"twittorial" for beginners - by personal brand strategist, michelle villalobos

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TWITTORIAL by MICHELLE VILLALOBOS (@MIVI) The next 5 pages are full of the things that I would have liked to know when I started using Twitter. I hope it helps!! First up: 10 tips to get you started (assuming you’re already signed up). Top 10 Twitter Tips 1. Follow the leaders. They’re clearly doing it right: a few to look at: @mashable, @cracked, @ijustine, @dooce. 2. Learn the lingo. You only have 140 characters, so twitter shorthand is essential. See page 3 for some basics. 3. Deliver value. Educate, entertain or inform. Answering the question, “what are you doing right now” (the original Twitter catch-phrase) is usually NOT all that compelling. 4. Start tweeting! The more you tweet (good stuff, of course) the more followers you’ll get. Trust me, it happens. Focus on posts that people will SHARE... That’s a great way to build your following. 5. Be authentic. Even if you’re tweeting for business, be a human being. Don’t promote yourself or your business in every tweet. Provide value in your field of expertise. 6. No quid pro quo. Just because someone follows you doesn’t mean you have to follow them. How many conversations can you realistically follow at once? 7. No shortcuts. Corollary to #6: Following random people so they’ll follow you doesn’t work in the long run (people who follow thousands of people are probably not really reading those tweets). 8. Follow people. Notwithstanding #6 & #7, When you follow people you’re truly interested in, you expose yourself to a whole new group of potential followers. 9. Jump in! Go ahead and jump into conversations if and when it makes sense. If you contribute value, others will appreciate it and may follow you. 10.Feed it. To keep your relationships alive, you’ve got to be consistent. Tweeting 5, 10 or 15 times a day is just fine... as long as people want to read what you’re posting. What IS Twitter? Twitter is a cross between Facebook status updates, blogging & IM. Posts or “tweets” must be 140 characters or fewer. When you follow someone, their posts appear on your Twitter home page. When someone follows you, your posts appear on their page. Most people who sign up for Twitter quit after a few posts. Lots of people would like to use Twitter, but aren’t quite sure how to do it right... We’re hoping to remedy that here. Our philosophy: listen, engage, deliver value, be consistent, be patient. This tutorial ISN’T about scammy, spammy techniques designed to get you 100,000 random followers in 3 weeks... we believe in quality, qualified, engaged communities held together by common interest. Deliver value, the followers follow. Twitter Icons from: http://twitterrhea.wordpress.com/2009/02/16/icons/ Twitter-Fever!! A Beginner’s Guide To Using Twitter For Business updated October 2009

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Want to try Twitter but not sure where or how to start? Here you go!! You're welcome ;)

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Page 1: "Twittorial" For Beginners - By Personal Brand Strategist, Michelle Villalobos

TWIT

TORI

AL

byMICHELLE

VILLALOBOS(@MIVI)

The next 5 pages are full of the things that I would have liked to know when I started using Twitter. I hope it helps!!

First up: 10 tips to get you started (assuming you’re already signed up).

Top 10 Twitter Tips

1.Follow the leaders. They’re clearly doing it right: a few to look at: @mashable, @cracked, @ijustine, @dooce.

2.Learn the lingo. You only have 140 characters, so twitter shorthand is essential. See page 3 for some basics.

3.Deliver value. Educate, entertain or inform. Answering the question, “what are you doing right now” (the original Twitter catch-phrase) is usually NOT all that compelling.

4.Start tweeting! The more you tweet (good stuff, of course) the more followers you’ll get. Trust me, it happens. Focus on posts that people will SHARE... That’s a great way to build your following.

5.Be authentic. Even if you’re tweeting for business, be a human being. Don’t promote yourself or your business in every tweet. Provide value in your field of expertise.

6.No quid pro quo. Just because someone follows you doesn’t mean you have to follow them. How many conversations can you realistically follow at once?

7.No shortcuts. Corollary to #6: Following random people so they’ll follow you doesn’t work in the long run (people who follow thousands of people are probably not really reading those tweets).

8.Follow people. Notwithstanding #6 & #7, When you follow people you’re truly interested in, you expose yourself to a whole new group of potential followers.

9.Jump in! Go ahead and jump into conversations if and when it makes sense. If you contribute value, others will appreciate it and may follow you.

10.Feed it. To keep your relationships alive, you’ve got to be consistent. Tweeting 5, 10 or 15 times a day is just fine... as long as people want to read what you’re posting.

What IS Twitter?Twitter is a cross between Facebook status updates, blogging & IM.

Posts or “tweets” must be 140 characters or fewer.

When you follow someone, their posts appear on your Twitter home page. When someone follows you, your posts appear on their page.

