How to use this course

(1)

(2)

Generating Leads with Twitter - www.kljsocialmedia.com Page 1

How to use this course

Start with this Section to get a tour of Twitter and familiarise yourself with its layout. As you read through the Tour have your Twitter account open on your computer so you can click on features to see for yourself how they look.

Note: This tour has been written from a PC view, if you’re browsing Twitter on a smartphone, iPad etc your view may look different.

If you have any questions about anything in the course please pop over to any of my social media accounts below and ask!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kljsocialmedia

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kljsocialmedia

(3)

Twitter

(4)

The Twitter Tour

This tour gives you a quick guide to what features are available on Twitter and where they are. More in-depth explanations on how to use them are provided as you work through each section.

(5)

The sign up process for Twitter

To sign up for a Twitter account go to http://www.twitter.com

Enter your name, email address, password & the username you would like for your Twitter ID (your @username). If possible try and get your business name – if this unavailable pick something that is relevant to your business. Your @username can be changed later but it’s easier if you can choose the right one from the start.

(6)

This is what your Home page will look like initially.

You will be given suggestions of people to follow – just click the follow button next to their name. If you want to wait until your account is set up properly then click on ‘Skip this step’.

(7)

If you click the ‘skip this step’ button you will arrive at this page. You can then start to set up your account.

If you clicked the Follow button for any of the people Twitter suggested then you will arrive at this screen where you will start to see the ‘tweets’ of those people. I would suggest you set up your account properly before you start following anyone so there is some

(8)

Generating Leads with Twitter

Home Tab

1. Tweets (also known as your Twitter timeline)

Tweets by the people you are following. Tweets are made in real people tweet new things, older tweets move down the timeline.

2. Info Box:

Photo thumbnail: this photo will also be visible next to each tweet you make. View your profile: a clickable link to take you to your Me Tab.

Tweet count: how many tweets you’ve made since opening your Twitter account. Also a clickable link to your Me Tab.

Following: the number of people you are following. Also a clickable detailed list of people you are following.

2

3

5

nerating Leads with Twitter - www.kljsocialmedia.com

Tweets (also known as your Twitter timeline):

Tweets by the people you are following. Tweets are made in real-time so as people tweet new things, older tweets move down the timeline.

this photo will also be visible next to each tweet you make. a clickable link to take you to your Me Tab.

how many tweets you’ve made since opening your Twitter account. Also a clickable link to your Me Tab.

the number of people you are following. Also a clickable list of people you are following.

1

3

4

Page 7

time so as

this photo will also be visible next to each tweet you make.

how many tweets you’ve made since opening your Twitter account.

(9)

Followers: the number of people who are following you. Also a clickable link to the detailed list of people who are following you.

3. Who to Follow box

3 suggestions of people you may want t

people to follow (View All), Browse Categories feature and Find Friends feature.

4. Trends Box

The top 10 things most talked about on Twitter at that moment ‘trending topics’). You can tailor

Worldwide by clicking on ‘change’ tweet) or Hashtags (explained in a

5. Compose New Tweet

This is the box where you will write your tweets. This can also be done from the blue box on the toolbar at the top of the page.

the number of people who are following you. Also a clickable link to the detailed list of people who are following you.

3 suggestions of people you may want to follow. Clickable links to a

people to follow (View All), Browse Categories feature and Find Friends feature.

The top 10 things most talked about on Twitter at that moment (also known as ‘trending topics’). You can tailor trends to see those for your City,

Worldwide by clicking on ‘change’. Trends can be general keywords (words used in a t) or Hashtags (explained in a later section).

This is the box where you will write your tweets. This can also be done from the blue box on the toolbar at the top of the page.

Page 8

the number of people who are following you. Also a clickable link to the

links to a longer list of people to follow (View All), Browse Categories feature and Find Friends feature.

(also known as e for your City, Country or

keywords (words used in a

(10)

@Connect Tab

1. Interactions

Click this and you’ll see a stream of @username, people who have been favorited or retweeted

2. Mentions

Only includes tweets with mentions of your Twitter @username

1

2

Click this and you’ll see a stream of tweets with mentions of your Twitter

@username, people who have recently followed you, your tweets that have recently been favorited or retweeted and by who.

Only includes tweets with mentions of your Twitter @username

Page 9

tweets with mentions of your Twitter

(11)

#Discover Tab

1. Tweets

Tweets happening now tailored be following.

2. Activity

Activity of the people you are following e.g. who they have followed recently and things they have retweeted or favorited. This doesn’t include their tweets.

3. Who to follow

Twitter’s suggestions of people for you to follow based on who you already follow. There is also a search box to find people you know using their full name or their Twitter @username. 1 2 3 4 5

Tweets happening now tailored for you (by Twitter) from people you may or may not

Activity of the people you are following e.g. who they have followed recently and retweeted or favorited. This doesn’t include their tweets.

Twitter’s suggestions of people for you to follow based on who you already follow. There is also a search box to find people you know using their full name or their

Page 10

for you (by Twitter) from people you may or may not

Activity of the people you are following e.g. who they have followed recently and retweeted or favorited. This doesn’t include their tweets.

Twitter’s suggestions of people for you to follow based on who you already follow. There is also a search box to find people you know using their full name or their

(12)

4. Find friends

Connect to your email accounts to find your contacts on Twitter. There is also a search box (see number 3 above), and an invite box for you to invite people you know to Twitter, using their email address.

5. Browse Categories

(13)

Me Tab

1. Your Profile/Tweets

This is your Twitter Profile. If you direct anyone to

this is the page they will go to. They will be able to see your bio and your most recent tweets.

2. Following

This gives a detailed list of the people you are following.

