10 tips for Twitter

 

1) Communication fundamentals apply: Know your audience, and craft your message accordingly. Listen to what your audience is saying and talk with them – not at them.

2) Consider using social media desktop applications, which will let you monitor what’s going on without having to repeatedly refresh your browser. For a comprehensive list of Twitter applications for your computer and phone, visit oneforty.com.

3) Think visual. Can you capture a scene with a photo or video better than with text? Photos and video can be taken with your smartphone or a Flip cam and housed and shared on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

4) Balance posting your own content with posting content from others. Share and share alike.

5) When sharing relevant messages from others, give credit when it's due.

6) Pay close attention to messages being sent to you from your community – the “@” replies and direct messages on Twitter. For more info about how to monitor messages, visit tinyurl.com/twitter-gettingstarted.

7) Run a search to find blogs that are relevant to your audience. Visit them a few times a week, and post links to your favorite entries on Twitter or retweet relevant posts from them on Twitter.

8) If you know you’re going to be pressed for time on certain days, you can use the Twitter schedule for later function and Facebook tools like hootsuite.com and cotweet.com.

9) Don’t be afraid to repost something you’ve already posted in the past if it’s still important and relevant.

10) Loosen up, and have some fun with your community. Enjoy it!

What is Twitter?

Whether it's breaking news, a local traffic jam, a deal at your favorite shop or a funny pick-me-up from a friend, Twitter keeps you informed with what matters most to you today and helps you discover what might matter to you most tomorrow.