Most people who sign up for Twitter quit after a few posts.

Lots of people would like to use Twitter, but aren’t quite sure how to do it right...

We’re hoping to remedy that here. Our philosophy: listen, engage, deliver value, be consistent, be patient.

This tutorial ISN’T about scammy, spammy techniques designed to get you 100,000 random followers in 3 weeks... we believe in quality, qualified, engaged communities held together by common interest.

Deliver value, the followers follow.

Twitter Icons from: http://twitterrhea.wordpress.com/2009/02/16/icons/

Twitter-Fever!!

A Beginner’s Guide To Using Twitter For Business

upda

ted

Oct

ober

200

9

Page 2: "Twittorial" For Beginners - By Personal Brand Strategist, Michelle Villalobos

First

Things

First

TWITTER 101

Are you really really just getting started? Step 1: Go to www.twitter.com and sign up! Then keep reading...

Phase 1- Setup

Phase 2 - Manage

Phase 3 - Grow

1. Choose a NameEven if you’re posting as a company, it is good to “own your name” wherever you can. Another idea is to use a moniker that describes what you do. I made a mistake on this one... I’m posting as @mivi, which is a nickname and means nothing to anyone.

4. Get An AppNow’s the time to download an application that will make managing Twitter easier. I suggest starting with TweetDeck, Twhirl or my favorite, Seesmic. Go to www.tweetdeck.com, www.twhirl.org, or www.seesmic.com to download.

7. Tweet MoreNow that you’re monitoring topics of interest, you’re following some people, and you’ve tweeted a few times, chances are you’ve got a few followers. Tweet more often, this will create some momentum.

2. Pimp Your PageVisit some people’s Twitter pages and you’ll see some interesting designs. You can get creative too... or at the very least, upload your photo. Just click “Settings” in the upper right and play around.

5. Send Tweets!Though few will likely see them, having some tweets early on will give people something to look at when you follow them and they want to see who you are. Make sure your tweets are consistent with your “brand.”

8. What to Tweet?Tweet things of VALUE to your audience. Rule of thumb: entertain, educate or inform. Links are great! Use your app’s URL shortener to make long web addresses shorter, or visit www.bit.ly.

3. Follow PeopleIn the upper right corner of your personal Twitter home page, click “Find People.” Look for me (@mivi) and other people you know who are tweeting... or pick some celebs in your industry so you can jump into good conversations.

6. Set Up AlertsOne great way to stay on top of specific topics or trends is to set up alerts. For example, I get an email alert whenever my name or company name is mentioned in a tweet. Visit www.tweetbeep.com to set this up. It’s very simple.

9. Grow Your ListOne great way to get followed is to jump into conversations that you can add value to. How? Click on the “reply” button and type your message after the @username. Send! Don’t go crazy, though, if all you ever do is reply, it will annoy your followers who won’t know what you’re talking about most of the time.

How Much Is Too Much?If you’re sending valuable information, there’s (almost) no such thing as too often. But it depends on your goals.

Look at @mashable, he sends hundreds, if not thousands, of tweets a week. That said, he’s probably not writing all of them himself (he’s way too cute to spend all that time in front of a computer... I think.)

I’ve asked people and dug around for a better answer to this questions. But opinions on “acceptable” tweeting levels

ranged from “10 times a day” to “200 times a day.”

There really is no consensus on this one. Ultimately, how much you tweet really depends on what you’re sending, and how much people want to read it.

Remember the mantra: “If they don’t LOVE it, It’s just SPAM” (@LisaDSparks).

What to Post On Twitter• Links to great content• Retweet (RT) other people’s

posts (give credit!)• Tweets that ask questions• Entertaining thoughts &

musings• Links to your blog posts• Mentions of other great

Twitterers (use the @-sign)• Industry-specific knowledge• Breaking news in your field• Unique observations• Twit-pics of interesting things• Important, useful info

Page 3: "Twittorial" For Beginners - By Personal Brand Strategist, Michelle Villalobos

Twitter Shorthand- Use “4” instead of “for”

- Replace two, to or too with “2”

- Cut vowels & spaces wherever you can, i.e., cu2mrrw (see you tomorrow)

- Use & instead of “and”

- B/c = because

- BTW = by the way

- IMHO = In my humble opinion

- W or w/ = with

- Tweetup = in-person meet up of Twitter members

- Ttyl = talk to you later

- Peeps = people

- Tweeps = Twitter people

Basic Twitter Commands (adapted from help.twitter.com)

@username + message: Directs a tweet at that user, also your tweet is saved in their replies tab. Example: @aplusk: Thanks for the info!

