Exploding - the word for Twitter, and Social Media
for that matter.
There's a lot of misunderstanding about
Twitter, and particularly about getting started, so this post is
JUST about that - and will be a little texty. Timely though, since
I'm about to speak to a major Association's Management Team
on finding "The Melody In Noise," and have found most do
not know the Twitter basics - I want to point them here. (If you
know the basics, go to this post on the
Why and How of Twitter.)
Twitter is useful and a good ROI on your time if you don't
overdue it. (I do but you don't have to…, you could
spend a half hour a day and get a lot of value for yourself and
your business.)
So I encourage it, and here are the beginning steps I'd
recommend:
1. Sign up at www.Twitter.com. Use your real name, or
as close as you can get.
2. Begin with a post (affectionately called Tweets), as simple as
'I'm starting at Twitter.'
3. Fill out your profile in the upper right. Use a good close-up
picture of yourself, and put in a url (ideally your blog, or our
company blog or website), and be interesting and somewhat open in
your profile. Twitter is about transparency. People want to quickly
'get' who you are if they are going to follow you. I
strongly recommend you do NOT check the "Protect my
updates" box. Not transparent - and actually, why be on
Twitter if you don't want to communicate rapidly, spontaneously
and personally. I don't follow blocked updates. Fill in your
location - your city is best - I'm not sure why some people put
in 'everywhere' or a cell phone location - doesn't tell
much.
4. Follow me @WakeUpwithDougK and I'll help you get
followers, and be glad to help you along. Give me an @ or DM
message (which is a Reply or Direct Message) or email me (see
below.)
5. Write another post, and another. You can start with what you
are doing but that's pretty useless (who cares), so maybe reply
to a follower, or ReTweet. Move to give value as soon as you can.
But get some posts up.
6. Then get followers (see below), and from that...most of them
will then follow you. There are many ways to get followers, but
just start by clicking on the ID's and follow anybody to start.
After you get 10 or 20 you'll get the gist of it and you can
begin to use the apps likewww.twannabe.com and TwitterLocal or
others.
7. Here are some people to start following who may interest you
and other good people who will probably follow you back:
@BeachBeat @VOLOforDRBC @ConnieHair @GreenCityNews
@pdncoach@JanSimpson @MrNews70 @GreenerCity @principalspage
@Fobingo @MarkisMusing @GuyKawasaki
8. As soon as you can, get the great application www.TweetDeck.com
so you can begin grouping your followers (friends or associates is
a better name actually) and really use Twitter for both giving
value, gaining value, and expanding your horizons as well as your
friendships.
9. Caution! There is a learning curve. Expect it to
take a week or so... if you have given value, you will see the
value.
10. For further justification and next steps and
good tips, now go to:
The Why and How of Twitter
And Twitter me @WakeUpwithDougK , or email me with any questions at
doug@wakeupdaytona.com
"The effectiveness of your communication determines the
effectiveness of your life.'
