Let's get started on Twitter

Anyone and everyone wants to know about Twitter.  Currently, I'm reading "Twitterville - How Businesses can Thrive in the New Global Neighborhood" by Shel Israel.  He provides excellent case stories on successful Twitter navigation and I'll try to share some of his insight in the Green Chamber blog.

Shel recommends 8 steps to get your Twitter journey off on the right foot.  I'll post and discuss the first 4 today.

1. Show Yourself - Instead of the standard Avatar picture, use a picture of yourself or business logo.  Make this authentic to you and supply links to your blog, company web-site, Skype number, location, etc. through your bio page.  If you want to spice up your Twitter page, you can use the free designs offered from www.gimp.org.    

2. Read First, Talk Later - Start by reading what other people are saying. Wait until you have something useful to say and don't blast ads into the community.  If you aren't sure where to start looking, you can search topics on TwitterSearch or one of the external sites like Twitterfall or TweetGrid.

3. Post Second, Follow Later - After you've read through the different tweets, start with some of your own.  When you start, say what you are hoping to talk about.  Be authentic.

4. Friends over Stars - there are Twitterville luminaries that have thousands of followers and they may automatically follow you back if you follow them.  They are, however, unlikely to join in your conversation and add value.  It's wiser to follow people whose conversations matter to you since you.  

Post before you even follow friends you find from the read world, so that when those friends point others to you, there will be something to see.  When you join a conversation with people you don't know, they can visit your account and see what you talk about.  

If you're interested, you can follow me on Twitter - @SeanMcCan.