Let’s talk about how you can get your account ready for all those new followers,

1. Complete Bio: When people check out your Twitter profile one of the 1st things they will look at is your bio. You want to be memorable and unique. Always have your most relevant website link as the URL. Last but not least, be sure to add a professional picture of yourself as well, nothing is worse than seeing a new follower with the “egg!”
   A few actions to avoid in your bio:
   • Don’t stuff your bio exclusively with keywords. People cannot connect with just words. You want your personality to be present.
   • Don’t use industry lingo. Use words and phrases that your target client or market uses.
2. Have at least 20 Tweets on your profile: With a full page of tweets people will know you are serious about twitter. They can get a feel for who you are, what you have to say and if you match what they are looking for. Offer some good content that will benefit your target market.
3. A Professional Background: This is a great way to increase brand awareness. Use your logo, tag line, photo and anything else that helps represent your business. Mari Smith is a great example of branding. She changes her background to support her current marketing plans.
4. A Giveaway or Link for New Followers: Here is an opportunity to further connect with your new connection. Offer a great resource to them.

   This can come in a variety of forms – I use SocialOomph to set this up:

   • Share a popular blog post. If one of your blog posts gained a high number of comments and social interactions it must have been extremely helpful to your audience. Share this with new connections!
   • A free report. These are generally behind a lead generation form (opt-in form), where the visitor will enter their name and email address to receive your free gift.
   • A Custom Welcome to Twitter Page: Setup a page on your website just for new followers. Have a nice introduction video with something they can walk away with, a tip or action step they can do right away.
5. Understand the basics of Twitter: When you know a bit about Twitter you can engage much more efficiently and save yourself a lot of time.

One way to easily do this is to add that Tweet to your favorites on Twitter. Then any time you receive a compliment on Twitter do this. If you have a client looking for testimonials you can show them all these as well as any other testimonial videos, audios or text on your website.

Another great idea is to embed Tweets on your testimonial page. There is a great tool called Blackbird Pie that does this easily for you.

Now get even more out of those Twitter testimonials!

What other ways do you use your Tweets to improve brand awareness and authority?

• Build Brand Authority
• Online Reputation Management

Keep track of what people are saying about your business.

• Website Traffic Generation

Fabulous tool to increase traffic to your blog, website and other internet properties.

• Strategic Content Sharing

Share key events, blog posts and items that add value to your audience. Leading them closer to your brand.

• Market Research (very interactive)

Gather information for a very targeted audience that can help you enhance your products and launch new products. Everyone loves to tell you what they think about something!

• Promoting Products and Services
• Affiliate Marketing (Promote Others Products)

Naturally and tactfully of course.

This is a very short list, what would you add?

Here are just a few to get you started, just press ALT and the number:

I look forward to seeing all your new tweets!

Track Twitter – I have several organized groups of people that I want to be sure I stay in contact with. I also I have my @ replys grouped, and my direct messages. Nothing saves me more time then having what I want where I want it when I want it!

Track Facebook – Yep that’s right I have my facebook activity right there as well. I can see what everyone is up to and comment where I need or want to.

Hashtags – The power of hashtags. I love them! I have one for my business that I want to be sure I keep a close eye on. So how do I do that? Well I have a saved search group just from my hashtag allowing me to see how is talking about me. I also use this to follow other hashtags I am interested in, an example would be #socialmedia.

Custom Searches – I use this to help me keep on eye on my clients reputation management (RM). I can see who has @ replied to them as well as their messages to others. Allow me to offer tips and tweaks where necessary.

Shortens My URL – This saves me a lot of time. I don’t have to go to another site to shorten my URL, I just input it in the box and it shortens for me. Easy as that! Then I have lots of room left for what I want to say! The best part is if you have bit.ly account you can add your API key so you can track your links. Tracking is key in social media! If your not tracking you don’t know if it’s working. For how to add your API key visit: http://help.seesmic.com/forums/29255/entries/43073

Helps Me Shorten RT Text - Now this is something that comes in handy when you want to retweet something up its really long. Hit the button and it will shorten you text where possible. Wonderful isn’t it, now you don’t have to rack your head as to how you’re going to make this thing fit into 140 characters.

Here’s a video so you can see how it works:

That’s the short and sweet version of why I love Seesmic.

What do you think about Seesmic?

The Tweet

This is a 140 character mini blog post. This will post will appear to each of your followers. This is a short summary on what is going on, what you are doing, something interesting you want to pass on and information you want to share.

Who to Follow?

Twitter is about connecting and networking. People will follow you and you can follow people. When you have found someone that peaks your interests you can follow them and receive their Tweet updates. When you are on their Twitter profile you will see their picture and just below will be a follow button. In one click you are their newest follower. Do you have to follow someone who is following you? This is up to you. You do not have to, but keep this little tidbit in mind. If you are not following someone they cannot direct message (private message) you in the future.

Finding people to follow:

Search on Twitter.If you know their user name, first name or last name this can be the easiest way to find them. To do this click on the Find People button at the top of your Twitter page.

Your other networks. If you are on Facebook, LinkedIn or other social networks check your connections and see if they are on Twitter. This is an easy way to get directly to their page and follow them.

Email/RSS/or Text follow. You can invite your connections to Twitter if they are not Tweeting yet. Send them an email with your information and invite them to join you. If they do not want to sign up for Twitter at this time let them know they can subscribe to your RSS feed and get your updates that way. To do this all they need to do is click on the RSS button in the right column and insert that URL into their RSS reader. The other option they have is to receive your updates to their wireless device as a text message. All they have to do is “follow [user name]” to 40404.

If you decide you do not want to follow someone any more, just visit their page and hit the unfollow button below their picture.

The Art of the @ Reply

You received a Tweet that must be shared now what do you do? Quite simple, from the Twitter interface click the little grey arrow to the right of that specific Tweet. Now you will be taken to a Tweet post that will display @ and their name (ie. @ErinTillotson) Then be sure that you paste in their original message, if you have room you can add a statement about it.

I just want to send a message to one person. This is also a function of the @ reply. Just type in the post box @ and their username proceeded by your message. Now remember this is not a private message, your whole network will see this message.

Direct Message Anyone?

Now here is how you send that private message. To do this type a capitol D followed by a space and then the username, then of course your message. This will arrive to that user only.

Favorite Tweets?

Here is a nifty tool. You can use this in a few ways. I use this as a Twitter Testimonial Area. What the world are you talking about Erin? If I receive a thank you, a good job, a recommendation over Twitter I favorite it. Then when some visits my favorites they will see all the wonderful things I have helped with. The other use for this feature is to remember Tweets. Favorite it for future reference, because you like the quote or what ever reason you want to!

What other Twitter questions do you have?