Unless Twitter shoots itself in the foot with security issues or never figures out a way to be profitable we can’t see it going anywhere. Twitter is a place where the informational, personal and professional worlds collide. Using it well means finding a balance.
This second post in our series will provide basic guidelines for presenting yourself on Twitter. Our next post will feature more technical basics, but first lets talk etiquette.
- Don’t tweet nonsense all the time. Be useful. Provide valuable information/ insight and you won’t need tricks or gimmicks to gain more followers. Add some personal flair, however, a little goes a long way.
- Choose your shorthand carefully. U and R in place of “you” and “are” makes you look lazy or like you’re emulating a 15 year-old. If you find yourself running out of space, reword the tweet or split it up. We also see people who make up their own shorthand. Just because its logical to you doesn’t mean it will be to everyone else.
- Be parsimonious. You may have alot say, but you don’t need to say it all at once. If you unleash a plethora of tweets in a short amount of time you’re going to clog up people’s feeds. Unless the information is really useful and urgent spread out the tweets.
- Its not polite to boast. Just like your mother taught you, no one likes a braggart. Same goes in the Twitterverse. Sure you want to promote yourself personally and professionally, but do it in a way that shows your value and not how well you can self-aggrandize. A good way to lose followers is to run around obnoxiously singing your own praises. Do your work, let it be known and let quality speak for itself.
- If you’re not sure what you’re doing, stop throwing things out there hoping they will stick and learn from the pros. Reporters are often great tweeters. They know how to write interesting and concise posts that aren’t nonsense or boastful. Check out: @moniguzman, @reporterAJ and @BrierDudley to name a few of our locals.
More thoughts? Email: katie@bigpictureimage.com or post below.
Update: More good stuff put out today straight from the horse’s mouth.
