In this article, we will teach you the best practices for getting the most out of Twitter, top tips on how to set up your profile, and advice on tweeting and following the right people. Let's get started!
Overview
Twitter is a micro-blogging site that allows users to broadcast short messages. These ‘tweets' are limited to 140 characters in length.
Key Facts
500 million tweets are sent per day
Over 270 million monthly active users
78% of active Twitter users are on mobile
Set up your profile
Setting up your Twitter profile is quick and easy. Here's how to create an effective profile:
Username
Make sure your username sounds professional and it isn’t unnecessarily complicated.
Bio
Make it clear what you will be tweeting about and include any relevant links to your LinkedIn page or blog.
Profile photo
Use a nice headshot that is 400x400 pixels in size and fits nicely in the Profile Photo box. Choose a profile photo that visually represents you. This image is the icon in every Tweet you post!
Cover photo
Use a high-resolution and properly sized image (1500px in width X 500px in height) that further showcases your interests.
How to write your Twitter bio
Use keywords. What are your target audience searching for?
Say what you do and love
Include the name of your company
Keep it interesting (in 160 characters!)
Some Examples
The pictures below show two examples of a great Twitter profile, these examples include:
A good quality headshot and cover image
Bio and cover photo used for social proof
Mentions company in the bio, with correct Twitter handle
Use of keywords
Makes it clear where he works
Includes relevant links
Decide what you’ll tweet about
Choose your “niche”, your unique expertise
Find a good balance between personal v professional tweets.
Make sure you’re comfortable with the content you are sharing and where it is coming from.
Keep an important Tweet at the top of your timeline by pinning it there.
Click on the 'more' option on the Tweet you want to pin and select “Pin to your profile page.”
Tweeting best practices
Here are some great tips for becoming a tweeting-pro!
Keep it short: A concise Tweet makes an impact.
Use visuals in your Tweets: Adding a bold image, video, or GIF to your Tweets adds a touch of personality and leads to higher Tweet engagement rates.
Incorporate relevant hashtags: Hashtags are a powerful tool that allow you to expand your reach and tap into relevant conversations.
Ask questions and run polls: Asking questions is an effective way to interact with your audience, bring readers into the conversation, and understand people’s opinions.
Curate and connect with Retweets and replies: Retweeting relevant content and replying to Tweets are great ways to maintain a robust Twitter presence.
Follow the right people
Twitter can be as good or bad as you make it – the people you follow will determine the kind of stories that will populate your feed
Private lists: Keep your prospects and clients monitored in a non-intrusive way with private lists. Instantly get a glimpse of what they are up to, without having to follow them.
Create private Twitter lists to check weekly for your:
Prospects
Clients
Competitors
Influencers: Influencers are experts of a specific topic that use their profile to share their knowledge and start conversations. But a large number of followers does not always mean great influence (always check their Followers/Following ratio, their frequency of sharing and engagement with their posts).
Listen, listen, listen: Check daily who is using the most relevant hashtags for your industry and see if you can participate in any relevant conversations.