Twitter for Beginners

• After you’ve created an account, go to settings in the upper right corner. Click on all the tabs and fill out as much or as little information as you want.
• For instant credibility, change your picture immediately. If you have a default image, people will think you’re a spammer and/or have no idea what you’re doing so it’s not going to be worth their time to follow you.
• You can change your twitter “handle” (aka username) at any time, but use this sparingly so you don’t confuse your followers.
• Be engaging, especially when you first start. For example, don’t just talk about the pancakes you ate this morning, find your favorite recipe (or post your own in a blog!) and link it for others. Remember that Twitter is about sharing – it’s a little give, it’s a little take. Be willing to open up and be yourself a little bit. People are curious about you!
• You can set your account to be public or private. Private means that only the people that you approve can see your tweets and messages.
• If you have a public account, remember that people can see your responses to other people when they are viewing your profile.
• DMs are short for Direct Messages. Use this when you want to talk with someone privately. You should also use this when a conversation continues at length – you don’t want to bore your audience. You can only DM a person if they are following you, but you do not have to follow them.
• Use bit.ly to shorten links – save space in your precious 140-character tweet!
• You can always un-follow people if they talk too much, don’t provide useful information, etc. Click on their twitter handle, then click on the wheel button for a variety of options.
• Too many tweeters overwhelming you when you first log in? Create lists and use them well! List management is the last option underneath the text box.
• Curious about what people are saying about x? Use the search option! Search options are above the lists on the right column. This is an excellent tool for businesses to use for customer outreach and brand monitoring.

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