Basics of Twitter

1. How to Get Started on Twitter

2. Twitter
 Twitter is an information network (sometimes called a micro-blogging site)
made up of 140-character messages called Tweets.
– It's an easy way to discover the latest news related to subjects you care about.
– It’s a great way to interact with clients and potential clients.
 A Tweet is any message posted to Twitter, and all are 140 characters or less.

3. Create Your Account
1. Go to http://twitter.com and find the sign up box, or go
directly to https://twitter.com/signup.
2. Enter your full name, email address, and a password.
3. Click Sign up for Twitter.
4. On the next page, you can select a username (usernames are unique identifiers on Twitter) — type your
own or choose one Twitter suggests. Do not use IBM in your username.
5. Double-check your name, email address, password, and username.
6. Click Create my account. You may be asked to complete a Captcha to let Twitter know that you're
human.
7. Twitter will send a confirmation email to the
address you entered on sign up; click the link
in that email to confirm your email address &
account.
8. Create your 140 character bio and add a photo.
Be sure to add these or similar words:
My tweets are my own or Opinions are my own.

4. Twitter Glossary
 Bio is a short personal description of 160 characters or fewer to define who you are on Twitter. Avatar is a profile picture.
 Follow terms:
– To follow someone on Twitter is to subscribe to their Tweets. You can unfollow at any time.
– A follower is another Twitter user who has followed you.
– Your follow count is the numbers that reflect how many people you follow, and how many people follow you.
– #FF stands for "Follow Friday." Users often suggest who others should follow on Fridays by tweeting with #FF.
 The @ sign is used to call out usernames in Tweets, like this: Hello @Twitter! When a username is preceded by the @ sign, it
becomes a link to a Twitter profile.
– You can mention another user in your Tweet by including the @ sign followed directly by their username. Also refers to Tweets in
which your username was included.
 Retweet (RT) is a Tweet by another user, forwarded to you by someone you follow. Often used to spread news or share valuable
findings on Twitter.
– Placed before the retweeted text when users manually retweet a message
– Verbs: To retweet, retweeting, retweeted. The act of forwarding another user's Tweet to all of your followers.
– Modified Tweet (MT) is similar to RT and placed before the retweeted text when users manually retweet a message with
modifications, for example shortening a Tweet.
– Heard through / Hat Tip (HT) and via @xxxx all enable you to give credit without quoting exactly, as in a RT or MT.
 Direct message (DM): Private tweets between the sender and recipient. The recipient must follow you for you to DM.
 The # symbol is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet and is invaluable for search. It was created organically by Twitter users.
Also called a hashtag.
 To favorite a Tweet means to mark it as one of your favorites by clicking the yellow star next to the message.
 Reply is a Tweet posted in reply to another user's message, usually posted by clicking the "reply" button next to their Tweet in your
timeline. Always begins with @username.
 Twitterchats happen when a group of people all tweet about the same topic using a a pre-defined hashtag. The chats are at a specific
time. Read more: http://janetfouts.com/how-to-participate-in-a-tweet-chat/#ixzz2jhd8oRsU

5. Hashtags # "#Hashtag" with Jimmy Fallon & Justin Timberlake
http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/video/hashtag-with-jimmy-fallon-and-justin-timberla
 A hashtag turns any word or group of words
that directly follow it into a searchable link.
– You can organize content and track
discussion topics based on those
keywords.
– Click on a hashtag to see all the posts
that mention the subject in real time.
 The hashtag’s widespread use began with
Twitter but has extended to other social
media platforms. Read this
@Mashable article for more information.
 Even if your hashtag contains multiple words,
group them together and use uppercase
characters to differentiate between words, for
example, #BlueJasmine = #bluejasmine
 Numbers are supported, but not punctuation
or special characters.
 There is no preset list of hashtags.
 When you search for a hashtag on Twitter,
there are two ways to filter the results: Top
and All.

6. Your First Tweet
1. Pick a tweet to retweet.
2. Click on the Retweet double arrows
below the tweet, and this box will be
displayed.
3. Click on the blue Retweet button.
4. Congratulations! You’ve tweeted your
first tweet.

7. Twitter Etiquette
 Be yourself.
 Be concise and creative. Do not use text speak so everyone will understand what you are saying.
 Share generously. If you like a tweet and think it will benefit your followers, share by retweeting it and
give credit.
 Give credit for articles, blogs, or anything shared. Follow the rules from school: do not plagiarize!
 Think before you tweet. Apply the 10-second rule by counting
to 10 before you react to a tweet or share
something you might regret later.
 Pay-it-forward. Contribute and share without expecting
anything in return. It is not about what you are selling
but how you add value and can help.
 Be thankful. Thank others for retweeting you or following you.
 Follow and learn from mentors. What are they tweeting about?
Sharing?
 Be consistent. Consider Twitter as an extension of your
personal brand. Followers follow you to see more information
similar to why they followed you in the first place. When your
tweets are scattered in topics, you are less likely to keep
followers.
https://w3-connections.ibm.com/activities/service/html/mainpage#activitypage,6b8616cc-8d30-4006-a118-8ac3d10134a7

8. Let Your Inner Socialite Out!

9. Scheduling Tweets with HootSuite
 Hootsuite is one of many tools referred to as a “Social Media Management System” or tool.
It can help you:
– Arrange your feeds
– Focus on what matters with filters (competitors, keywords)
– Real-time and scheduled tweets / posts
– Stay up to date with notification alerts for new tweets / posts
– Keep track of conversations
– Evaluate what interests followers and/or potential clients
 It is free, and you can download it on your computer and / or laptop or mobile phone.

10. Deeper Dive on Twitter
 More Information on Creating Your Twitter Account
 For More Information on Using Twitter

11. More Information on Creating Your Twitter Account
 Tips for picking a username:
– Your username is the name your followers use when sending @replies, mentions, and direct messages.
– It will also form the URL of your Twitter profile page. Twitter will provide a few available suggestions when you sign up,
but feel free to choose your own.
– Please note: You can change your username in your account settings at any time, as long as the new username is not
already in use.
– Usernames must be fewer than 15 characters in length and cannot contain "admin" or "Twitter", in order to avoid
brand confusion.
 Important information about your email address:
– An email address can only be associated with one Twitter account at a time.
– The email address you use on your Twitter account is not publicly visible to others on Twitter.
– Twitter uses the email you enter to confirm your new Twitter account. Be sure to enter an email address that you
actively use and have access to. Check your inbox for a confirmation email to make sure you signed up for your
account correctly.
 First steps after you've created your account:
– Create your bio and add a photo. Be sure to add these or similar words: Tweets are my own or Opinions are my own.
– After signing up, follow a handful of accounts to create a customized stream of information on your homepage. Find
out how to follow news sources, friends, and more on How to Find People on Twitter article.
– Read the Twitter 101 article.
– Take the Twitter Tour to find out where things are on the Twitter website. Or, learn about using Twitter on your mobile
phone.

12. For More Information on Using Twitter
 Ten Quick Tips to Master Twitter
 To Tweet or Not to Tweet? That is the Question.....
 Twitter for the Casual User — How to Make It Work for You