Twittorial For Businesss October 2009

TWITTORIAL Twitter-Fever!! updated October 2009 by MICHELLE VILLALOBOS Twitter Icons from: (@MIVI) http://twitterrhea.wordpress.com/2009/02/16/icons/ A Beginner’s Guide To Using Twitter For Business What IS Twitter? The next 5 pages are full of the things that 5.Be authentic. Even if you’re tweeting for Twitter is a cross between Facebook I would have liked to know when I started business, be a human being. Don’t status updates, blogging & IM. using Twitter. I hope it helps!! promote yourself or your business in every tweet. Provide value in your field Posts or “tweets” must be 140 First up: 10 tips to get you started of expertise. characters or fewer. (assuming you’re already signed up). 6.No quid pro quo. Just because someone When you follow someone, their follows you doesn’t mean you have to posts appear on your Twitter home Top 10 Twitter Tips follow them. How many conversations page. When someone follows you, can you realistically follow at once? your posts appear on their page. 7.No shortcuts. Corollary to #6: Following 1.Follow the leaders. They’re clearly random people so they’ll follow you Most people who sign up for Twitter doing it right: a few to look at: doesn’t work in the long run (people quit after a few posts. @mashable, @cracked, @ijustine, who follow thousands of people are @dooce. Lots of people would like to use probably not really reading those 2.Learn the lingo. You only have 140 Twitter, but aren’t quite sure how to tweets). do it right... characters, so twitter shorthand is 8.Follow people. Notwithstanding #6 & essential. See page 3 for some basics. #7, When you follow people you’re We’re hoping to remedy that here. 3.Deliver value. Educate, entertain or truly interested in, you expose yourself Our philosophy: listen, engage, inform. Answering the question, “what deliver value, be consistent, be to a whole new group of potential are you doing right now” (the original patient. followers. Twitter catch-phrase) is usually NOT all 9.Jump in! Go ahead and jump into This tutorial ISN’T about scammy, that compelling. conversations if and when it makes spammy techniques designed to get 4.Start tweeting! The more you tweet sense. If you contribute value, others you 100,000 random followers in 3 (good stuff, of course) the more will appreciate it and may follow you. weeks... we believe in quality, followers you’ll get. Trust me, it 10.Feed it. To keep your relationships qualified, engaged communities happens. Focus on posts that people alive, you’ve got to be consistent. held together by common interest. will SHARE... That’s a great way to Tweeting 5, 10 or 15 times a day is just build your following. Deliver value, the followers follow. fine... as long as people want to read what you’re posting.

First Phase 1- Phase 2 - Phase 3 - Things Setup Manage Grow First 1. Choose a Name 4. Get An App 7. Tweet More Even if you’re posting as a Now’s the time to download Now that you’re monitoring TWITTER 101 company, it is good to “own an application that will make topics of interest, you’re your name” wherever you managing Twitter easier. I following some people, and can. Another idea is to use a suggest starting with you’ve tweeted a few times, moniker that describes what TweetDeck, Twhirl or my chances are you’ve got a few you do. I made a mistake on favorite, Seesmic. Go to followers. Tweet more often, Are you really really just this one... I’m posting as www.tweetdeck.com, this will create some getting started? Step 1: Go to @mivi, which is a nickname www.twhirl.org, or momentum. www.twitter.com and sign up! and means nothing to anyone. www.seesmic.com to Then keep reading... download. 2. Pimp Your Page 5. Send Tweets! 8. What to Tweet? Visit some people’s Twitter Though few will likely see Tweet things of VALUE to your pages and you’ll see some them, having some tweets audience. Rule of thumb: interesting designs. You can early on will give people entertain, educate or inform. get creative too... or at the something to look at when you Links are great! Use your very least, upload your photo. follow them and they want to app’s URL shortener to make Just click “Settings” in the see who you are. Make sure long web addresses shorter, or upper right and play around. your tweets are consistent with visit www.bit.ly. your “brand.” 3. Follow People 6. Set Up Alerts 9. Grow Your List In the upper right corner of One great way to stay on top One great way to get followed your personal Twitter home of specific topics or trends is to is to jump into conversations page, click “Find People.” set up alerts. For example, I that you can add value to. Look for me (@mivi) and other get an email alert whenever How? Click on the “reply” people you know who are my name or company name is button and type your message tweeting... or pick some celebs mentioned in a tweet. Visit after the @username. Send! in your industry so you can www.tweetbeep.com to set Don’t go crazy, though, if all jump into good conversations. this up. It’s very simple. you ever do is reply, it will annoy your followers who won’t know what you’re talking about most of the time. What to Post On Twitter ranged from “10 times a day” to “200 How Much Is Too Much? • Links to great content times a day.” • Retweet (RT) other people’s If you’re sending valuable information, There really is no consensus on this one. posts (give credit!) there’s (almost) no such thing as too Ultimately, how much you tweet really • Tweets that ask questions often. But it depends on your goals. depends on what you’re sending, and • Entertaining thoughts & Look at @mashable, he sends hundreds, how much people want to read it. musings if not thousands, of tweets a week. That • Links to your blog posts Remember the mantra: “If they don’t said, he’s probably not writing all of • Mentions of other great LOVE it, It’s just SPAM” (@LisaDSparks). them himself (he’s way too cute to spend Twitterers (use the @-sign) all that time in front of a computer... I • Industry-specific knowledge think.) • Breaking news in your field I’ve asked people and dug around for a • Unique observations better answer to this questions. But • Twit-pics of interesting things opinions on “acceptable” tweeting levels • Important, useful info