3. Followers

This gives a detailed list of the people who are following you.

4. Favorites

This gives a list of the most recent tweets you have favorited.

1 2 3 4 5 7

This is your Twitter Profile. If you direct anyone to www.twitter.com/yourusername this is the page they will go to. They will be able to see your bio and your most

This gives a detailed list of the people you are following.

This gives a detailed list of the people who are following you.

This gives a list of the most recent tweets you have favorited.

Page 12

www.twitter.com/yourusername this is the page they will go to. They will be able to see your bio and your most

(14)

5. Lists

This gives a detailed list of the lists you have created and have subscribed to and lists you have been included in.

6. Direct Message

This allows you to send a private direct message to someone. You must be following them and they must be following you to allow you to do this.

7. View all photos & videos

(15)

Search Box

Search

The place to type keywords to find tweet the keyword ‘marketing’.

1. Tweets

Once you hit ‘enter’ after typing your keyword into the search box you’ll get a list of tweets that include those keywords. You can filter by

tweets by People you know

2. People

Gives you a list of people who have those keywords in their name or Twitter @username.

3. Top Photo

Gives you photos that have be

1

2

3

4

The place to type keywords to find tweets talking about specific things – example below for

Once you hit ‘enter’ after typing your keyword into the search box you’ll get a list of tweets that include those keywords. You can filter by Top tweets,

People you know

Gives you a list of people who have those keywords in their name or Twitter

Gives you photos that have been included in tweets with those keywords.

Page 14

example below for

Once you hit ‘enter’ after typing your keyword into the search box you’ll get a list of , tweets by All or

Gives you a list of people who have those keywords in their name or Twitter

(16)

4. Top Videos

(17)

Search Options

Going back to our ‘marketing’ search example

1. Advanced Search

This takes you to an advanced search page with lots of extra search parameters.

to our ‘marketing’ search example – click the cog wheel to open the options

2

3

Page 16

click the cog wheel to open the options box.

1 2

(18)

2. Save Search

If you get some good search results for your keywords and you want to do that search regularly then click Save Search. To find your saved searches – click on Home, then click in the Search box and a list of your searches will appear.

3. Embed Search

(19)

Quick Links Wheel

1. Edit Profile

Quick link to your Edit Profile box.

2. Direct Messages

Quick link to your Private Direct Message box.

3. Lists

Quick link to the lists you have created,

4. Help

Twitter’s own help section.

5. Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcuts to make your Twitter experience faster.

6. Settings

Quick link to your Settings section.

7. Sign Out

Sign out of Twitter.

Quick link to your Edit Profile box.

Quick link to your Private Direct Message box.

Quick link to the lists you have created, subscribed to or been included on.

Twitter’s own help section.

Shortcuts to make your Twitter experience faster.

Quick link to your Settings section.

2

4

7

Page 18

subscribed to or been included on.

1

3

5 6

(20)

Summary of a Profile

Clicking on someone’s name in a tweet or a list brings up a summary of their profile. This allows you to browse their bio, location, number of tweets, following & followers as well as their last two tweets. It also shows the date of their last tweet. TI

tweeted for a while it’s probably not worth following them.

You’ll also notice a Follow button (the example below says ‘Following’ as I’m already following Warren).

Clicking on someone’s name in a tweet or a list brings up a summary of their profile. This allows you to browse their bio, location, number of tweets, following & followers as well as their last two tweets. It also shows the date of their last tweet. TIP: If they haven’t

tweeted for a while it’s probably not worth following them.

You’ll also notice a Follow button (the example below says ‘Following’ as I’m already

Page 19

Clicking on someone’s name in a tweet or a list brings up a summary of their profile. This allows you to browse their bio, location, number of tweets, following & followers as well as

P: If they haven’t

(21)

If you click the head and shoulders icon next to the follow button options.

If you click the head and shoulders icon next to the follow button you’ll see the following

Page 20

(22)

Create your

(23)

Creating your Twitter profile

(& getting your settings right)

Your Twitter profile is like your shop window, its purpose is to attract people to you and once they’ve found you it should encourage them to ‘come in’ and find out more.

There are several parts to setting up your account and creating your profile. All of these actions are done from your Settings Panel.

Creating your Twitter profile

(& getting your settings right)

is like your shop window, its purpose is to attract people to you and once they’ve found you it should encourage them to ‘come in’ and find out more.

There are several parts to setting up your account and creating your profile. All of these are done from your Settings Panel.

Page 22

is like your shop window, its purpose is to attract people to you and once they’ve found you it should encourage them to ‘come in’ and find out more.

(24)

Click on Settings and you’ll see a screen similar to this.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Click on Settings and you’ll see a screen similar to this.

(25)

1. Account

Username (part of your visible profile)

This is also known as your @username or your Twitter ID. Choose something that people will recognise you by such as your name, your company name or something that sums up what you provide (e.g. @kljsocialmedia). Try not to include numbers after it (e.g. karenjames1) unless of course your company name has numbers in it! You have a limit of 15 characters to play with so you might have to be a bit creative! Once you’ve set your username it’s not set in stone, you can change it at any time without it affecting your twitter account, your followers or your previous tweets. But if you do change it remember to let your followers know what your new username is a few times in tweets over a couple of weeks till they get used to it.

Email Address

You can only have one Twitter account attached to an email address (so if you wanted multiple Twitter accounts you’d need different email addresses for them). Your email address isn’t displayed on your profile but you can tick the box to ‘Let others find me by my email address’.

