What is Twitter And How Can It Help Your Business

What is Twitter?

Twitter is a social media tool where you are limited to just 140 characters to chat about to other followers. You can be sociable or tweet about specialisms, totally down to you what you wish to chat about.

Advice on Setting Up an Account

• When setting up a twitter account think about your user name, what is it that you will use your twitter account for. Once your twitter name is set, that's it no turning back. I would advise using your own name, if your name is a common name, like Jane Smith, try Meet_Jane_Smith instead.
  
• Make sure you set up your profile correctly, add a picture. It's nice for other followers to see what you look like. Gives them a sense that they are talking or tweeting to a real person not an automated inanimate object.
  
• Include in your bio fun things about yourself, your objectives or your business or outlook on life. Be you and Be real!
  
• If you are branding yourself or products for your business, it is best to use your own name, or the 'brand or website' you wish to promote to people on the web. Now listen up, by 'branding' I do not mean your products, you always should be looking at branding YOU first and foremost. If you market yourself correctly the products will sell. People want to know the real you, not the SALES you.

Who Are You Attracting

• Your audience on twitter can be as varied or specific as you want it to be, totally down to you who you accept as a 'follower' or not.
  
• You can follow people who are of interest to you, and likewise you are able to see who wants to follow you.
  
• There can be some unsavoury characters on twitter, but there is the functionality to 'block' a user and report them as 'spammers'.
• It is best to try to connect with other 'tweeple' socially and interact where possibly rather than try to 'sell' them stuff - this can be considered as spamming and is not acceptable on twitter.

What Can You Use It For

• Twitter is a great communication tool. You can use it to get feedback from others for just about anything from what is happening in the news, and essay question or if you wish to seek advise or engage with other 'tweeple' throw out a question or phrase or statement and see what comes back.
• Marketers can use twitter to occasionally tweet about special offers they are giving out or for an up and coming marketing event that may benefit others. There are many ways you can use twitter for notifications. But please be aware if you are spamming, or sending out too much 'selling' stuff.

Twitter Language / Use

• If you want to show appreciation to what others have 'tweeted' about you can share or otherwise known as re-tweet or RT the information, to your own list. This will include a sending the information to other users possibly not in your following group.
• Hash marks are used to 'group together' a topic of interest,for instance #selfmotivation you can use these in your tweets as a form of 'key word' search. Users can search on hash tags which will group the topics together and show all relevant tweets that are in the #selfmotivation range for instance.
• There is a feature to show 'what's trending' on twitter, you maybe want to send out a post or view all whats currently trending across the globe.
• You can add photos and url links to tweets, but in some instances it is best to shorten the links as this uses up the valuable 140 characters. There are sites that can shorten links for you so research this online through any search engine.
• Try and give value in the messages you are sending out on twitter people love useful information NOT Business SPAM!

I hope you have found this information useful. Please let me know by leaving me a comment below.

Colette Morris

Catch me on Twitter @workfmhomediva