For anyone that’s new to the site, my name is Tyler (T.Blake) and I’m an avid social media fan. I love finding new ways to reach people, and in a world dominated by online interactions, its extremely important to figure out the best way to portray yourself and reach out to others online. This being said, I would like to share with you my experience with Twitter.
You might remember my article on “Going Viral on Facebook” where I talked about generating a massive interaction with a photo I posted from my fanpage. However, Facebook and Twitter, while related, are definitely second cousins once or twice removed. Facebook spans hundreds of different social interactions, while Twitter basically strips down Facebook features to just 140 character status updates.
The purpose of acknowledging these differences is to identify that you as a user of Twitter or Facebook cannot operate them in the same manner. They are two separate spheres of social media. With this being said, let’s break down some Twitter fundamentals.
1. You’re Profile Bio
When a potential follower reaches your profile, the first thing they will see if your Twitter avatar (think of it as a profile picture) and your bio. This landing page is another user’s first interaction with you, and it is important to try and capture an accurate portrayal of what they are signing up for if they follow you. Are you a One Direction fan? Please, let them know. Do you enjoy music or marketing? Put it in the bio. Bios are also a space to be witty and fun, you may want to put a quote that is meaningful to you, or a short statement that is intriguing.
2. Your Twitter Avatar
With Twitter, your followers can view one and only one avatar at a time (its not like Facebook where you can flip through all past photos). This being said, put your best face forward. If you have a flattering headshot, now is the time. Keep in mind your avatar photo should be a picture of you and only you. Don’t throw up a picture with your four best friends, and leave it up to potential followers to guess who you are. Worse, if your username is something not gender specific, (@Mexicore for example) you are now leaving it up to me to guess whether or not you are the boy or girl in your twitter avatar. Just keep it simple, and upload a photo just of yourself.
3. Twitter Background
When browsing on a desktop computer, users can view a background image you’ve uploaded. Having a custom or unique background image can really make your profile standout. On my profile (shown below) I included the url to my website.
The background space can be extremely useful to advertise extra information about yourself or company that you otherwise couldn’t fit into your bio section. This free twitter background designer will be helpful to those without photoshop experience.
4. Twitter Update “Header” Image
I recently posted about making use of the new Header image Twitter rolled out in early September. I could regurgitate what I talked about, but it would be much easier to just read the original article.
5. Building a Following
With Twitter, the key to building a following truly lies in the content of your Tweet. Quoting the famous Victoria (@vmckay6205) “Misery love company but Twitter is not that company.” The number one mistake of anyone looking to gain followers is to use Twitter as your personal psychiatrist. Trust me, we are all guilty of it, and if you really feel the need to Tweet out how bad your ex cut you, make a private account and have yourself a whale of a time. Keep tweets positive, and keep them universal. Look at my tweet below:
Pretty basic tweet, something that’s not really groundbreaking or motivational, yet the content of the tweet relates to many people. Hence, people who agree with the statement retweet it. This then has a viral effect. Assume each follower has on average 3-400 people following them. Simply multiplication would then say between 48,600- 64,800 people saw my tweet, plus the 4,300 people that follow me. This translates to exposure outside your normal following. In this way, new Twitter users can view your tweets and potentially add to your following. Remember to keep your tweets positive, and not to try so hard. If you aren’t a creative person, stick to tweeting out BrainyQuotes or articles you found interesting. Just keep it relevant and over time you will mold your Twitter persona into a refined work of art.
I feel like I could keep writing for hours to come, but I wanted to keep this guide fairly short. I would appreciate any feedback you may have, as well as any input you might provide in your experiences with Twitter.
Follow @TheRealTBlake