Language

Set Twitter to the language you’re most comfortable with. You’ll then see your Twitter menus in that language. It doesn’t translate other people’s tweets for you but Twitter does have a translation feature here

https://translate.twitter.com/welcome

Time Zone

The time stamps you see on tweets will be the time of the time zone you choose here. So if you choose GMT and you see a tweet from someone in the USA the time stamp on the tweet will have been converted to the GMT time zone.

(26)

Tweet Location

If you want your location to show up on the Details of your tweet (when someone clicks ‘expand’) then you need to tick the box that says ‘Add a location to my Tweets’. This is turned off by default. If you leave it turned off you can choose to add a location as and when you write a tweet by clicking the location icon under the ‘compose new tweet’ box.

Tweet Media

You can choose to ‘Display media that may contain sensitive content’ or ‘Mark my media as containing sensitive content’. The Twitter Best Practices section quotes sensitive content as images or videos that contain things such as ‘nudity, violence or medical procedures’. https://support.twitter.com/articles/20169200

Tweet Privacy

All tweets are by default ‘public’ and can be seen by anyone on Twitter or may show up in an internet search. For people who are using Twitter for personal reasons you may want to tick the box that says ‘Protect My Tweets’. Anyone wanting to follow you will then have to be approved by you before they see your tweets. A ‘lock’ icon will show up beside your Twitter ID so people know you have tweet privacy. If you’re using Twitter for business then I would advise you leave your tweets public.

Personalization

This is currently being rolled out and is not available to all Twitter accounts yet (as at 18 May 2013). Turning this on will allow Twitter to give you suggestions of people to follow based on the websites you have visited (ones that have integrated Twitter buttons or widgets).

Password Reset

If you forget your password and have to ask for a reset, Twitter will by default ask only for your @username. If you tick the box here you will also be asked for your email address or phone number as an extra verification.

(27)

Country

Your country setting only affects your browsing you are in some content may be withheld.

https://support.twitter.com/articles/20169222

Your Twitter Archive

You can request a file containing your informa

link will be emailed to you when the file is ready to be downloaded.

Deactivate your account

If you decide you don’t want to use your Twitter account anymore, rather than just let it sit there – deactivate and delete it! A business account that hasn’t tweeted for more than a month may look like the business is no longer around. If you want to delete your Twitter account

account will be held for 30 days and then permanently deleted.

2. Password

Choose this tab if you want to change your Twitter password.

Your country setting only affects your browsing ability. Depending on the country you are in some content may be withheld.

You can request a file containing your information, starting with your first Tweet. A link will be emailed to you when the file is ready to be downloaded.

Deactivate your account

If you decide you don’t want to use your Twitter account anymore, rather than just deactivate and delete it! A business account that hasn’t tweeted for more than a month may look like the business is no longer around. If you want to delete your Twitter account for any reason you must first deactivate

account will be held for 30 days and then permanently deleted.

Choose this tab if you want to change your Twitter password.

Page 26

ability. Depending on the country

tion, starting with your first Tweet. A link will be emailed to you when the file is ready to be downloaded.

If you decide you don’t want to use your Twitter account anymore, rather than just deactivate and delete it! A business account that hasn’t tweeted for more than a month may look like the business is no longer around. If you want to

(28)

3. Mobile

From here you can download the Twitter app for your phone. You can also activate Twitter Text Messaging here

don’t have a charge from Twitter but you may be charged by your mobile phone provider depending on your service plan.

4. Email Notifications

From here you can download the Twitter app for your phone. You can also activate Twitter Text Messaging here – you will receive tweets and notifications by text which don’t have a charge from Twitter but you may be charged by your mobile phone provider depending on your service plan.

Page 27

From here you can download the Twitter app for your phone. You can also activate you will receive tweets and notifications by text which don’t have a charge from Twitter but you may be charged by your mobile phone

(29)

You can opt to receive a notification by email when:

• Your tweets are marked as favourites or retweeted • Your tweets get a reply or you’re mentioned in a tweet

• You’re followed by someone new (this may be interesting when you first set up your account but as you start to get more followers it could get a little annoying!) • You’re sent a Direct Message (private message only seen by you)

• You can choose to receive email notifications about top tweets, stories and updates from your network.

(30)

5. Profile

Your Twitter profile box will look similar to this but it won’t include the two pictures on either side of your photo

Header which I’ll explain shortly)

Page 29

Your Twitter profile box will look similar to this but it won’t include the two pictures on either side of your photo – this is part of the Header which I’ll explain shortly)

(31)

Photo (part of your visible profile)

The recommended size for your Twitter Photo is 81px x 81px. Your photo will show up next to every tweet you make. If you’re a one-person businesses it’s a good idea to have a professional head and shoulders shot of yourself as people like to put a face to a business (and they’ll recognise you if you decide to meet up offline). If you’re not a one-person business (i.e. there’s more than one of you in your company) your logo may be a better option. Choose one of these options rather than just leaving the generic Twitter egg photo!

Header (part of your visible profile)

The recommended size for the Twitter header is 1252px x 626px with a maximum file size of 5MB. This header contains your profile photo and your bio so the picture you choose to upload needs to make these stand out. If you’d like a header

designed but don’t have graphic design skills then a website called

http://fiverr.com is useful. You can get a decent header designed for only $5! (Note mind was done in Microsoft PowerPoint and saved as a jpg file)

Name (part of your visible profile)

If you’re a one-person business then your own real name should be added here. If you have several people in your business then your company name would be better. You want people to be able to find you in a search so don’t use something obscure!

Location (part of your visible profile)

If you’re a local business and want to show up in a search then adding the town where you’re based is a good idea. If it’s not essential that people know you’re in a specific town then you can be a bit more generic and use the county or even the country where you’re based.