Some DAVE MATTHEWS @DaveJMatthews LISA D. SPARKS @LisaDSparks RAINN WILSON @rainnwilson TIM FERRISS @timferriss Musician Email Marketing Expert & Actor (The Office) Author of The Four- of 3 following Small Business Guru 139 following Hour Workweek 827,385 followers 128 following 1,548,646 followers 197 following my Weirdest tweet: “I know chimps should not be 337 followers Most interesting tweet: Most polemic (yet funny) tweet: “Men are from 60,999 followers Fave tweet: “Some pets. I know I like cows Frequently Asked Mars, Women are from products/companies faves and steak. I know that I Question: When do I Planet Koo Koo Bird.” launched during will die. I know I love my send my email? recessions: Monopoly, to family. I know You are reading this” Frequently Given Answer: Tues. Wed. between 10 Apple, Facebook, Clif Bar, Scrabble, KFC, Domino's and 3. Best answer: ==> Pizza, FedEx, Microsoft...” follow... see next tweet. On Twitter, following strangers is cool, not creepy Twitter Shorthand - Use “4” instead of “for” Basic Twitter Commands Twitter Lingo - Replace two, to or too with “2” (adapted from help.twitter.com) Tweets — When you post to your Twitter - Cut vowels & spaces wherever account, what you wrote is a you can, i.e., cu2mrrw (see you @username + message: Directs a tweet “Tweet” (not a Twitter.” So you say, “I tomorrow) at that user, also your tweet is saved in just tweeted that.” - Use & instead of “and” their replies tab. Example: @aplusk: Thanks for the info! DM — Means “direct message.” To - B/c = because interact with someone privately, you can D username + message: Sends user a - BTW = by the way DM them by simply placing a “d” at the private message that goes to their beginning of the message, plus their - IMHO = In my humble opinion device, and saves in their web archive. username (no @-sign). People use DM Example: d mivi will you grab me a - W or w/ = with as a verb, i.e., “DM me for more info.” coffee while you’re there? This only - Tweetup = in-person meet up of works if they’re following you. RT — Means “ReTweet.” When you RT, Twitter members make sure you give credit (it’s proper WHOIS + username: Retrieves profile “twittiquette.”) How? First, copy the - Ttyl = talk to you later information for any public user on tweet. Then in a new message or - Peeps = people Twitter. Example: whois mivi. “tweetbox” type “RT” then type the original poster’s @name, then paste the - Tweeps = Twitter people GET + username: Retrieves the latest tweet. Voila!! Twitter update posted by the person. Example: get mivi. @ – The @-sign goes in front of every NUDGE + username: Reminds someone to user’s name, whether you’re writing to them or writing about them. Why & How I Use Twitter update. Example: nudge mivi. I use Twitter to drive traffic to my blog STATS: Returns your number of followers, and my website. Ultimately my goal is how many people you're following, and just to add to my audience since that’s which words you're tracking. how word spreads of my workshops and seminars. Then I use the content I INVITE + phone number: Sends an text develop in those workshops and give it message (SMS) to someone’s mobile back to my audience through special phone. Example: Invite 3055551212. reports (like this one), newsletters and “how-to’s.” I post to Twitter to let people know when they can come and download something new. It’s a virtuous circle!

