What Is This Twitter You Speak Of?
So what is Twitter and how can it be of benefit to you or your business? Twitter is a free online micro-blogging application which gives you the ability to send out small messages (up to 140 characters) called â??tweetsâ? to people who are following you on Twitter. You can send tweets either through your computer or by using your cell phone via a text message. These tweets/messages can be about anything you want and they can include links, as well. Making Twitter even more useful is the ability to send a direct message to someone you are following (this is done by entering @username at the beginning of your message) or replying to someoneâ??s tweet with your own. You would be surprised how common it is to answer to someoneâ??s message then to have someone who is either following you or the person you sent the answer to answer to your initial message and so on.
People can follow you and your tweets by first signing-up for their own free Twitter account at the Twitter site then adding you to their list of people they are following. Once you have made your account, you can either check your Twitter page (your own personal page which appears after you sign-in at the Twitter home page) for any of your friendâ??s new messages or you can send out your own. But it is much simpler, in my opinion, to use one of the many online or desktop applications which give you the ability to do all of this and more.
Twitter As A Communication Tool
Twitter is a quick and simple way to communicate with family, friends, business associates, and also within a company setting. Being an online service, Twitter is available to anyone with online access. All you have to do is login to your account through any number of third-party applications developed for Twitter or through the Twitter site and you are ready to go. Within a company setting, employees could have a Twitter account made for them with the option to have their messages protected. This means only people they (or you or the person in charge of making the Twitter accounts) approve will be able to send and receive messages from them. The same thing could be done using an instant message program but with Twitter, there would be no software to install and it would be accessible from anywhere with an online connection. Additionally, the person who is in charge of the Twitter accounts will have the power to control who is and who isnâ??t part of this private Twitter network.
Even though there are tons of online communication applications available, Twitter can also be used as a way for people who are collaborating on a project to stay in touch with one another regardless of where they are. And depending on which third-party application they are using to Twitter with, these conversations can be saved for future reference. There are even some third-party apps which you can use to send files up to 10MB to anyone you are following as long as they are using the same application, that is. Still, a handy feature to have and one which may become a feature of Twitter if thereâ??s a huge enough demand for it.
Marketing With Twitter
Here in lies the fantastic thing about Twitter from a business perspective: the marketing potential it offers users. Sure, it is fantastic to send messages and chat using Twitter, but it can also be a fantastic marketing tool if used correctly. Have some breaking news you want to get out quickly? Send it out as a Tweet. Made an vital update to your blog or web site? Let people know about it instantly with a Tweet. Want to promote your project, book, movie, whatever by giving away a free download or preview? Send out a Tweet with a URL to the free download. Only want to market something to certain individuals you are following? Simply enter their username preceded by the â??@â? and you are set.
Another simple marketing tool available with Twitter is the ability to befriend people who are following someone you already follow. While this practice could backfire on you if you start to add everyone you find following someone you are following, be picky and just befriend those who either share similar tastes that you do or work in the same field as you or already follow many of the same people you do. Otherwise, you could come off as a spammer which will be a hard image to shake.
Twitter Now And Beyond
Twitter represents a fundamental change in the way people communicate online. There have always been instant messengers and they have their place and purpose but they donâ??t offer the one thing which sets Twitter apart and that is the ability to instantly communicate with either a couple of people or potentially thousands without the need for proprietary software. No need to download this piece of software in order to communicate with this person or that organization.
Much like how blogging has become a staple of todayâ??s society, Twitter and â??twitteringâ? is on the same path to becoming ingrained in todayâ??s culture despite only being around for less than two years. So simple in its execution, powerful in the marketing opportunities it offers, and ease of use, Twitter will be one of the top web technologies to gain worldwide prominence in 2008.
Posts Tagged ‘Started’
Getting Started With Twitter
Sunday, February 28th, 2010Blogging: Ways to Get Started Making Money Online
Monday, February 8th, 2010Why Blogging Is a Excellent Thought Writing a blog is one of the best ways you can get started making money online because you get two things that are very vital in my opinion. Blogging has become an integral part of the Internet and is one of the most effective means of linking; you can either drop a few words of comment on someone’s blog or link to them from your own blog. With the increasing popularity of blogging, it is even feared that people rely on blogs to get the latest news. I heard about blogging, I did my research and I was able to turn it into something that I like to do and I want to help others do the same.His essence of blogging outsourcing lies in the communication. RSS is still relatively new; despite the popularity of blogging, pod casting, My Yahoo and the RSS featured Firebox Browser, it hasn’t really gone mainstream. “Well, it’s snowing out so I reckon I’ll go blogging.Having originated in the world of blogging, some have even referred to pod casting as “audio blogging. For more detail go to: www.blog-and-ping.com. While some of this software is in use over the internet (again, some collaborative workspaces have been developed based on blogging platforms and even forum software is sometimes used this way), the more resource intensive versions are generally used on dedicated networks and intranets with high bandwidth. The personal aspect of blogging makes it much simpler for readers to consider you as their friend. Everyone was blogging from political parties to small business.Com uses a very simple, simple to use blogging platform and client (interface) called Blogger. Take pictures and upload them directly to a blogging site-the phone comes with picture blogging feature. ”Here are a few of the pitfalls of making your blog without any guidance from blogging experts: 1. the power of blogging has been unsurpassed, making millions of revenue for countless businesses worldwide.Most blogging software allows you to say another blogger about your use of his material through something called a “track back. For more help visit to: www.profit-pulling-toolbars.com. As you get into blogging, you will also be exposed to what is known as RSS Feeds. Writing articles (or blogging or forum posting) is an brilliant way to establish your professional credibilityMost of the well loved blogging platforms have honestly thorough details, but sometimes they may be a bit too technical. Most blogging software allows you to say another blogger about your use of his material through something called a “track back. As you get into blogging, you will also be exposed to what is known as RSS Feeds. Writing articles (or blogging or forum posting) is an brilliant way to establish your professional credibility.