(32)

Website (part of your visible profile)

Twitter allows you to put a link to a webpage in your bio. This will show up in your header box. It doesn’t have to be your website’s home page you send people to, in fact it’s probably better to make the link to a blog page or even a dedicated landing page for Twitter followers that showcases a compelling free offer.

Bio (part of your visible profile)

You only have 160 characters here so take some time to think about what you want to say. Remember to include some keywords here so your Twitter account shows up in searches for the product or service you provide. (Use the keyword list you created in the free ebook: Generating Leads with Social Media or alternatively see the

Keyword exercise at the end of this section). As well as saying what your business does it’s a nice touch to add something personal e.g. hobbies, interests – we don’t always have to talk business! This is also your pitch to encourage people to follow you once they’ve found your profile. Can you explain what you do, who you do it for and how it benefits them, all in 160 characters?

Facebook

Twitter gives you the option to connect your account to your Facebook account and share your tweets to your Facebook personal profile or Facebook business page. I don’t recommend you do this as tweets include symbols and terminology that only apply to Twitter and may only confuse your Facebook fans.

(33)

6. Design

(34)

Twitter gives you a choice of generic backgrounds to use on your account. The default one being the light blue cloud background. The background design is visible to you when you’re browsing Twitter and to other people when they click to view your profile. There’s also an option on this page to

choice of free background templates. Try not to choose a colour that’s very bright as it can be hard on the eyes.

You could also customise your Twitter background to ref

your own images to make your Twitter account reflect the branding on your website and other social media accounts

background.

If you’d like a customised Twitter background designed yo if you don’t have graphic design skills.

Twitter gives you a choice of generic backgrounds to use on your account. The default one being the light blue cloud background. The background design is visible to you when you’re browsing Twitter and to other people when they click to view

ile. There’s also an option on this page to sign up to Themeleon for a bigger background templates. Try not to choose a colour that’s very bright as it can be hard on the eyes.

ustomise your Twitter background to reflect your brand. Upload your own images to make your Twitter account reflect the branding on your website and other social media accounts. Example below of Mari Smith’s Twitter

If you’d like a customised Twitter background designed you can try if you don’t have graphic design skills.

Page 33

Twitter gives you a choice of generic backgrounds to use on your account. The default one being the light blue cloud background. The background design is visible to you when you’re browsing Twitter and to other people when they click to view

sign up to Themeleon for a bigger background templates. Try not to choose a colour that’s very bright

lect your brand. Upload your own images to make your Twitter account reflect the branding on your website

. Example below of Mari Smith’s Twitter

(35)

7. Apps

Any application you have used that has requested access to your Twitter account can be found in here. If you no longer want the app to have access to your account then click Revoke Access.

8. Widgets

Add a Twitter stream to your website from here. You have the options to add the following streams:

User Timeline: This is a live st website get the most up

Favourites: Show a stream of the tweets you’ve added to your Favourites. If you get a lot of people recommending you in tweets, then favourite th

instant social proof on your website.

Lists: Choose to show a stream of tweets from one of your lists. If you’ve got an ‘Industry Expert’ list set up then streaming their tweets on your website would be very beneficial to your

help promote their businesses.

Any application you have used that has requested access to your Twitter account can be found in here. If you no longer want the app to have access to your account then

Add a Twitter stream to your website from here. You have the options to add the

This is a live stream of your own tweets – let people who view your website get the most up-to-date information from you.

Show a stream of the tweets you’ve added to your Favourites. If you get a lot of people recommending you in tweets, then favourite these and you’ve got instant social proof on your website.

Choose to show a stream of tweets from one of your lists. If you’ve got an ‘Industry Expert’ list set up then streaming their tweets on your website would be very beneficial to your viewers. Or maybe you want to stream your clients

help promote their businesses.

Page 34

Any application you have used that has requested access to your Twitter account can be found in here. If you no longer want the app to have access to your account then

Add a Twitter stream to your website from here. You have the options to add the

let people who view your

Show a stream of the tweets you’ve added to your Favourites. If you get ese and you’ve got

Choose to show a stream of tweets from one of your lists. If you’ve got an ‘Industry Expert’ list set up then streaming their tweets on your website would be

(36)

Search: If you’ve got your own #hashtag tweetchat going then include a stream of tweets from that.

If you’ve got your own #hashtag tweetchat going then include a stream of

Page 35

(37)

Generating Leads with Twitter - www.kljsocialmedia.com Page 36 Keyword Exercise

Choose FIVE words or short phrases you think most people would type into a search box when they’re looking for what you provide

Consider: location, benefits, problems, questions, product/service name etc.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Use https://adwords.google.com/o/KeywordTool to determine popularity for your keywords. (Tick the box ‘exact’ match when searching)

Look at the other keywords ideas – are there any that are more popular that you hadn’t thought of?

Adjust your list of 5 to reflect what you find.

You’ll need these when filling out your social media profiles, writing posts & searching social media platforms for opportunities

(38)

Building

Your

Network

(39)

Building your network

When you use Twitter you want people to see the things you tweet about so you need people to ‘follow’ you. If no-one is following you then you’re basically talking to yourself. The easiest way to start is for YOU to follow people, they’ll notice that you’ve followed them (if they check their @Connect tab) and hopefully your profile is so enticing they’ll follow you back!

Who to follow

If we start with the notion that if we follow someone they’ll possibly follow us back then we need to follow the right people. There’s not much point in following random folk – they need to be those who can help you achieve your business objectives – those who can teach you things you need to know, prospective customers, suppliers, your existing network who will be happy to share your tweets, referral partners. Go back and look at the ‘Build a targeted network’ section in the free ebook: ‘Generating Leads with Social Media’ (or alternatively see the Exercise at the end of this section).

