Twitter is a modern phenomenon. A couple of guys came up with a side project idea one day in which they would allow people to post up to 140 characters about what they were doing at that moment. That original intent has been tweaked a little over time, but the tool itself has come to be embraced by the business world and Hollywood celebrities alike.
Plenty of people make fun of Twitter or mock the apparent narcissism of constantly updating the world on what's happening in one's life, but the truth is, Twitter is an incredible tool in at least three ways:
Content. Twitter forces content producers (bloggers, writers, publishers, etc.) to be able to condense or reference ideas in 140 characters or less, which is quite a challenge. It's a new kind of content unto itself.
Conversation. Twitter is a platform where conversation happens. It's not a chat room. It's not instant messaging, and it's not email. It's more like a huge room where everyone is sitting in chairs arranged in circles, talking to each other. But at any given moment, all the circles of chairs are overlapping, intersecting, and forming new connections all the time.
Connections. I've met people on Twitter I could never have made contact with otherwise. I know more Pastors, for whom I'm praying. I've conversed with company CEO's of brands I like. And the initial contact that brought me to my career position happened on Twitter.
Twitter, as a tool, can easily be replaced. Most technology startups don't make it. Twitter will face fierce competition on every hand and they've battled downtime issues with their network since their launch. But while it's here, it's a tremendous tool.
Here are some very quick first tips for getting started on Twitter...
1. Visit Twitter.com to sign up for a free account. You'll need a valid email address and can also enter a cell number.
2. Add your own avatar. This needs to be a square image of at least 125 by 125 pixels (I use one that's 500 x 500). My advice is to use an avatar that really shows who you are, that won't have to be changed very often, and that aligns you with anything else you're doing online.
3. Consider a custom Twitter background. Though it isn't necessary, it helps you stand out and it's great for branding purposes.
4. Fill out the bio with keywords that relate to what you are interested in and what you'll be tweeting about. This helps others find you and follow you, providing connections with people of similar interests.
5. Add a link to your website. If you don't have a website, add a link to your LinkedIn profile or some other page identified with you.6. Check out desktop Twitter tools such as Tweetdeck, Seescmic, and (my favorite) Hootsuite.
7. Follow people you're interested in following. They might live near you, work in your career, or be interested in the same hobbies as you.
8. Connect with people. Reply to people. Converse. That's what Twitter is for.
9. Post links from articles you find interesting, especially those related to the interests in your bio.
10. Shut Twitter down. That's right. Know your limits.
Most people who sign up for Twitter don't "get" it at first, but come back later. Stick with it and you'll find Twitter extremely fun and useful, and perhaps even profitable!
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