beginners

Following & Followers – Twitter for Beginners Part 2

MOMENTUM Business Support Digital Marketing, Twitter For Beginners
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CHECK OUT PART 1 HERE:  https://momentumbusinesssupport.com/2016/03/choosing-your-name-and-setting-up-your-profile-twitter-for-beginners-part-1/

So, your Twitter account is officially up and running. Now, you need to start following some accounts and gaining some followers of your own.

First of all, let’s take an overview of the difference between “Following” and “Followers” on Twitter.

Following: This connects you to other users on Twitter, but it doesn’t necessarily connect them back to you, (unless they follow back). When you follow someone, their account appears in your following list. You’ll be able to see their Tweets, Retweets, Likes and updates on your feed, and they can send you direct messages.

You can learn a lot from following other accounts that are similar to yours. This will help you gain inspiration, ideas and advice. It’s also good to look at your competitors to see what they’re up to when you feel like you’re lacking inspiration.

Followers: When a user follows you, their username appears in your list of followers, adding to your overall number of followers. They will see your Tweets, Retweets, Likes and updates, and you can send direct messages to them.

Reach out and welcome your new followers by sending them a direct message or tweet, introduce what you do, don’t be shy! Who knows… they could be your next big client.

In order to get followed, you have to follow. Following other users is a great way to get noticed and you will likely get followed back by some of the accounts you have hit follow on.

But remember – just because someone follows you, doesn’t mean you have to follow them back. Some people follow back everyone who follows them; others are more selective and careful about who they follow. It’s down to your personal preference and what type of content you want to be seeing when you look at your Twitter timeline.

But bear in mind, following a lot of accounts without having many of your own followers doesn’t look great. For example… Following: 4,529 Followers: 60.

To avoid this, keep an eye on your Following numbers. Regularly go through your ‘Following’ list and keep it fresh and up to date. Unfollow any that you’re not getting any value from and any accounts that aren’t following / interacting back with you.

If you’d like any help, support or advice with getting started on Twitter, we’d be happy to chat through this with you. Email makeithappen@mbsmih.com or call us 01903 688789.

Choosing Your Name And Setting Up Your Profile – Twitter For Beginners Part 1

MOMENTUM Business Support Digital Marketing, Twitter For Beginners
A group of people gathered at the end of a boardwalk on the coast

The first thing to tackle when coming into the world of Twitter is choosing your username (twitter handle @xxxxxx) and setting up your profile.

Ideally your username will be the same as your business name. If the name you want has already been taken, consider a relevant variation. For example, if @janessalon is unavailable you could try @janesbeauty or @janeshair. Other examples to consider are any recognized ‘handles’ or straplines you have on your email or website; if your email is styleme@example.com, you could use @styleme as your Twitter username. Be careful though, don’t get too creative as your Twitter presence can influence your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). A relevant keyword or your business name will have a positive impact, something completely random such as @jshab (Janes Salon Hair and Beauty) will only hinder!

A couple of other things to consider when choosing your Twitter name: Be sure to make it as short as possible. Twitter currently only uses 140 characters, so if you want others to respond and network with you, don’t take up half of their content space with your name; Be professional. Don’t choose rude, offensive or questionable names. They might seem clever at the time, but if you want others to interact with you, keep it clean!

Once you’ve got your name, you need to get the rest of your profile set up. Select the ‘Edit profile’ button on the right hand side – just below your header photo.

You’ll need to choose a profile picture and a header photo. Obviously, one is much smaller than the other, so we recommend using the profile photo space for your logo or other distinguishable brand image, and the header photo (much larger) to visually convey what your business does. For example, if you’re a restaurant you might consider using a good quality (visually appealing) image of your kitchen / counter / tables / patrons.

Next, on the left hand side, you will need to choose your name. You have 20 characters, so if your business name is less than this, great. If not, it’s time to get creative again. But remember, don’t make it too ‘clever’, otherwise you run the risk of not being found when others search for you.

Then, complete your bio – this is really important. You need to concisely show what your business does in 160 characters or less. Keep it simple, look at similar companies for inspiration and use hashtags (we’ll talk about these in a bit more detail in the next blog) for any key service or product offerings. Just below, you can also populate your location and your website address. Finally, don’t forget to choose a theme colour that links to your brand and business colours.

Now you’re ready to go! If you’d like any help, support or advice with getting started on Twitter, we’d love to hear from you. Email makeithappen@mbsmih.com or call us 01903 688789.