Twitter tips

First of all - I'm not a social media expert, or a social media consultant. However, as with my previous Facebook related posts (helping people who are working from home and networking online) the following are things that have worked for me - so hopefully they will help you!

• Set up Twitter lists - you can set up different lists, these lists can either be private or public, and you can add anyone to that list (regardless of whether you follow them or not). You can then view the timeline/tweets for that list (if your list is public, list members will get a notification when they are added, and others will be able to view that list timeline and members). This is a great way to sort your Twitter contacts into different categories, and to view different tweets. For example - I have a Twitter list for people I interact with regularly, people in my local area, people who are members of my Facebook group, news related Twitter accounts and even a list for people I'm connected with due to my favourite TV shows!
• Use Tweetdeck - this is free, and owned by Twitter - just go to tweetdeck.twitter.com - you can easily customise Tweetdeck and set up different columns - for example you could have columns for your different lists, keywords (e.g. to see people who are using a particular hashtag or words related to your business). Each column can be customised further - e.g. you can hide retweets from a particular column. Its also handy for scheduling tweets, and if you have multiple Twitter accounts as you can manage and access them from one place.
• Even when using Twitter lists, still check your main Twitter feed.
• Don't just tweet stuff and then run away, interact and talk to people! Whether its discussions on movies you love or business related topics, read what everyone else is saying, reply, retweet, etc.
• Retweet other businesses - especially from people you know and/or interact with on a regular basis.
• Don't just automate it so Facebook posts are shared.
• Avoid just selling stuff. Tweet news about your business or industry, share relevant or itneresting tweets and interact with people.
• Set up a profile picture and a header image. I use Snappa to create a header image, as this has guidelines for where profile pictures will be located. Profile picture could either be a good photo of yourself, or your company logo.
• On a similar note, fill in the bio information, website address, etc. With your bio, try to explain how you can help people, and who you are!
• If its a business account (i.e. with the company name) say who you are! Its always a nice touch to say who is tweeting, e.g. "tweets by Simon".
• Join in Twitter hours. There are some great national ones, and also see if there is one for your local area. Its a great way to connect, get to know and promote your business.
• Take part in Small Business Sunday and tweet about your business - even if you don't win its a great way of connecting and talking to other businesses - I'd also recommend retweeting entries from others, especially if you already follow each other - more information and the rules at: https://www.theopaphitissbs.com
• Use hashtags. Look for well-known business related hashtags, and also see if there are widely used hashtags for your local area.
• If you can, include your e-mail address and/or phone number in your bio. Not everyone likes using direct messages (DMs) and I've often found these to be unreliable. An e-mail address in your bio is a nice touch, and provides an alternative way for people to get in touch.
• Don't use TrueTwit, don't use the "follow, and then once they follow back unfollow" trick and don't send automated DMs to new followers. Seriously - don't do any of these - I often respond to these with a straightforward unfollow! If you REALLY must message a new connection, read their bio, look at their website and tailor the message for them.
• Depending on your business, consider having a seperate landing page which the website field in your bio links to. This would be a great way to explain your business, who you are and who you target to anyone who looks at your Twitter profile, rather then just taking them to your home page.
• On a similar note, try to avoid any automated tools for automatically retweeting stuff. For a start, I've seen some dodgy stuff being retweeted from reputable companies as a result!
• When someone follows you, its polite to follow back. Imagine it a bit like a handshake. Although check their profile first to make sure they are not a spam account.
• Explore Twitter's settings and options. For example, you can change the background colour scheme, switch between different accounts (if you have more then one Twitter profile), view analytics and much more.

Try all of the above, experiment with the tools mentioned, and be patient.

Are there any Twitter tips you can add to the above list?

And if you are on Twitter, I have a few Twitter profiles and it would be great to connect...

• twitter.com/LibraryPlayer (my main Twitter profile)
• twitter.com/PittLaunch (Twitter profile for my application launcher)
• twitter.com/MembManagerPlus (Twitter profile for one of my Facebook groups)