My Seesmic Desktop Application Essential Twitter Tools 1. TweetDeck (or Twhirl) These are free programs that you download and install on your computer to monitor Twitter more easily and effectively than you could from the web. I use TweetDeck. It allows me to search Twitter for specific keywords and get updates in real time. It’s also a great way to monitor specific topics or even your own name or brand. However, if you don’t want to be constantly interrupted turn off the alerts! www.tweetdeck.com. Another option is Twhirl: www.twhirl.org. 2. Twitter Mobile App Above is a screenshot of my desktop application: Seesmic. This is what I use to tweet TwitterFon is a great mobile app and monitor my 3 twitter accounts (@mivi, @solopreneurspeaker and for the iPhone. Simple, clean @frizzytofabulous). As you can see, I keep several columns of searches going interface & free. No iPhone? No simultaneously to keep track of things that interest me – from “Miami workshops” and problem. If you use a BlackBerry, “Miami networking” to “Gossip Girl” and “Frizzy Hair.” try TinyTwitter or TwitterBerry. I also keep track of things like my company name and specific conversations like 3. URL Shorteners “killerkaraoke” or “dblstandard.” This would be a lot harder to do if I were just using the web Twitter interface. With only 140 characters, you want to be as economical as you can with your characters. To get rid of long URLs that just eat up An example. Let’s say someone @replies to space, use tinyurl.com or bit.ly. @-Replies CONFUSION? you by starting a message with How? Visit www.tinyurl.com or www.bit.ly.com and paste in the @yourusername. If you follow that person, that long URL, the rest is self- Probably one of the most confusing things on message will show up in your main messages explanatory. Then copy and paste Twitter when you get started is the barrage of window AND in your replies window. If you the shortened URL into your messages riddled with @somethings. don’t follow that person, it will only show up in message. If you use TweetDeck, your replies window. Twhirl or Seesmic you don’t need First: an @reply is a public message sent from this, it’s integrated. one person to another. It’s different from Now, if what’s annoying you is that you have regular updates because it has the @username to see a million replies between other people, at the beginning of the tweet. who you don’t follow, and it’s confusing (like 4. TweetBeep reading the answer to a question you never If a message begins with @yourusername, knew about), then you may need to make a TweetBeep lets you track specific Twitter collects it as a reply and posts it in your quick change in your settings. words and topics on Twitter. It replies tab in the Twitter sidebar, or in the notifies you by email whenever a replies column on TweetDeck. What you’ll do in your web-based Twitter specific word or phrase pops up in page (www.twitter.com/yourusername) is a Tweet. For example, I’m notified You can reply publicly to any update on simply click settings, click “notices” and make whenever my name or company Twitter by using @username at the start of the sure you’re not set to “all @ replies.” name is mentioned. You can set up post. You don’t have to be following someone alerts that let you know hourly or to reply to them, and they don’t have to be I’ve got mine set to “@ replies to the people daily about specific topics, in following you to see the reply. I’m following” (which sometimes gets a little specific geographic areas... even annoying too). the attitude they’re sent in (positive, You can see all of your replies in the “replies” negative, or asking a question). tab of your Twitter home page. I didn’t know If you change the setting to “no @ replies,” about this tab for a couple of weeks, and you’ll stop seeing them altogether. That said, Visit www.tweetbeep.com and sign up. when I went in there, I found a host of some people don’t do this because they feel It’s pretty self-explanatory. unanswered messages to me! like they’re missing out. Test for yourself.

Why Use Twitter? Besides “everyone’s doing it” – what are some good reasons to use Twitter? Connect & Network Share knowledge, follow trends & connect with people in your industry. Follow people of note, then jump into conversations when you have something of value to add. Visit www.twellow.com for a directory of people on Twitter, by industry. Be Informad An example of a “hashtag.” #killerkaraoke will now be a tracked conversation Stay apprised of what’s going on in your industry. You can use twitter search (www.search.twitter.com) to follow specific topics, or use www.tweetbeep.com to set up alerts From now on, whenever anyone wants Advanced Twitter: Hashtags for when a specific word of phrase is posted anywhere. to get in on the conversation, they Getting annoyed trying to read tweets should include the hashtag Get Ideas riddled with “#” signs? Those are #killerkaraoke, so that their response will By following the “gurus” in your hashtags. Whenever you see a # be tracked as part of the thread. industry, you’ll probably get great followed by a word, that means there is links to new, cutting edge ideas. a thread that’s being tracked on Twitter (Please feel free to tweet in on this one... It hasn’t really caught on, but I know it Extend Your Reach about that topic. If you truly deliver value, chances are has potential! Not to mention I’m in a people will link to you and RT you. The For example, I recently introduced a Total Eclipse of the Heart/Love Is A scope of your reach will be broader. subject about the best karaoke songs. I Battlefield karaoke rut and could use some new songs – but please no I Will Promote Yourself To A Narrow Target tweeted a request for suggestions, and Once you’ve got a following of people called the conversation #killerkaraoke. Survive, thank you.) who trust you, you can (with restraint) promote products or services to them. But bait-and-switch is no good... you must continue to deliver value, or Want More? How To Use Hashtags people will unfollow you. In order to create a hashtag like I did, I give away lots more great, free first find the user @hashtag and follow info and resources. Sign up at: him (or her, or “it,” I guess). www.MichelleVillalobos.com. @hashtag will automatically follow you Generate Leads on Twitter Looking for a fun, educational workshop, seminar or speaker? Let back, and then every time it sees a “#” Imagine if you could know, in real time, me know! Topics include: in front of any word that you write, it will when someone out there in your area networking (online & off) sales, either start tracking that conversation if needed your services. Well of course marketing & social media. you can! Using Advanced Twitter it’s new, or add that tweet to the existing Search, you can search for specific tagged conversation. Email: mivi@mivistaconsulting.com phrases, and limit the search to your Twitter: http://twitter.com/mivi geographic area. Hashtags have been how many people have spread the word about disasters Any tweets that reference that subject and dangers. Promoting events and will pop up. You can read them, and launches is another great use for @reply with advice for someone who hashtags. You can find other uses and you have good information for. Michelle Villalobos hashtag trends at Mivista, Inc. www.twitter.pbwiki.com/Hashtags Just be careful to provide value. Coral Gables, FL 33134 Otherwise, you’re just spamming people!

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Twittorial For Businesss October 2009

by Michelle Villalobos on Oct 08, 2009

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Twittorial For Businesss October 2009 — Document Transcript