Note: You can follow anyone on Twitter who has their account set at ‘public’. They don’t have to approve you first, which makes it much easier to connect with people and start to build relationships.

People you already know

If you already know someone (e.g. offline networking contacts, existing customers etc) they’ll be more likely to follow you back, comment on your tweets and retweet what you say. If Contact A comments on your tweet or retweets you this shows up on the timeline of the people who follow Contact A, which gets you in front of even more people and helps you grow your network.

How to find the people you already know

Click the #Discover tab and then click Find Friends. If you already know their Twitter username then it’s a simple process of typing it into the search box and finding the right account. Click the follow button next to their name.

(40)

That person will then be added to the list of people you are following and you will start to see their Tweets on your home page in the tweet stream.

If you don’t know their Twitter

Twitter account. This is why when filling your own profi

name or Twitter @username is something easy to find in a search. Your photo or logo is also very important for this reason because

gets a whole list of results you want them to be able to easily pick out your account.

Note: When you type a name into the search box and click enter you’ll be presented with the ‘tweet’ search results, which means you’ll see tweets that have that name included rather than Twitter accounts of that name. To see Twitter accounts with that name click on the ‘people’ option. (see below).

That person will then be added to the list of people you are following and you will start to see their Tweets on your home page in the tweet stream.

If you don’t know their Twitter username then enter their actual name to see if they have a Twitter account. This is why when filling your own profile out you need to make sure your

username is something easy to find in a search. Your photo or logo is nt for this reason because if someone you know does a search for you and gets a whole list of results you want them to be able to easily pick out your account.

Note: When you type a name into the search box and click enter you’ll be presented with weet’ search results, which means you’ll see tweets that have that name included rather than Twitter accounts of that name. To see Twitter accounts with that name click on the ‘people’ option. (see below).

Page 39

That person will then be added to the list of people you are following and you will start to

then enter their actual name to see if they have a le out you need to make sure your username is something easy to find in a search. Your photo or logo is

does a search for you and gets a whole list of results you want them to be able to easily pick out your account.

Note: When you type a name into the search box and click enter you’ll be presented with weet’ search results, which means you’ll see tweets that have that name included rather than Twitter accounts of that name. To see Twitter accounts with that name click on

(41)

You can also see if any of the people you

email server (Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo or AOL). Once you grant access you will be presented with a list of your contacts who do have a Twitter account and an option to follow them. You’ll also see a list of the ones who don’t have a Twitter account with an option to invite them to join Twitter.

also see if any of the people you know have a Twitter account by connecting to your email server (Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo or AOL). Once you grant access you will be presented with a list of your contacts who do have a Twitter account and an option to follow them.

the ones who don’t have a Twitter account with an option to invite

Page 40

have a Twitter account by connecting to your email server (Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo or AOL). Once you grant access you will be presented with a list of your contacts who do have a Twitter account and an option to follow them.

(42)

Note: Before you run off and start looking for people to follow, please read ‘Creating Lists’ at the end of this section.

Finding other people to follow

Look at who other people are following to see if there’s anyone interesting you’d like to follow. Go to your home page and click on ‘following’. This brings up a list of the people you’re following with a clip of their Twitter bio. Click on someone’s name to bring up their profile summary. Underneath their photo & bio will be ‘Tweets’ ‘Following’ and ‘Followers’. Click on either Following or Followers to bring up a list.

You can then browse these lists to see if there’s anyone you’d like to follow. Before you click the follow button, click on the person’s name to bring up their profile summary – you can then check when they last tweeted. Take a look through their last few tweets, does this person tweet the kind of things you would be interested in? (If someone hasn’t tweeted for quite a while then it’s probably not worth following them as they may have stopped using Twitter).

You may also want to take a look at who your competitors are following and who is following them. But remember they can also do the same to you.

Twitter’s Who to Follow feature

Click the #Discover tab, then click ‘Who to Follow’. Twitter will give you a list of suggestions based on the type of people you’re already following and keywords you’ve got in your own bio.

Browse Categories

You can also click Browse Categories from the #Discover tab. You’ll be presented with a selection of categories, each having a number of suggestions for Twitter accounts to follow.

(43)

Do you want to follow people in certain professions but don

The Advanced Search feature is very useful for finding people this way.

By typing keywords into the advanced search feature you can find people to follow based on what they’re talking about. See Page 14 of the ‘Tour of Twitter’ Section

Advanced Search page.

Example: If you want to connect with may include in their tweets i.e

Do you want to follow people in certain professions but don’t know any names? feature is very useful for finding people this way.

By typing keywords into the advanced search feature you can find people to follow based on what they’re talking about. See Page 14 of the ‘Tour of Twitter’ Section for how to find the

Example: If you want to connect with accountants do a search for the type of words th i.e. self-assessment or tax return.

Page 42

’t know any names?

By typing keywords into the advanced search feature you can find people to follow based on for how to find the

(44)

Hit the search button and you’ll get a results include those words in the location you specified.

You can then browse the tweets, see if any of the people mentioning those words are accountants (remember to click on the name to bring up their profile s

click follow.

Note: If you don’t type in a specific location you’ll get tweets from people anywhere in the world, so if you need local connections you’ll need to use this search parameter.

Hit the search button and you’ll get a results page that by default will show you tweets that include those words in the location you specified.

then browse the tweets, see if any of the people mentioning those words are accountants (remember to click on the name to bring up their profile summary) and then

Page 43

page that by default will show you tweets that

then browse the tweets, see if any of the people mentioning those words are ummary) and then

(45)

Creating Lists

Once you start following lots of people on Twitter your timeline can become a little unmanageable! Unless you’re sitting in front of Twitter 24/7 there’s no way you can read every tweet from every follower.

