How to Create a Twitter Account to Promote a Website

Asking questions can help you better get to know your followers.

By using Twitter to promote your website, you can get involved in the larger community related to your topic -- whether it be the indie arts, automotives, or a blog about parenting. When you use Twitter to spread the word about your website, it's just as important to engage the larger community rather than just to use Twitter as an RSS feed for your blog.

Instructions

1. Sign up for a Twitter account to associate with your website. Make sure you choose a username that can quickly be associated with your website. If your website is called "Cats in Boots," for example, a username that reflects this could be "catsinboots" or some variant. You can sign up for a new account from the main Twitter page.

2. Personalize your profile so that other users know who you are and what your Twitter feed will be about. Make sure you include a link to your website on your profile, so that other users will be able to visit your website quickly and easily.

3. Familiarize yourself with Twitter, if you are not already involved with the ins and outs of how Twitter works. Twitter has a section of its website called "Twitter for Businesses," which discusses Twitter basics, how to maximize the effectiveness of your Tweets, and how to user Twitter for advertising.

4. Find other users who may be interested in networking with you. Start following the accounts of other bloggers or website owners with similar tastes and websites and get involved in conversations that show up on your feed.

5. Initiate discussion and conversation among those you follow and those who follow you. Using Twitter as a constant barrage of self-promotion is a quick way to get ignored. By engaging your follows as people rather than customers, you encourage people to get involved and get to know you.

6. Share interesting and relevant information that relates to your website. If you read a good article, tweet about it. If someone you follow has an interesting tweet, retweet it. Being involved in the community related to your website helps in getting your name out there.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have websites that you follow regularly, check their information to see if they have a Twitter feed you can follow.

• Consider adding a Twitter widget to your website, or at the very least a link to your Twitter account. This makes it easy for visitors to find and follow your feed.

• Spread the word on interesting deals, sales or giveaways on your website, if this is relevant to your model.

References

• Twitter for Business: Best Practices
• ProBlogger: How I Use Twitter to Promote My Blog; Darren Rowse; March 2008

Resources

• Twitter: Follow Your Interests
• Twitter: For Business