How to Get Started with a Twitter Account

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Computer
Internet Access
Twitter Account

Step 1

choose a Twitter username that is memorable

First you will need to set up your account at http://twitter.com. You will enter your full name, password and email address. You will also need to choose a username.

Choose a username that is memorable. Either use your real name, your blog name or your business name. If you are going to use Twitter to promote your eHow articles, you might want to make it the same as your eHow user name so that you will keep the name recognition when you post about your eHow articles.
Step 2

After you set up your account, you will be taken to a page that will ask you if you'd like to see if your friends are on Twitter. (You can skip this step by clicking on the "skip this step" link at the bottom of that box.) This is an easy way to add followers right away if you choose to do this. It will search your email account (very safe) for those who you already know via email who also use Twitter.
Step 3

You will then be taken to the page that will ask you if you would like to find more people to follow. You can browse through now, but it is a good idea to come back to this later so you can set up your profile first.
Step 4

Next you will want to set up your profile page. Look up at the top right of the Twitter page and you will see the navigation bar. Click on the settings tab.
Step 5

Enter your name in (use your first name if you do not want to give your entire name). This will not be your user name, but people who want to talk to you on a more personal level will appreciate knowing you real name.

Next you will enter your email (you can set updates so that you know when you get a direct message or a new follower) and your time zone. This information is not visible to others.
Step 6

Next you will add your location. You can be specific with your city or state or you can choose to put a broader area of the country (such as "Northeast" or "West Coast"). People often like to sort through for followers in their area for upcoming Twitter events or just to connect locally.
Step 7

Adding a 140 character bio is important! Do not skip this step. Get creative and put in some personal (have fun!) info about who you are to give people a reason to follow you. Read through some of the Twitter bios to get an idea. (mine Twitter name is @thedailyblonde...but you don't have to be as silly as I am.)
Step 8

You can choose to have your updates "protected" so that only those you choose to follow back can see your Tweets, but this is a bit self-defeating if you want to spread the word about your eHow articles!

Keep in mind that you can block any follower that you wish, so this may be a better option than keeping your updates private.
Step 9

The next step is very important! Go to the tab that says "Picture" in the settings section.

Upload a picture so that you are easily recognized on Twitter. It is important to have a picture or avatar. Do NOT use the default image because many spammers use this and many people (including me!) will not follow you because of this. A personal picture is the best so people can see that you are "real" but your blog logo or business logo also works well.

The maximum size of the photo must be 700px and must be in GIF, JPEG or PNG format. If your picture is larger than 700px, resize it first or it will be rejected.
Step 10

Still under the settings section, go to the notices page. It is important to check the box that says "Email when I receive a new direct message". This way you will not miss a Direct Message ("DM") from a follower.

You can also choose to be alerted by email when someone follows you, but it gets a bit overwhelming when you start to get a good amount of followers.
Step 11

The final step in setting up your Twitter account is to pick a page design. There are pre-formatted designs available. Go to the "Design" tab under settings. Choose a design that you like. This can be changed at any time.

If you have a logo or particular picture you would like to show in the background, you can add this as well under the "change background image" link.
Step 12

As a final step in setting up your profile, press 'save'. If you don't press save and leave the page, your profile will not be updated!
Step 13

Save your settings and get Tweeting!

Now, you are ready to Tweet! Get out there and start making some new connections. It is VERY important to remember that Twitter is a networking site and that means you should reply to followers and make conversation. If you only post links, then you will not succeed on Twitter.

In the resources section there is a link to an article written titled: "How To Be Great Tweeter on Twitter" which has some hints on how to best use Twitter.

Happy Tweeting!
Step 14

As a final step in setting up your profile, press 'save'. If you don't press save and leave the page, your profile will not be updated!