You’ll notice lots of people on Twitter who have thousands o following thousands of people back

keep up with it all?!’ The answer is they’re probably not.

It’s up to you whether you follow back everyone who follows you

a polite thing to do and others will only follow people they have an interest in right now. It’s a personal decision, but if you decide you’re going to follow everyone back then you’ll need to have a way to ‘filter out the noise’ and only conc

can help you meet your objectives now.

To filter out the noise on Twitter they’ve added a fantastic feature called

How to create a list

From your Me tab, click Lists Then click the ‘Create a list’ button

following lots of people on Twitter your timeline can become a little unmanageable! Unless you’re sitting in front of Twitter 24/7 there’s no way you can read every tweet from every follower.

You’ll notice lots of people on Twitter who have thousands of followers and are also following thousands of people back – are you thinking to yourself ‘how on earth do they keep up with it all?!’ The answer is they’re probably not.

It’s up to you whether you follow back everyone who follows you – some people th

a polite thing to do and others will only follow people they have an interest in right now. It’s a personal decision, but if you decide you’re going to follow everyone back then you’ll need to have a way to ‘filter out the noise’ and only concentrate on the tweets of the people who can help you meet your objectives now.

To filter out the noise on Twitter they’ve added a fantastic feature called Lists.

Then click the ‘Create a list’ button.

Page 44

following lots of people on Twitter your timeline can become a little unmanageable! Unless you’re sitting in front of Twitter 24/7 there’s no way you can read

f followers and are also are you thinking to yourself ‘how on earth do they

some people think this is a polite thing to do and others will only follow people they have an interest in right now. It’s a personal decision, but if you decide you’re going to follow everyone back then you’ll need

entrate on the tweets of the people who

(46)

Give your list a name. You could set up different lists for existing customers, hot prospects, journalists, influencers, offline contacts etc.

You only need to fill in the description box if you’re going to make the list ‘Public’.

If you leave the list public this means that anyone can browse your list and see who you’ve included on it. Other people can also follow your list without following the people on it. If you make a list ‘Private’ then only you can see that you’ve actually creat

you will see who you’ve put on it.

If you create a list for existing customers you probably want to make it private, but for other lists it’s a personal choice.

I’d advise that you go ahead and create lists for each of the most

people you intend to follow. Then when you find someone to follow you can add them to the appropriate list straight away.

You could set up different lists for existing customers, hot prospects, journalists, influencers, offline contacts etc.

leave the list public this means that anyone can browse your list and see who you’ve included on it. Other people can also follow your list without following the people on it. If you make a list ‘Private’ then only you can see that you’ve actually created the list so only you will see who you’ve put on it.

If you create a list for existing customers you probably want to make it private, but for other

I’d advise that you go ahead and create lists for each of the most important categories of people you intend to follow. Then when you find someone to follow you can add them to the appropriate list straight away.

Page 45

You could set up different lists for existing customers, hot prospects,

leave the list public this means that anyone can browse your list and see who you’ve included on it. Other people can also follow your list without following the people on it. If

ed the list so only

If you create a list for existing customers you probably want to make it private, but for other

important categories of people you intend to follow. Then when you find someone to follow you can add them to

(47)

To add someone to your list, click the head and shoulders icon next to their follow button and choose ‘add or remove from lists’.

You’ll then be presented with a box that says ‘Your lists’

choose the one most appropriate for that person. You can add people to more than one list.

Note you don’t have to follow someone

To add someone to your list, click the head and shoulders icon next to their follow button or remove from lists’.

You’ll then be presented with a box that says ‘Your lists’ – if you’ve created more than one choose the one most appropriate for that person. You can add people to more than one

Note you don’t have to follow someone to add them to your list.

Page 46

To add someone to your list, click the head and shoulders icon next to their follow button

if you’ve created more than one choose the one most appropriate for that person. You can add people to more than one

(48)

If you do add someone to a ‘public’ list then that person can see that you’ve done so if they check their ‘Members of’ tab in their own list section. (Find this screen by clicking Me Tab, click Lists)

Filtering out the noise

Once you’ve created your lists and added people to them you can start ‘filtering out the noise’ by clicking on the list you created (you’ll find the lists in the List section on your Me tab). You’ll then be able to read just the tweets from the people in

If you do add someone to a ‘public’ list then that person can see that you’ve done so if they check their ‘Members of’ tab in their own list section. (Find this screen by clicking Me Tab,

Once you’ve created your lists and added people to them you can start ‘filtering out the noise’ by clicking on the list you created (you’ll find the lists in the List section on your Me

You’ll then be able to read just the tweets from the people in that list.

Page 47

If you do add someone to a ‘public’ list then that person can see that you’ve done so if they check their ‘Members of’ tab in their own list section. (Find this screen by clicking Me Tab,

Once you’ve created your lists and added people to them you can start ‘filtering out the noise’ by clicking on the list you created (you’ll find the lists in the List section on your Me

(49)

Other Building your network tips

Follower/Following Ratio

Once you’ve followed 2000 people you will have reached a Twitter limit and won’t be able to follow anyone else until the number of people who follow you catches us. You can read more about Twitter Limits in their Help Section here:

Blocking People

Occasionally you may get someone following you who you don’t particularly want showing up in your list of followers – it wouldn’t look very professional if a prospect took a look at your list of followers and half of them were spammers for example! So unless your business is one that actually markets to spammers I’d recommend you block them. This means they won’t show up in your list of followers and they also won’t be able to follow you. You can see more on blocking people on the Twitter Help Section here: https://support.twitter.com/articles/117063-blocking-people-on-twitter

(50)

Build Your Network Exercise

Which people are in the best position to help you achieve your goals?