D username + message: Sends user a private message that goes to their device, and saves in their web archive. Example: d mivi will you grab me a coffee while you’re there? This only works if they’re following you.

WHOIS + username: Retrieves profile information for any public user on Twitter. Example: whois mivi.

GET + username: Retrieves the latest Twitter update posted by the person. Example: get mivi.

NUDGE + username: Reminds someone to update. Example: nudge mivi.

STATS: Returns your number of followers, how many people you're following, and which words you're tracking.

INVITE + phone number: Sends an text message (SMS) to someone’s mobile phone. Example: Invite 3055551212.

Twitter LingoTweets — When you post to your Twitter account, what you wrote is a “Tweet” (not a Twitter.” So you say, “I just tweeted that.”

DM — Means “direct message.” To interact with someone privately, you can DM them by simply placing a “d” at the beginning of the message, plus their username (no @-sign). People use DM as a verb, i.e., “DM me for more info.”

RT — Means “ReTweet.” When you RT, make sure you give credit (it’s proper “twittiquette.”) How? First, copy the tweet. Then in a new message or “tweetbox” type “RT” then type the original poster’s @name, then paste the tweet. Voila!!

@ – The @-sign goes in front of every user’s name, whether you’re writing to them or writing about them.

DAVE MATTHEWS@DaveJMatthewsMusician3 following827,385 followersWeirdest tweet: “I know chimps should not be pets. I know I like cows and steak. I know that I will die. I know I love my family. I know You are reading this”

LISA D. SPARKS@LisaDSparksEmail Marketing Expert & Small Business Guru128 following337 followers Most interesting tweet: Frequently Asked Question: When do I send my email? Frequently Given Answer: Tues. Wed. between 10 and 3. Best answer: ==> see next tweet.

RAINN WILSON@rainnwilsonActor (The Office)139 following1,548,646 followersMost polemic (yet funny) tweet: “Men are from Mars, Women are from Planet Koo Koo Bird.”

TIM FERRISS@timferrissAuthor of The Four-Hour Workweek197 following60,999 followersFave tweet: “Some products/companies launched during recessions: Monopoly, Apple, Facebook, Clif Bar, Scrabble, KFC, Domino's Pizza, FedEx, Microsoft...”

Why & How I Use TwitterI use Twitter to drive traffic to my blog and my website. Ultimately my goal is just to add to my audience since that’s how word spreads of my workshops and seminars. Then I use the content I develop in those workshops and give it back to my audience through special reports (like this one), newsletters and “how-to’s.” I post to Twitter to let people know when they can come and download something new. It’s a virtuous circle!

Some

of

my

faves

to

follow...

On Twitter, following strangers is cool, not creepy

Page 4: "Twittorial" For Beginners - By Personal Brand Strategist, Michelle Villalobos

Essential Twitter Tools

1. TweetDeck (or Twhirl)

These are free programs that you download and install on your computer to monitor Twitter more easily and effectively than you could from the web. I use TweetDeck. It allows me to search Twitter for specific keywords and get updates in real time. It’s also a great way to monitor specific topics or even your own name or brand. However, if you don’t want to be constantly interrupted turn off the alerts! www.tweetdeck.com. Another option is Twhirl: www.twhirl.org.

2. Twitter Mobile App

TwitterFon is a great mobile app for the iPhone. Simple, clean interface & free. No iPhone? No problem. If you use a BlackBerry, try TinyTwitter or TwitterBerry.

3. URL Shorteners

With only 140 characters, you want to be as economical as you can with your characters. To get rid of long URLs that just eat up space, use tinyurl.com or bit.ly. How? Visit www.tinyurl.com or www.bit.ly.com and paste in the long URL, the rest is self-explanatory. Then copy and paste the shortened URL into your message. If you use TweetDeck, Twhirl or Seesmic you don’t need this, it’s integrated.

4. TweetBeep

TweetBeep lets you track specific words and topics on Twitter. It notifies you by email whenever a specific word or phrase pops up in a Tweet. For example, I’m notified whenever my name or company name is mentioned. You can set up alerts that let you know hourly or daily about specific topics, in specific geographic areas... even the attitude they’re sent in (positive, negative, or asking a question).

Visit www.tweetbeep.com and sign up. It’s pretty self-explanatory.

@-Replies CONFUSION?

Probably one of the most confusing things on Twitter when you get started is the barrage of messages riddled with @somethings.

First: an @reply is a public message sent from one person to another. It’s different from regular updates because it has the @username at the beginning of the tweet.

If a message begins with @yourusername, Twitter collects it as a reply and posts it in your replies tab in the Twitter sidebar, or in the replies column on TweetDeck.

