” other Twitter members. As the list of those whom I follow increased, so did the list of those who follow me.
6) Joined in and began Tweeting messages
7) Added a Twitter widget to my blog which shows my latest “tweets”

Below is a list of great articles which helped me as I researched Twitter.

1) Twitter FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

2) Video Post - How To Use TweetDeck

3) How To Use Twitter To Grow Your Business (a link I found on Twitter)

4) Twitter Apps, Badges and Widgets

5) Twictionary A dictionary of Twitterisms or abbreviations

6) 100 Remarkably Beautiful Twitter Icons and Buttons (another link found via Twitter)

7) The Second High Traffic Method - Twitter by Ciara, of Web Design Servers.com. (Someone whom I’m following based on this great article she published.)

8.) From Darren Rowse of Problogger and TwiTip 11 Ways to Use Twitter To Help Your Site Go Viral

Terms I became familiar with:

Tweet = A message on Twitter (either sent or received)

Following = The people you choose to befriend so you can read what they’re twittering about, as well as have the ability to communicate with.

Followers = Those people who have chosen to read your tweets and may want to communicate with you.

RT = Re-tweet. Let’s say I tweet a message and you want your followers to be aware of it. You can “re-tweet” the same message to your followers. Hence, you’ll see “RT” in front of the tweet. A “re-tweet” could be considered the same as using StumbleUpon to let others know about a great post.

DM = direct message. This is a private message between Twitter friends. Direct messages are preceded with a “d” in front of the message.

@ - As seen in blogging comments, the ampersand is used to “point” a message toward a fellow twittering friend.

As many of you know, my greatest fear was Twitter would be another time consuming endeavor. I can see how it could be, but as with any social media platform, it takes discipline. When I’m working on other projects, I can easily turn the TweetDeck notifications off and avoid the distraction.

I also questioned whether my “followers” would “unfollow” me if I wasn’t active enough on Twitter. Based on the size of your Twitter community, it would actually be difficult to track who is active and who is not. Unless you’re hung up on the numbers, this shouldn’t become an obsession.

In recent weeks, I’ve been hearing of major television networks taking advantage of Twitter and the importance of listening to what people are saying (on it). Based on what I’m hearing, it makes me realize Twitter is (probably) here to stay.

I’ve decided I want to be a part of it. How about you?

Today’s Assignment

If you’re on Twitter, what other hints and/or links can you share with those who are not.

If you’re not yet using Twitter, what concerns still plague you?

As a new Twitter user, I’m curious to hear your answers.

As a footnote, Twitter was recently compromised by a phishing scheme. To read more about it, and what precautions you should take, read this post on Twitter’s blog.

It’s A Time For Celebration

Posted on December 23, 2008
Filed Under Archives, Blog Registry, New Blog Of The Week | 39 Comments

The year is nearly over, and the holidays are upon us. With everyone having so much on their plates, reading blog posts may not be high on your list. However, for those of you who are looking for great blogs to explore, I’m recapping all of the [...] Continue Reading…