Person/Role Why this person/role?

People you know (existing customers, suppliers, networking colleagues etc.)

They will be most likely to share your content and recommend you on social networks

Professions/Job Title These people are your target market or are the decision maker (see Target Market Exercise on next page)

Referral Partners (you may not have actual names so just dot down the type of business)

They have the same target market as you but don’t offer the same product or service

Location If you’re a local retailer then location will be essential

Industry/target market publications/magazines Good way of finding relevant people to connect to. You can also get involved in conversations with the publications and as a consequence will reach their followers

Connectors People who have a very large network of

contacts and will be happy to introduce you

Influencers Those in your industry who you look up to,

would love to share a stage with or have a conversation with. They’ll have the same followers you’re looking for so you can browse their network and also if you get into a conversation with them their followers will see it !

Take some time to do this exercise and come up with lots of people and types of business you want to connect with.

(51)

Target Market Exercise

The better you know your ideal customer the easier it’s going to be to find them and give them what they want. Think of them as a character in a novel so you’ll know exactly who to target and what their characteristics might be.

Male/Female Age Location Profession Role Salary Children Married/Single Hobbies

What other aspects of their lives are important?

What problems/pain does your product or service solve for them?

What questions do your current customers frequently ask you about your product or service?

(52)

Building

(53)

Building Relationships

Now you’ve created an enticing, search engine friendly profile and you’ve started to build a network the next step is to build relationships with that network. If you don’t interact with the people you follow you’re not going to show up on their radar and they’re not likely to help you in any way.

Listening to the people you follow is a good place to start. Read their tweets – sounds like common sense but you’d be amazed at how many people just broadcast their own tweets and don’t bother to read any!

A tweet is the 140 character message that you post on your Twitter account for others to read.

Let’s look at what you can do with a tweet.

If you hover your cursor over a tweet you’ll see some extra buttons appear within the tweet.

To start building relationships with people you’re following you need to

interact with their tweets.

Expand: This shows you the date and time the tweet was posted and will also show the person’s location if they have them turned on. Can be useful if you come across the tweet in a search and you want to know how current it is.

Reply: Brings up a reply box for you to reply to the tweet. Replying to other people’s tweets is a great way to get on their radar. When you click reply it opens up a reply box

(54)

which includes that person’s @username. You can then just type your reply, sticking to the 140 character limit. You’ll see the numbers count down as you type. Once you’ve checked your reply to make sure there are no spelling mistakes you just need to click the Tweet button and it’s automatically posted into the tweet stream. Using the example below, my reply will show up in Pete’s @Connect tab, under Mentions, as his @username has been included in the tweet. Your @Connect tab is where you’ll find any tweet that includes your @username and should be the first thing you browse when logging in to Twitter.

You can start to build relationships by replying to tweets, having conversations just like you would if you met someone offline (albeit in short 140 character messages!). Some tweets will be easy to reply to, especially if it’s a question. With other tweets you might have to explore it – if it’s a tweet with a link then click it, read the content and then go back and comment on what you’ve read.

Retweet: Retweeting is a fantastic way to help someone grow their followers and is certainly something you want people to do with your tweets. If you retweet someone’s tweet this means you’re posting it onto your own Twitter account so you can share it with your followers. Just like the ‘reply’ the person will notice you’ve retweeted them as it will show up on their @Connect tab under Interactions.

(55)

To Retweet just click the Retweet button within the tweet, a box will pop up asking if you want to retweet it to your followers.

To add you own comment to a retweet you will need to copy and paste the tweet into your own ‘compose tweet’ box and then add your bit on the

This is what it would look like in my tweet stream if I just hit the Retweet button

This is what it looks like if I copy, paste and add my own comment at the end (in brackets). I’ve also included the RT @networknorth at the b

back to them.

the Retweet button within the tweet, a box will pop up asking if you want to retweet it to your followers.

To add you own comment to a retweet you will need to copy and paste the tweet into your own ‘compose tweet’ box and then add your bit on the end. (See example below)

This is what it looks like if I copy, paste and add my own comment at the end (in brackets). I’ve also included the RT @networknorth at the beginning of the tweet to credit the tweet

Page 54

the Retweet button within the tweet, a box will pop up asking if you

To add you own comment to a retweet you will need to copy and paste the tweet into your end. (See example below)

This is what it looks like if I copy, paste and add my own comment at the end (in brackets). eginning of the tweet to credit the tweet

(56)

Favorite: Clicking the favourite button means you’re saving the tweet into your Favorites list of tweets. You can find your Favorites list by clicking on Favorites on your Me tab.

Clicking ‘favorite’ on someone’s tweet is a compliment. It means you’re saving it because it includes a link you want to look at later or it’s a tip you think is useful or it’s something you want to retweet at a later date. (See another way to use Favorites in t

‘Establishing Expert Status’)

Again if you favourite someone’s tweet they’ll see that in their @Connect tab (as below).

More: Click the more button and you get the option to email the tweet to someone or embed the tweet on your website.

Emailing a tweet can be a great way of introducing two people to each other or helping someone out by sending them some valuable information

relationships.

If you click embed it gives you a piece of code to copy and paste int

can display the tweet for your website visitors to see. Embedding someone’s tweet on your own website would be a fantastic way of showing them you value their content.

View Conversation

Sometimes you’ll see a tweet that is

see what the whole conversation was. In these tweets you’ll see a ‘View conversation’ button appear. This allows you to see the string of replies and trace it back to the original tweet. (see example below).

Clicking the favourite button means you’re saving the tweet into your Favorites list of tweets. You can find your Favorites list by clicking on Favorites on your Me tab.