Getting Started On Twitter–A Five Step Guide
Friday, January 22nd, 2010Twitter is all the rage now; I wish I had a nickel for every time a client mentioned it. Succeeding in it is another matter, though, and at first it can be hellishly confusing.When I first started, and was following dozens of people, I felt like I was in a busy sports bar during the Super Bowl. I remember thinking: I don’t know these people. I don’t know what they’re talking about. I must be in the incorrect place.It helps to know the rules and a small about the culture before you jump in. It’s not rocket science but it does take a small study and work.1) Plot: First, reckon about why you’re even on Twitter.Know what you want out of Twitter. Are you there for networking, building a brand, driving traffic to your blog? Determining this early will help guide your strategy and improve your odds.2) Package yourself: First you need to pick out a Twitter ID. Consider your name first (I use @markivey); alternatively, you could use another name with your company, role or skills (example: @mediaphyte). You want something that will build your brand and/or illustrate your expertise.And don’t skimp on your profile; make it sound engaging, and choose some nice wallpaper—this part is all about personal packaging (you can also customize your own wallpaper, using your company’s logo if you want). Study other Twitter examples because you need to get it right.3) Follow the right people: Twitter is about following and being followed (more on connecting/conversing later) You can use the basic Twitter search or, better, one of the tools I recently reviewed like Twellow in my blog (www.ioncorporation.com/blog, date: Feb 6). These search engines can make life much simpler for you by identifying the right people to follow.Start with the influencers and industry experts in your industry. Find people with common interests and/or just people you want to track because they’re fascinating. Check out some of the really huge names here. Look for fascinating directories and specialized lists; for instance, here’s 10 journalists worth following. And don’t forget your colleagues–you may have people all over your company tweeting. As one example, here’s a partial list of employees tweeting at Cisco.4) Learn the lingo: Before you jump in and start tweeting, get up to speed on the lingo and abbreviations. Some common terms*:• “tweet”: is a message.• @ ID : A message with the @ sign preceeding the Twitter ID is a answer message; so if you want to send me a message, start with @markivey. (Note that your entire network can view this message).• DM ID: Putting a DM in front of someone’s ID is a private message (you can only send private messages to people who follow you).• RT: a retweet. If you find a post particularly fascinating, you can copy and paste it and retweet it, as long as you give credit (tools like Tweetdeck have a RT button). (this is one of Twitter’s most fascinating features, and how some Tweets go viral).5) Manage efficiently: The last task is to download a “client” to manage your tweets and traffic. Twitter.com is ok for starters but you’ll soon want to go on to a better platform. These include clients like Twhirl and TwitterFox, which have built in search features, URL shorteners (which you’ll need) and nice interfaces to view and respond to your Tweets. Twitterfox is a Firefox extension, while Twirl is a downloaded application.My favorite, though, is Tweetdeck.What I like about Tweetdeck is you can arrange the people you follow into separate, manageable categories. I currently have four categories: “social media” (people who follow social media); “individuals” (business contacts, other influencers in other areas); Favorites; and “all.”But you can set up categories for nearly anything–influencers in your industry; friends/family/close contacts, sports/leisure activities; special lists, like journalists or even by twitterers in your geographical area. Just add a new “pane” for each group.You can also set up search features in separate categories to hunt for certain keywords, like your company name, personal ID or an issue or event (ex: China or World Series) . I have searches set up for “Twitter tools” and “Twitter tips.” The default search is search.twitter.com and Twitscoop, which reports on hot trends and keywords in Twitter.One warning: Tweetdeck is a memory hog. It can also be addictive. Plot to set aside designated times, say 20 min. 3 times a day, to check it or you may wind up sitting there watching it for hours.One way to become more efficient is to integrate Twitter into Outlook with a tool like Outwit. You can update your Twitter status and follow your friends without having to open any other applications.Outwit allows you to schedule your Tweets to be delivered every minute to an hour, and dump them into a separate folder. This way you can check them at your leisure. You can also easily categorize them by name and save them, something you can’t do with Tweetdeck. One downside: your email box can quickly get overloaded (as if you need more email).* Resources: there are hundreds of terms thrown around in the Twitter universe, some of the downright goofy. For instance, Twittish means “took skittish to twitter”. Check out this glossary for more.
note: you can follow me at http://twitter.com/markiveyNext: building a community with Twitter.
