When I coach workshops the room falls silent when someone asks a question about social networking or Twitter. Everyone is listening to hear how to get involved and engaged, and, the question becomes: What is twitter and how can I use it to reach my target client?
My colleague @seanmalarkey (nearly 100,000 followers!) asked me write a bit about getting started on Twitter for his blog. Here is my perspective.
And a quick plug for @seanmalarkey (you can find more info via this link and a free 5 step lesson to get you going: http://tinyurl.com/nd5z92 )
The 5 Top Must-Knows For Starting Out on Twitter
1. There is a culture out there.
Welcome to a large world that is shaped by your creation. Twitter is a microcosm of life: you can do anything you want and you cannot control what others do or think. This is the beauty of twitter – it is a real-time live interactive community. As such, twitter has a whole range of experiences available to you. Dive in and gravitate towards people that interest you. Observe the cultural norms and start your own.
2. Twitter is a community.
A community is not a billboard (or worse a flashing billboard). You will see some twitter users do not post updates or worse only post advertisements for their own business. As a community and social networking tool, Twitter depends on your involvement. It is about conversation and interaction, sharing your opinion, and engaging in dialogue.
No sideline sitting here – we want you to play.
3. Tweets speak their own language.
Twitter, as you may have noticed, has its own language. Here are a few simple things to keep an eye out for: remember you only have 140 characters to communicate with, saving space is a premium:
RT : is short for reTweet. A reTweet is passing forward anothers tweet that you appreciate or want to share with your followers. Simply place a RT and the user’s name with an @symbol in front of it before the message and send.
ie: RT @matthew_walker: to get someone to be interested in knowing you, you must first talk about things that interest them.
@reply: and Dm - Whats the difference?
- @reply = public
- Dm = Private
To respond to someone simply type @”insert name here”. Remember this will be sent to all of your followers. Basically an @reply is a public tweet reply. An @reply is used to continue a conversation, answer a question, or recognize another. Use the @reply to maintain contact with others (your twitter page has a specific @reply button to simplify this process).
ie: @matthew_walker – my favorite read this year is ‘The Tipping Point’
done this way, @matthew_walker (me, in this case) will get the tweet in my @reply column and anyone following you will also see your tweet
DM : direct message – sometimes you may want to connect with others and have a privateexchange. The DM (direct message) is the way to do this. You are able to DM another if you are both following each other – you can not DM someone who is not following you.
The simplest way to DM another (via the twitter interface) is to click on the Direct Message button on the right side of your Twitter page. From here a dropdown menu will become available to you where you choose your recipient. Choose who you want to DM, write your message and click send. You can check your DM’s sent and replies by clicking on the direct message button (it also records how many DMs you have).
TY : thank-you
ie: TY to @seanmalarkey for his continued support!
#Hashtags: You will see the # sign in front of words sometimes. This is a quick way of categorizing a tweet as belonging to a certain topic. For example, #gratitude is a tag used to categorize all of the tweets that are in gratitude or recognition.
ie: @matthew_walker appreciates the creativity of @philrossi #gratitude
#followfriday : Each Friday you will begin to see people tweeting #followfriday and then list some people they are following that they enjoy or appreciate. There are two schools of thought around this: 1) #followfriday and then list the people you follow and 2) #followfriday and then list one person and the reason why you follow them. It’s up to you which ever style you use: remember Twitter is simply a vehicle for connection and community.
These are not hard and fast rules established by Twitter, this is simply a cultural norm that has been established over the short time Twitter has been around. These norms will shift – and you will have an impact by being a participant! Keep an eye out and you’ll start to see even more subtleties that make Twitter unique!
4. We want to know you.
Now that you are here and getting the hang of it – come out and share who you are. Ask questions, share your responses. You can start by filling out the bio box – some people make it pithy, some ironic, some matter of fact, some are all business, and others are witty. Regardless of your style, share about you, it is the easiest way to being to gather followers.
Next step…start tweeting!
#5 Interact with others. Give. Give. Give.
This is the lifeblood of Twitter: generosity. As you spend time in the ‘twitterverse’ you’ll find that the life and vitality is in the free exchange of information and support of others. Like all community the participants who engage and give – also receive. While there may be curiosity and interest in the voyeurism of what @Oprah is up to – the beauty and reward in twitter is from sharing information, helping others, connecting with people, and supporting causes. Go ahead and take a look at @jonthanjay – he is a 14 year old boy with cancer (the Twitter community has rallied around him for support). This is where Twitter and the physical world collide and transform the way we live.
Matt Walker is an adventure consultant, writer, and business coach. He is a certified Book Yourself Solid coach and loves working with energized and creative clients looking to step into their dreams and leave the sidelines.
You can find him on Twitter at @matthew_walker
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