You can reply publicly to any update on Twitter by using @username at the start of the post. You don’t have to be following someone to reply to them, and they don’t have to be following you to see the reply.

You can see all of your replies in the “replies” tab of your Twitter home page. I didn’t know about this tab for a couple of weeks, and when I went in there, I found a host of unanswered messages to me!

An example. Let’s say someone @replies to you by starting a message with @yourusername. If you follow that person, that message will show up in your main messages window AND in your replies window. If you don’t follow that person, it will only show up in your replies window.

Now, if what’s annoying you is that you have to see a million replies between other people, who you don’t follow, and it’s confusing (like reading the answer to a question you never knew about), then you may need to make a quick change in your settings.

What you’ll do in your web-based Twitter page (www.twitter.com/yourusername) is simply click settings, click “notices” and make sure you’re not set to “all @ replies.”

I’ve got mine set to “@ replies to the people I’m following” (which sometimes gets a little annoying too).

If you change the setting to “no @ replies,” you’ll stop seeing them altogether. That said, some people don’t do this because they feel like they’re missing out. Test for yourself.

My Seesmic Desktop Application

Above is a screenshot of my desktop application: Seesmic. This is what I use to tweet and monitor my 3 twitter accounts (@mivi, @solopreneurspeaker and @frizzytofabulous). As you can see, I keep several columns of searches going simultaneously to keep track of things that interest me – from “Miami workshops” and “Miami networking” to “Gossip Girl” and “Frizzy Hair.”

I also keep track of things like my company name and specific conversations like “killerkaraoke” or “dblstandard.” This would be a lot harder to do if I were just using the web Twitter interface.

Page 5: "Twittorial" For Beginners - By Personal Brand Strategist, Michelle Villalobos

Why Use Twitter?Besides “everyone’s doing it” – what are some good reasons to use Twitter?

Connect & Network Share knowledge, follow trends & connect with people in your industry. Follow people of note, then jump into conversations when you have something of value to add. Visit www.twellow.com for a directory of people on Twitter, by industry.

Be InformadStay apprised of what’s going on in your industry. You can use twitter search (www.search.twitter.com) to follow specific topics, or use www.tweetbeep.com to set up alerts for when a specific word of phrase is posted anywhere.

Get IdeasBy following the “gurus” in your industry, you’ll probably get great links to new, cutting edge ideas.

Extend Your ReachIf you truly deliver value, chances are people will link to you and RT you. The scope of your reach will be broader.

Promote Yourself To A Narrow TargetOnce you’ve got a following of people who trust you, you can (with restraint) promote products or services to them. But bait-and-switch is no good... you must continue to deliver value, or people will unfollow you.

Advanced Twitter: Hashtags

Getting annoyed trying to read tweets riddled with “#” signs? Those are hashtags. Whenever you see a # followed by a word, that means there is a thread that’s being tracked on Twitter about that topic.

For example, I recently introduced a subject about the best karaoke songs. I tweeted a request for suggestions, and called the conversation #killerkaraoke.

From now on, whenever anyone wants to get in on the conversation, they should include the hashtag #killerkaraoke, so that their response will be tracked as part of the thread.

(Please feel free to tweet in on this one... It hasn’t really caught on, but I know it has potential! Not to mention I’m in a Total Eclipse of the Heart/Love Is A Battlefield karaoke rut and could use some new songs – but please no I Will Survive, thank you.)

How To Use HashtagsIn order to create a hashtag like I did, first find the user @hashtag and follow him (or her, or “it,” I guess).

@hashtag will automatically follow you back, and then every time it sees a “#” in front of any word that you write, it will either start tracking that conversation if it’s new, or add that tweet to the existing tagged conversation. Hashtags have been how many people have spread the word about disasters and dangers. Promoting events and launches is another great use for hashtags. You can find other uses and hashtag trends at www.twitter.pbwiki.com/Hashtags

An example of a “hashtag.” #killerkaraoke will now be a tracked conversation

Want More?I give away lots more great, free

info and resources. Sign up at: www.MichelleVillalobos.com.

Looking for a fun, educational workshop, seminar or speaker? Let

me know! Topics include: networking (online & off) sales,

marketing & social media.

Email: [email protected]: http://twitter.com/mivi

Michelle VillalobosMivista, Inc.

Coral Gables, FL 33134

Generate Leads on TwitterImagine if you could know, in real time, when someone out there in your area needed your services. Well of course you can! Using Advanced Twitter Search, you can search for specific phrases, and limit the search to your geographic area.

Any tweets that reference that subject will pop up. You can read them, and @reply with advice for someone who you have good information for.

Just be careful to provide value. Otherwise, you’re just spamming people!