Quick Tips To Get Started Using Twitter For Your Job Search
Friday, January 15th, 2010Do you Tweet? If not, maybe you should.
Perhaps it would be misleading to say that as a job searcher you MUST be on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or other social and business networking sites. But, assuming that you use social media in appropriate and professional ways, being connected and networking in these ways can only help. And, few people would argue that you shouldn’t seize on any edge that you can give yourself in a job market that is widely being called the most competitive in a quarter-century.
Twitter, for those unfamiliar, is a service that allows you to communicate and stay connected with your colleagues, current and former co-workers, friends, family, and other contacts through the exchange of quick, simple answers (140 characters or less) to the question, “What are you doing now?” While the premise is simple-so simple that you might at first question how “Tweeting” (Twitter-speak for posting an update to Twitter) could be helpful in your job search-I would urge you to take another look. Twitter has become vastly well loved and you might be surprised at how many of your colleagues, friends, and even top experts in your field or profession are on Twitter.
If you are actively involved with managing your career or conducting a job search, here are just a few benefits that will justify the time you spend setting up your free Twitter account and learning how to use it:
1) Twitter can be a fantastic tool to help you build, enhance, and promote your personal brand. Briefly, your personal brand (as it relates to your career) is what differentiates you and makes you and your contributions uniquely valuable in the workplace. As a job searcher, you can use Twitter to make your followers aware of your expertise, post links to fascinating news tales about your industry, or post tips related to your profession. All of these are brand-building activities that will make you memorable to your contacts, boost your credibility, and help set you apart as a leader in your field.
2) Twitter is an extraordinary networking tool. Remember that networking is all about building relationships. Twitter helps you stay in contact with people in your network in a quick and simple way that was never before possible. It will allow you to keep your contacts up-to-date on your job search, it is a fantastic way to learn about unadvertised job openings, and it is often an simple way to get referrals to people you should talk to. Of course, it is vital to remember that networking is also about providing reciprocal help, and Twitter allows you a quick, simple way to let people in your network know about job openings you’ve heard about, or give other help or advice to your contacts when they need it.
3) Twitter provides you with a way to connect nearly instantly with recruiters and other hiring authorities in your field. More and more recruiters are using Twitter and other social media tools to find candidates for job postings. Some companies are actively encouraging their employees to Tweet about (or discuss on LinkedIn or Facebook) job openings that they are trying to fill. If you are regularly Tweeting about your job search and posting other on-brand Twitter posts, it is just a matter of time before you start uncovering and being referred for attractive job or business opportunities.
Are you convinced? Even for the time-challenged professional (does that describe nearly all of us?), Twitter is simple to use. You don’t even need to be sitting at your computer as Twitter is mobile and can easily be used on your iPhone, Blackberry, or cell phone.
When you are ready to get started, here are some quick tips:
1. Sign up for your free Twitter account and fill out your profile. Remember that you will be using your account for networking and professional purposes, so use discretion and only include information or a photo that you would be comfortable sharing with recruiters, your colleagues, and the world. If you have a reason to keep your business and personal life separate, you should make separate accounts.
2. Search for and “follow” people that you know. Twitter provides simple tools and instructions for doing this. Consider friends, family, current and former co-workers, industry contacts, people you went to college with, etc. Once you are following these people, look through their contacts and selectively follow some of their contacts. Even if you don’t know someone, if you have a reason to do so, follow them. This is a way to build new relationships.
3. As you start to build your list of people you are following, many will start to follow you. When you are getting started, try to post Tweets daily-perhaps twice daily. Besides just answering the basic question “What are you doing now?” (always keeping in mind that your Tweets should be appropriate and follow basic rules of etiquette) try to regularly post useful, on-brand information and links.
4. When your contacts Tweet, respond if you can answer a question or have useful information or tips for them. Twitter gives you two ways to do this: direct messages and answers. Be selective about which method you use. A direct message will only be seen by the person you are responding to. A answer will go to everyone that follows you.
5. Search Twitter for keywords. This is a excellent way to find out what is going on and being discussed on topics of interest to you among people that you aren’t already following. You may also find fascinating people that you will want to follow. The place to do that is search.twitter.com
5. Do you have a Facebook account, a LinkedIn profile, a blog, or another website? There are options to link them all and post status updates simultaneously to all of them. This can be a fantastic timesaver, so it is worth taking the time to learn how to link them. You could also consider including your Twitter user name in your email signature files or on business cards. Doing so will quickly build your following, and the larger your following, the more beneficial Twitter will be to your job search and career.