Twitter 101

101

1. Don’t know when you’ll need it

2. Stay on top of things

3. Meet people

4. Get answers

5. Create your digital footprint

WHY BE ON TWITTER? (My top 5)

• Simple system that allows for 140 character posts (text + links)

• Started in 2006 (Wikipedia)

• Followers; Following

• Public posts; direct messages (only for those following you)

• Been described as status updates on Facebook

• The Colbert Report (4/3/09) Co-founder Biz Stone calls Twitter the

messaging service we didn't know we needed until we had it. (7:09)

WHAT IS TWITTER?

• Go to www.twitter.com

• Click Get Started – Join!

• Insert info & include full name

• User name can be whatever you choose

• Create your profile

GETTING STARTED

• Go to Settings in top right corner

• Account: Bio (Be as descriptive as possible – be personal even if

using for business), URL (blog, Flickr acct, YouTube, website),

location

• Don’t protect tweets (public forum, defeats the purpose)

• Devices: Get direct messages (DM) sent to text

• Notices: Emails sent for DM and new followers

• Picture: Upload a profile pic (Max size of 700k. JPG, GIF, PNG)

• Design: Template or other image

GETTING STARTED cont.

• @: To send a public response to a user ex. @dibegin

• RT: Retweet or reposting information ex. RT @NAIT Convocation is

this weekend…

• Twoosh: Using up exactly 140 characters

• Hashtag: Keyword with # preceding it ex. #yeg #followfriday

• Use of TW

• Origin of the tweet

• Trending

LINGO AND ORIENTATION

ONLINE

• Twellow.com

• WeFollow.com

• TwitterLocal.net

• Search.Twitter.com (including keywords/hashtags)

• Find People (top right)

• Follow people following others you’re interested in

• Use hashtags

OFFLINE

• Tweetups + social media meetups

GET TO KNOW PEOPLE

• Don’t follow everyone

• Ratio of followers to following

• Location

• Business vs. personal profile

• Profile picture

• # of tweets

• @ replies to users

• Content within tweets

• Legitimacy of account (especially with high profile people)

SHOULD YOU FOLLOW BACK WHEN OTHERS FOLLOW YOU

• Tweetburner.com (URL shortener)

• Twitpic.com (pictures)

• Twiddeo.com, 12Seconds.tv (video)

• Twhirl.org (desktop application)

• 140 Twitter tools (Mashable, 5/24/08)

• EverythingTwitter.com

• RSS feed/widget into Facebook, FriendFeed, blog

• 50 (of the) Best Twitter Guides, Stats, Tips and Tools of 2010 (So

Far)

• Mastermaq Twittersphere stats

TOOLS

Follow one another