Top 10 Tips For Beginners On Twitter
VA
By Vikki Ashton
- So you're new to Twitter and want to attract new followers? Try tweeting with hashtags to attract like minded people who might be searching for your hash tag terms. Example: 'I'm new to twitter, massive #TakeThat fan, come and say hello' - But be careful, using too many hashtags per tweet can be annoying to read, so think of the recipient. But what are hashtags I hear you scream! A hashtag is simply a name applied to a planned or existing conversation or subject. Some hashtags would be permanent, like the name of a band #Soundgarden, whereas others would be more specific, like #SoundgardenUKTour. The most popular hashtags are called trends and are displayed on your homepage. These trends indicate subjects being discussed in mass and often correlate with daily news / events or what's currently airing on television - so you can join in with discussions including the hashtag in the body of your tweet.
- If you are setting out afresh with a brand new Twitter account, you can follow businesses, people of interest (like sportsmen or politicians) and members of the general public who share your interests. Twitter is basically strangers talking to each other, which makes it markedly different from Facebook. Use the 'Search' box to find people to follow either by name or by a keyword. For example, if you type 'Portsmouth' in to the search box and change the results box to 'People' you will find all the accounts relating to Portsmouth. You'll find that by following people, some of them will naturally follow you back. Once you've gained followers, don't tweet constantly about the same subject or, if you're a business ask for something too often (especially if you aren't offering something for free.) This can appear one dimensional or obsessive and may persuade people to stop following you. For businesses, twitter offers a great way of reaching potential customers, so be dynamic and interesting with your tweets - nobody wants to read boring sales messages with links all the time!
- Don't tweet too often in too short a space of time. This has the effect of spamming your followers and could lead to people un-following you.
- Don't tweet too little either, if you aren't very active you'll be first in the line to be chopped when people have a Twitter clear out and un-follow batches of people, which you can do using apps like Manage Flitter.
- Monitor your followers / be careful what you tweet about. Complaining about your job on your personal account when you are being followed by the company who employ you or any high ranking officials from that company - not a good idea!
- Twitter offers the chance for you to be whoever you want to be online. You don't have to be yourself. So, set your stall out. If you want to be a controversial / risque tweeter, stick to your guns and you'll attract people who subscribe to your thoughts (being careful not to overstep the mark!). Jimmy Carr is a great example of someone who has set his stall out on Twitter. Not for everyone, but check his tweets out.
- Always read the profile and previous tweets of any user who @mentions you in a tweet (you'll receive a notification when this happens, these can be changed via your settings) before clicking on a link that they might post. There are lots of spammers about and lots of fake / parody accounts, some of them extremely funny ones - and others less so.
- If you are on Twitter and are following your partner / spouse, be careful! Don't tweet something that you might later regret, and also don't constantly tweet to each other and live out your relationship online, as this can be irritating for your followers.
- If you tweet with links, trim your links down so they appear shorter, this makes them seem more trustworthy and therefore more likely to be clicked on - and they also help with your 140 character count. You can use sites like bitly.com for this.
- Images, jokes and pithy humour work well on Twitter, try and post some interesting quips or some amusing jokes - this is a sure fire way to get re-tweeted and accumulate new followers.These tips were brought to you by Just Resorts - a UK based tour operation offering luxury holidays, villa and apartment rentals throughout Europe.
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