Using Twitter more Effectively

At the moment it seems you can't escape stories about Twitter.  With all the hype and celebrity endorsements, lots of people are asking “how do I use Twitter?”.   

There are plenty of sites out there that will tell you how to use Twitter, but not so many to warn you of the pitfalls.If you take a minute to learn from this list of useful Twitter tips then you'll be Twittering away with the best of them.

DO self censor.Unless your updates are protected, anyone can see what you are currently Tweeting.Bear in mind the story of the girl who managed to Tweet her way out of a job because a hiring manager read her thoughts on the position she interviewed for.

DON'T confuse Twitter for a chat client.No one wants to see their screen full of irrelevant Tweets from a conversation they're forced to eavesdrop on.

DO remember to retweet.This can be a good way to build up a following of like minded Twitterers.

DON'T endlessly try to sell things.Okay, we get it - you have your own blog.Twitter isn't a one way street - talk back!

DO follow back, but….

DON'T be offended if not everyone follows you back.Users with thousands of followers are unlikely to see your Tweet through the hundreds of other tweets anyway.

DO be funny, informative and creative.

DON’T automatically DM.  This is the Twitter equivalent of spam and a faceless “hi – thanks for the follow” is impersonal and off-putting.

DO use it to get help.When you have built up a reasonable following you’ll find it easy to find answers to your questions quickly.

DON’T twit if your message is likely to exceed 140 characters.Spreading messages over the course of several tweets is just going to confuse and irritate your followers.

These handy hints should see you on your way to getting started.  If you are likely to spend a significant proportion of your online time on Twitter then there are plenty of guides on the net telling you how to use Twitter effectively.

I was out visiting Pat Fenner’s blog this morning and saw that she had a video of Perry Belcher explaining the purpose of social networking sites.

It happens that Perry’s name came up briefly as Alex Jeffreys was talking about how to use Twitter for developing relationships with people. The webinar was fascinating because we could watch how people were connecting live. Alex was telling us about some of the friends he has made as a result of being part of the Twitter community.

What I really appreciated hearing from Perry’s video is that he does not use it to make money, he uses it to meet and talk with people. He likens it to going to a party.

I’ve added it because Perry does an excellent job explaining how to use social media. Let me know your thoughts.

If you watch the video, be aware that he uses some “course language” as Pat described it.