Twitter Tips: Tweet your way to stronger business relationships with these fabulous Twitter tips

Twitter is a great tool for building business relationships and networking. It's an open place to have conversations with influencer's, journalists and high profile people plus it's a great source of news.

Twitter may have started off as a fun social media site for keeping up with friends and sharing updates about daily life, but it’s become much more than that for many users over the past few years as the site has evolved and grown.

These days, Twitter is a powerhouse for marketing, communication, business, and .... even education, letting people from around the world work together, share ideas, and gain exposure.

Learn to hear what your customers are saying about you and tweet your way to business success with these Twitter Tips.

THE BASICS

You have to start somewhere and these tips will help ensure that your first foray in Twitter is a great experience.

1. Organize your Twitter. Twitter has made it simple to keep things organized and makes looking through tweets a breeze. How? With the lists feature that lets you organize those you’re following into different groups.
2. Flesh out your bio. You’ll get more mileage out of your Twitter account if you actually create a profile that says something about you, offering potential followers information about your interests, professional or otherwise.
3. Educate yourself on the basics. Learn the basic terminology for Twitter and the major functions it can perform by doing a little reading on helpful social media blogs beforehand. You’ll thank yourself later.
4. Link to your blog. If you’re the type of academic that loves blogging then make sure your posts are getting the exposure they deserve by sharing them through Twitter. Include a link to your blog in your bio, too.
5. Avoid rookie mistakes. It’s OK to make mistakes on Twitter, but there’s no sense in making dumb ones that you could easily have learned to avoid with a little reading and research. Check out a list of common newbie errors to help you.
6. Create separate accounts. If you plan to use Twitter for yourself, or just for fun, you’ll probably need separate accounts to keep everything straight and to ensure that each is focused on just one topic.
7. Learn how to use hashtags. It’s pretty much impossible to have not seen the hashtags that have been plastered on, well, everything in the past few years. But do you really know how to use them? A quick lesson can help you learn the ropes.
8. Choose a recognizable Twitter handle. You want people to be able to find you on Twitter, right? So choose a handle that they’d associate with you, usually something close to your name, your blog, or your profession will work best.
9. Develop a tweeting style. Before you send out your first tweet, decide what kind of tweeter you want to be.
10. Stick to a core topic. Ideally, you want to keep your Twitter account pretty focused on a single topic, your professional work, or even just stupid things you find on the Internet. The more focused it is, the more useful it will be to both you and your followers.
11. Learn from others. One of the best ways to learn how to use Twitter is to spend some time seeing how others have set up and been using their accounts.
12. Learn WHY Twitter is such a valuable tool. So you’ve got a Twitter account set up, so what? Take the time to learn why Twitter can be such a useful tool for fun, business or social, You might be surprised.

ETIQUETTE

The Internet may be a virtual Wild West but there are some unspoken rules of engagement you should know before adding your into the mix.

1. Keep private conversations private. If a conversation starts out private, it should stay that way. Don’t bring DMs into the public forum, at least not without permission; it’s just not polite.
2. If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. The Internet is full of people who are all too happy to say some pretty harsh things, but just because they’re incredibly tactless doesn’t mean you have to be. Never say anything on Twitter you wouldn’t want people to find out about, or wouldn’t say in any other situation. If people are hassling you, ignore them and move on.
3. Always credit your sources. If you find a great gem on Twitter, don’t just copy and paste. Always make it clear that you’re retweeting someone else’s material. Not doing so isn’t just rude, it could also get your Twitter account suspended.
4. Don’t be spammy. A big part of Twitter is self-promotion, but everything you tweet shouldn’t be aimed at getting people to buy into what you’re selling. Forgetting this can make it hard to get and keep followers.
5. Let your followers know when you’re participating in a chat or conference.If you’re going to be tweeting more than usual, let your followers know in advance so they can choose to tune out if they’re not interested in your live tweeting or chatting.
6. Understand that following isn’t obligatory. If someone follows you, you’re not obligated to follow them back. The opposite is true as well, so don’t be offended if someone doesn’t follow you even though you’re following them.
7. Don’t abuse Twitter handles. Don’t tag someone in a tweet just to get their attention and hope to earn a follow. Only tag others with relevant tweets or to start a conversation.
8. Respond in a timely manner. If someone asks you a question or directs a tweet your way, respond as soon as you can, just like with email or any other digital communication, especially if you’re using Twitter in your life.
9. Say thanks. A little bit of gratitude goes a long way on Twitter. If someone helps you out or shares your work, don’t forget to say thanks.
10. Manage your online reputation. As a professional, you’ll need to be careful about using social media. Keep a close watch on your online reputation and take action when needed.
11. Don’t be afraid to make some mistakes. No one is perfect, and if you’re new to Twitter you’re probably going to have a few "gaffes" along the way as you learn the ropes. That’s OK!

CONNECTING

They don’t call it a social network just for fun. Twitter, like other online networks, requires connecting with others to really be effective. Here, you’ll find some tips that will help you branch out.

