Things You'll Need:
- An Internet connection
- A Twitter account
- This article
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Step 1
Screen Shot: Twitter.comPoint your browser to www.twitter.com, and register yourself an account; it’s as simple as it is on any other site.
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Step 2
Think carefully about which username you choose, however, since it will be on every “Tweet” – or “post” – you make. Your username will represent you on Twitter, so choose wisely. Ask yourself: do you want to be anonymous? Do you want to use some form of your real name? Or do you want to use this account to promote your business? Try to make your username easy to remember.
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Step 3
Once you’ve set up your account, you’ll see a “Settings” tab. Under “Design,” you can choose from a number of preset decorated profile options – this is fine for a start, or you can upload a picture of your own as a background. Many experienced users do this, but take care when choosing this option. Many users have different-sized monitors, and the picture you choose may end up UNDER the twitter screen itself. A resolution of 1200 pixels by 800 pixels seems to work okay, with any visual information you want users to see (like a logo, a picture of yourself, etc.) on the left sidebar occupying about 225 pixels at most. The rest would just be background, like texture, gradient, or tiled image.
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Step 4
Under the “Devices” tab, you can choose whether or not you’d prefer to receive Twitter updates via e-mail and/or via text messaging on your cell phone. If you’re gathering a large following, this can get overwhelming, so be warned.
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Step 5
Under “Notices,” make sure you choose “Show me all @replies.” This will make sure you SEE when someone responds to a Tweet of yours in the Timeline.
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Step 6
Tweets, by the way, are limited to 140 characters - so practice being pithy and engaging - and CONCISE.
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Step 7
My own Twitter picture.Under “Picture,” you get to upload a photo or some other image to represent yourself. If you DO choose a photo of yourself, keep in mind it will be VERY small, so if you want people to see your face, crop it very tight to your face. Some people choose cartoons, or other icons.
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Step 8
“Connections” are Twitter-related apps you can access – for example, one is “www.wefollow.com,” which helps you connect with followers. There are tons of them out there, and the more you Tweet, the more you’ll find.
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Step 9
Once you’re all set up and ready to “Tweet,” here are some do’s and don’ts.
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Step 10
DO thank your followers.
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Step 11
DON’T try to sell them anything when you thank them.
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Step 12
DO try to respond as quickly as you can to “DMs,” or “Direct Messages,” sent only to you.
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Step 13
DO try to Tweet relevant information. You’ll find a lot of tweeting about what people had for breakfast. That’s not going to attract followers. Inspirational messages are good; SPAM is bad.
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Step 14
If you see a Tweet that looks like this: @someone @someone_else , that means there’s a conversation going on that YOU ARE NOT IN ON. If you don’t have something relevant – or very funny – to say, think twice about jumping in.
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Step 15
DO “Retweet” (also known as “RTs”) when something turns you on. It helps you make friends. People LOVE to be RTed.
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Step 16
Use common sense. No vulgarity, stay away from insulting people, and use good manners, and you should be able to build a following by being your basic, good self.
Comments
poshadornment said
on 5/24/2009 I have a Twitter account but no matter how much I try i still don't get it.
joni04 said
on 5/24/2009 Yep, I was another one that was in the dark about tweeting, thanks for the info!
budgetmom said
on 5/24/2009 5 star article! I have been with Twitter for a while but knew that I was missing parts of the puzzle. Thank you for filling in those missing pieces.
lawyerlarry said
on 5/24/2009 Excellent -- the advice I needed -- I just had signed up to follow my son's twitter --
tracysmith159 said
on 5/24/2009 Thanks for the information on Twitter. I joined Twitter, but Have no clue how to use it or what to do with it. I'll give these steps a try.