Yesterday, we explored
how to use Twitter to benefit your business. Today, I'll discuss how to get started on Twitter - from creating an account to choosing people to follow.
1) Create an account
Go to
twitter.com, and click the big green
Sign up now button.
Enter your full name, claim a username, create a password, enter your email address, and solve the reCAPTCHA code... if you can (just kidding!).
Tip: If you plan to tweet for your company, consider making your Twitter handle your company name or your real full name. This makes it easier for people to find you when they search for you on Twitter.
2) Customize your profile
Once you login, you'll see navigation links on the top right hand side. Click on
Settings.
Here, you can manage your actual account information, such as:
- name
- username
- email
- time zone
- more info URL (I recommend your company website or blog)
- one line bio (this is super important! I never follow people without bios... put important information, i.e.: "Internet Marketing Firm servicing the tri-state area" and remember - keep it to 60 characters)
- location (let people know where you're at - believe me, they care)
- language
When you're done, remember to
click Save or your changes will be lost.
Under Settings, you can also
sync your phone to Twitter and receive updates via the mobile web,
manage notifications you receive from Twitter, and grant
access to applications that interest you.
But perhaps most important, you can
upload an avatar (user picture) and customize your Twitter
background and colors.
Avatars
For avatars, I highly recommend uploading a
real picture of you, preferably a headshot. Twitter user pictures, like Twitter tweets themselves, are small - so I'd advise against a full body shot, as you won't be able to see your face. People truly connect faces with tweets on Twitter - uploading a flattering photo of the real you is a great way to
establish a physical presence on the web.
Backgrounds
For backgrounds, you can either select a pretty one from the Twitter inventory, upload a favorite image from your computer or the web, or have a background customized for you. For more information, check out
Custom Twitter Backgrounds from TwiTip.
3) Following people of interest
Once you're all set up, the best way to get started on Twitter is populate your stream with tweets that are interesting to you. There are many ways to do this, but here's the two step method I've found incredibly effective:
- Follow the "top dogs" in your industry. You know, the industry celebrities; the most popular players; the biggest stars; the people with upwards of 600k followers.
- Follow people that are following the "top dogs" in your industry. Why? Because if they're following them, they must share common interests with you.
But how can you find these people? There are dozens of extremely useful Twitter directories out there you can use to find people who share your interests. You can even filter many results by geographic location - so you follow people who like what you like and who live near where you live.
Here are some directories I think are really exceptional:
I also recommend you check out this great post by Mashable, social media blog behemoth, entitled
Twitter For Beginners: 5 Steps for Better Tweeting .
Stay tuned for tomorrow's post, which will tackle how to engage followers and followees in conversation on Twitter.