1. Ask questions. One of the best ways to connect with others on Twitter is by asking open-ended questions in your feed. You’ll start conversations and get people thinking, sharing, and connecting.
2. Keep your tweets shorts and concise. Twitter already forces you to be succinct, but you should keep things under the limit for a reason: when you shorten your tweets, it leaves room for others to chime in and retweet.
3. Start a conversation. Always admired a certain article? Start a conversation with him/her on Twitter by asking questions or discussing your reaction to his/her latest work.
4. Create your own chat. Twitter chats have exploded in popularity in recent months, so get in on the trend while the getting’s good. Start your own chat on an academic topic, or chime in on other bigger existing chats for a chance to network.
5. Choose relevant hashtags. You’ll make it easier for others to find your tweets if you add a few relevant hashtags here and there.
6. Take part in Follow Fridays. Every Friday, Twitter explodes with suggestions on who to follow. Offer up your own and you may just end up in someone else’s suggestions.
7. Work on your timing. Being successful with just about anything, is all about the timing and Twitter is no exception. Time your tweets so that they fall in advance of big events, publications, and other professional aspects you might tweet about.
8. Tweet regularly. Twitter isn’t going to do you much good if you don’t ever use it. Develop a regular tweeting schedule both for yourself and for your followers on Twitter.
9. Promote your Twitter account in other forums. Let other people know what you’re Twitter savvy by promoting your account on Facebook, on your blog, or in other online forums. .
10. Seek out relevant followers who have a large following. If you’re looking to build your audience on Twitter, grab the attention of users who have a big following of their own. You might just win a few of their followers because of the connection.
11. Ask for help. One amazing way that you can use Twitter to connect is by asking for help. Whether you need assistance in building a website, writing a paper, or finding an incredibly rare article, Twitter is full of other people who’d love to help.
12. Share what you’re reading. Taking on the latest academic journal? Found an amazing article in pop-science about your research field? Share it! If it’s interesting, it’ll probably get retweeted and passed around, and you might just interest a student or two to boot.
13. Reach out. Not everyone you connect with on Twitter has to be in your field or even in your area. In fact, you might enrich your professional life by reaching out to other fields and professions.
14. Share across platforms. Connect your Facebook, Twitter, and other social media accounts so that you can easily share information to each with one click.

PROFESSIONAL LIFE

Twitter can help you to build an amazing professional network, do research, and get feedback on different subjects.

1. Use Twitter for search. There are a surprising number of search opportunities to be found on Twitter, especially because so many people have accounts. If you’re looking for something, just ask.
2. Share your Twitter discoveries with others. If you’re having great success using Twitter in your day to day, why not share that experience with your colleagues? 
3. Live tweet a conference. Share your conference-going experience by tweeting updates about it throughout the day to your followers.
4. Collaborate with others. If you find you have similar interests with another, use Twitter to work together on research ideas, solutions and other topics.
5. Get instant advice and guidance. Not sure if your latest paper is publication-ready? Share it on Twitter for some instant feedback and guidance.
6. Find support. We all need support in our jobs, even if we’re really good at them. Twitter is a great place to look if you’re having “one of those days.”
7. Connect with colleagues. If your colleagues are tech-savvy, create a group on Twitter so you can all keep in touch.
8. Learn about the latest newa. Don’t fall behind on the latest news! Use Twitter to keep up with new publications and ideas.
9. Establish your brand. Twitter can help you to establish yourself as a big name in your given field, if you play your cards right. Work to establish a brand and to give yourself expert status online.

PRO TOOLS

Sometimes, Twitter alone isn’t enough to get the job done. Try out these essential applications to enhance your Twitter experience.

1. Twellow. Add yourself to this online directory, so that it’s easy for others to find you.
2. Twitter Grader. Want to check out how well you’re doing with Twitter? Grade yourself with this handy tool.
3. TwitterLocal. Put in your geographic location and a theme and find other tweeters in your area. Handy for looking other or local businesses.
4. Atlas. Atlas is a fascinating way to see tweets from around the world, each situated on a map. It could prove an especially valuable tool in learning about current world events.
5. Tweetdeck. Tweetdeck is an app by Twitter that makes it easier to arrange your feeds, schedule tweets, filter your content, and much more. A must for any Twitter power user.
6. Twitpic. This popular tool makes it simple to share photographs on Twitter.
7. Twitter Counter. See how your Twitter account stacks up by checking out its stats using this online tool.
8. Hootsuite. Hootsuite offers an easy way to manage your social media accounts across several different platforms, even letting your schedule tweets for when you’ll be away.
9. TweetList: If you’re planning to follow a lot of people, you’ll want to make sure to pick up this iPhone app. It makes it simple to organize and view all of your Twitter lists.

WHO TO FOLLOW

Not sure how to start building your Twitter network? Here are some suggestions of great people to follow.

1. Colleges and compagnies. Follow your own compagnie and other businesses from around the world so you can keep up on new research, available positions, and other news.
2. Professional organizations. Many professional organizations, have Twitter feeds that are well worth following.
3. Authors. Whether you follow your favorite popular writers or those who specialize in your field, you’ll find a wealth of information and possibly inspiration from other authors on Twitter.
4. Career resources. Keep your finger on the pulse of your field by following tweeters who share career updates and industry news.
5. Look for lists. If you’re struggling to find people to follow, look for lists of suggestions online or pick an account you love and look to who they’re following for inspiration.