Twitter has become a front-runner in the social media scene within the past couple years. It's popularity has soared to over 100 million users as of June 2010, and is not only one of the most influential networking tools on the web, but used widely for everything from staying in-touch with friends and family — to getting the latest news on any content you desire. Here are some tips and tricks to Tweet like a pro.
Get More Functionality with a Desktop Client
Enhance your Tweeting capabilities with TweetDeck. This program is simple to use and offers advanced functionality for managing multiple Twitter accounts. Create groups, filter tweets with custom terms, and of course publish (tweets, replies, retweets, and direct messages). Extremely useful for the avid Tweeter are the automatic url shortener, and photo compression tools. TweetDeck acts as a personal browser for staying in-touch by connecting across several other networking sites including Facebook, Myspace and LinkedIn.
Use Search Directories
Twitter directories are a useful way to find new followers and expand your Twittersphere. Search for new people to follow by area of expertise, profession and any other term. Don't forget to add yourself so new followers can find you!
It's All About Interaction
This simple law of Twitter is as relevant for large companies and big-name brands, as it is for a personal Twitter user. Follow people who mention the brand, company, or product in their Tweets. This is where setting up custom search terms comes in really handy (see TweetDeck features above). You should pursue conversations with followers and retweet any relative info about your brand or company. But don't forget...no one likes a shameless self-promoter. Be friendly and informative without giving a sales-pitch.
Learn From Others and Track Results
Tweetstats displays account stats in all their information-graphic-glory. Get a visual grip on your Tweets per hour, Tweets per month, a Tweet timeline, and reply statistics. This information isn't just pretty to look at — it allows you to see when certain updates elevate your follower interactions. Tweetburner shortens URLS and tracks the links you share on Twitter.
Connect to Other Social Media Sites
Twitterfeed posts content from an RSS feed to Twitter — a convenient way to update your followers when new posts are published on your blog. Install the Twitter Facebook app and update your Twitter and Facebook status' simultaneously.
Categorize Tweets
Categorize your Tweets by adding a hash-tag (#) in front of words you want to be searchable. Adding a hashtag makes the word a link and groups any tweet (by you or another user) in that category. Check out hashtags.org to see how this works. When a users clicks your hash-tagged word which is now a hyperlink, they are directed to a list of tweets using the same hashtag.
We hope these tips and tricks will enhance your experience on Twitter. Happy Tweeting!