Twitter Made Easy: A Beginner's Guide

   

     I am so excited to participate in my first "Make a Difference Monday" link-up.  I've heard great things about this link-up, and I SO admire the ladies who are heading it up.  

Huzzah! 

     So. Guess what! This is a post about twitter!  I don't have a huge amount of followers and I honestly don't tweet everyday.  However, for the longest time, I didn't really "get" twitter.  After a few quick tips from a friend, it quickly became one of my favorite social media sites.

     I'd love to "pay it forward" and help someone else get started.  It can be a really overwhelming world to navigate alone.

     Here are a few things I've learned along the way.  If you want to "up your game" when it comes to twitter, these suggestions may help you get started!

 Participate in conversations. Sometimes, if it's obvious the conversation is just between two or three people,  don't jump in. However, if someone's asking for book suggestions, sharing a coupon, favorite app, or trading pinterest pins- get in on that action! It's a fun, casual way to be more present and get involved.

Keeping that in mind...

 Be Confident.  Remember- you're adorable. You need to act like you're the most popular girl in the High School Cafeteria. When it comes to "tweeting" at people and joining conversations, just go for it & be confident. People want to hear from you. It feels good when someone new follows you or favorites your tweets. (Even though I'm totally aware, our worth doesn't depend on the number of followers we have, etc. it's still fun to invest in something like a twitter account, and watch it grow). With that being said, help a sista' out. If you GENUINELY liked a post...retweet/favorite away!

Be a good neighbor. Reach out. If you read a blog post that really resonated with you, find the author on twitter, and let them know. Again, be genuine. Don't ask for anything in return. Just say hello, and express your appreciation. I truly believe that with twitter (like most things in life), if you put out “good things,” then “good things” will come back to you.

Trust your readers. Abbreviating my tweets was is really challenging for me. When you run out of room (and you will), it's okay to use “t/g” for “together” or “fin” for “finished.” Give your followers some intellectual credit. They'll get it.

The ampersand is your friend. ;) 

via

Break old habits. I often use “...” and filler words like “actually” and “oh.” Stop doing that. 140 characters go fast...especially if you're tweeting at someone or want to include a hashtag.

It's ok to sound a little abrupt. You may not get to end every tweet with a cute smiley face, question mark or re-assuring “ok?” and THAT'S ok! People are used to a certain element of abruptness with twitter given the character limit. You can always lighten the mood with your second reply.

Divide your tweets.  If you want to tweet something, but run out of room, use numbers or “...” to indicate that there are more posts coming.

For example, sometimes I might use (½) and write my tweet, then use (2/2) to finish my thought in a separate tweet. You can also use the hashtag #seeprevioustweet

     I've read that some people find this annoying, but I'm (obviously) not one of them- ha.  I find it helpful and I like having the option of tweeting (and reading) more than 140 characters.  

Schedule your tweets. I use buffer app to schedule my tweets, and I find it really helpful! 

In closing, here are four of my favorite accounts to follow! 

> Jim Gaffigan  (Just for fun)! 

> Jeff Goins  (Excellent resource for better writing/productivity)

> Lauren Dubinsky  (Funny, pure of heart, CATS!) 

> Nadine  (Sweet, Pure of heart) 

You can find me on twitter here! >>> @HollyCartwheels

Are you on twitter? I'd love to read what you have to say! 

Was this helpful?  Friends, what other suggestions do you have?  Let me know if you have questions! I'm no expert, but I'd love to help! 

Love and clever hashtags!