Are You Tweeting Better?

Every day I learn new things that can also make another person's life better. I know for some people social media can be a bit awkward and maybe even downright confusing. Hence, books like "Twitter for Dummies" and "Twitter Marketing: An Hour a Day" were born. Where there is a need or "pain", there is invention and innovation. I have been playing around a bit with Twitter the past couple weeks and experimenting with some things that I have learned about - maybe you would like to increase your Twitter following. Here's some tips on how:

1. Profile Photo - Ensure you post a clear photo of yourself, preferably a close up. People tend to follow faces more than they do logos. Faces are more personable unless you are media or big brand names like Pepsi or Coca-Cola.
2. Biography - Provide a short description of yourself, what are your unique qualities? Why would people want to follow you? What can they relate to? Read some profile bios for ideas.
3. Follow People with Similar Interests - You can connect with people who are like-minded and also see who is following them. You may also want to connect with some of their followers too.
4. Retweet - When watching the tweets on different pages you may notice RT, RT means that someone has retweeted someone else's message.
5. Keep It Short & Sweet - Tweets have a content maximum of 140 characters. Leave at least 20-30 characters free so that people can reply or retweet your message.
6. Be a Value Tweeter - Tweet about topics relevant to your subject area or expertise. Provide shortened links (bit.ly or tiny.url) to valuable information such as articles, tips, tools, or techniques.
7. Use # hashtags - Hashtags are like a filing system or a categorization of topics. For example, #quote can be used at the end of a quote. After you post the quote, you can go to your tweet and click on #quote to see who else is posting quotes. You may want to retweet or follow tweeters  that resonate with you.
8. #FollowFriday or #FF - On Fridays, fellow tweeters suggest people that others should follow. Great content - great followers.
9. Unfollow Inactive Users - Tweeter Karma is a tool in which you can unfollow inactive users so you can follow people who are active on Twitter. There is an acceptable ratio of followers and following so you are better to have active users on your list.
10. Track Your Progress - Twitter Counter is another useful tools for predicting your Twitter growth but it also allows you to discover what tweeters value from you and others. What are the hot topics of conversation?

Two Extras!

1. Remember once it is out there, it is out there! ONLY tweet what you would say face to face.
2. Learn the rules.

There is so many other tips and tricks to the skill of navigating social media. Create a conversation, sign up for newsletters, and connect with others. Follow me on Twitter @debrakasowski