‘favorite’ on someone’s tweet is a compliment. It means you’re saving it because it includes a link you want to look at later or it’s a tip you think is useful or it’s something you want to retweet at a later date. (See another way to use Favorites in the section

Click the more button and you get the option to email the tweet to someone or embed the tweet on your website.

Emailing a tweet can be a great way of introducing two people to each other or helping someone out by sending them some valuable information – more great ways to build

If you click embed it gives you a piece of code to copy and paste into your website so you can display the tweet for your website visitors to see. Embedding someone’s tweet on your own website would be a fantastic way of showing them you value their content.

Sometimes you’ll see a tweet that is obviously a reply to something and you might want to see what the whole conversation was. In these tweets you’ll see a ‘View conversation’ button appear. This allows you to see the string of replies and trace it back to the original

Page 55

Clicking the favourite button means you’re saving the tweet into your Favorites list of tweets. You can find your Favorites list by clicking on Favorites on your Me tab.

‘favorite’ on someone’s tweet is a compliment. It means you’re saving it because it includes a link you want to look at later or it’s a tip you think is useful or it’s something you

he section

Click the more button and you get the option to email the tweet to someone or

Emailing a tweet can be a great way of introducing two people to each other or helping more great ways to build

o your website so you can display the tweet for your website visitors to see. Embedding someone’s tweet on your own website would be a fantastic way of showing them you value their content.

obviously a reply to something and you might want to see what the whole conversation was. In these tweets you’ll see a ‘View conversation’ button appear. This allows you to see the string of replies and trace it back to the original

(57)

Using Search to build relationships

Browsing your tweet stream can be time

‘Building your Network’ section, creating lists of people can help filter out the noise so you can concentrate on building relationships with those most important to you.

But if you only listen to people you’re following you could miss out on some great opportunities.

Twitter’s Search or Advanced Search feature helps you find conversations to get involved in.

Have your keyword list to hand to help you search for tweets you can respond to.

Using Search to build relationships

Browsing your tweet stream can be time-consuming and as I already mentioned in the ‘Building your Network’ section, creating lists of people can help filter out the noise so you

building relationships with those most important to you.

But if you only listen to people you’re following you could miss out on some great

e your keyword list to hand to help you search for tweets you can respond to.

Page 56

consuming and as I already mentioned in the ‘Building your Network’ section, creating lists of people can help filter out the noise so you

building relationships with those most important to you.

But if you only listen to people you’re following you could miss out on some great

(58)

Here’s an example of something my good friend Chris found when he did a search on ‘public speaking’. He gave some more details on the topic (of which he’s an expert) and widened his network.

Remember this is an opportunity to start building relationships with new people, so be helpful. If you find relevant tweets in a search try the following:

• Give a brief answer if you can

• Give a link to a blog, article or video that exp detail (either your own or someone else’s)

• If you don’t know the answer, but know someone who does then mention them in the tweet

Don’t try and sell them something at this point, unless they’re actually asking for who can sell to them!

Here’s an example of something my good friend Chris found when he did a search on ‘public speaking’. He gave some more details on the topic (of which he’s an expert) and widened

Remember this is an opportunity to start building relationships with new people, so be helpful. If you find relevant tweets in a search try the following:

Give a brief answer if you can

Give a link to a blog, article or video that explains what they’re looking for in more detail (either your own or someone else’s)

If you don’t know the answer, but know someone who does then mention them in

Don’t try and sell them something at this point, unless they’re actually asking for

Page 57

Here’s an example of something my good friend Chris found when he did a search on ‘public speaking’. He gave some more details on the topic (of which he’s an expert) and widened

Remember this is an opportunity to start building relationships with new people, so be

lains what they’re looking for in more

If you don’t know the answer, but know someone who does then mention them in

(59)

Which brings me on to a search I do regularly. I’ve got a Saved Search for the phrase ‘can anyone recommend’.

I do this search on a local basis so I can recommend people I network with offline, but you could search further afield if you or your contacts don’t rely on local customers.

It’s a great search for introducing yourself as someone who sells what they want, but it’s also great for recommending others.

Remember social ‘networking’ is about helping others as we business.

Using Hashtags to build relationships

First let me explain what a #hashtag is.

Placing the hashtag symbol # in front of a word or words (no spaces in between) turns the word or words into a clickable link within the

stream of tweets which all include that #hashtag.

Anyone who watches television or listens to radio will have heard presenters say ‘join the conversation on Twitter using this hashtag ... e.g. #BGT (Britain’s Got

(BBC’s Watchdog programme).

The hashtag is used to make it easier to follow a Twitter discussion around the same topic.

Which brings me on to a search I do regularly. I’ve got a Saved Search for the phrase ‘can

I do this search on a local basis so I can recommend people I network with offline, but you urther afield if you or your contacts don’t rely on local customers.

It’s a great search for introducing yourself as someone who sells what they want, but it’s also great for recommending others.

Remember social ‘networking’ is about helping others as well as marketing your own

Using Hashtags to build relationships

First let me explain what a #hashtag is.

Placing the hashtag symbol # in front of a word or words (no spaces in between) turns the word or words into a clickable link within the tweet. When you click on it you’ll see a stream of tweets which all include that #hashtag.

Anyone who watches television or listens to radio will have heard presenters say ‘join the conversation on Twitter using this hashtag ... e.g. #BGT (Britain’s Got Talent), #Watchdog (BBC’s Watchdog programme).

The hashtag is used to make it easier to follow a Twitter discussion around the same topic.

Page 58

Which brings me on to a search I do regularly. I’ve got a Saved Search for the phrase ‘can

I do this search on a local basis so I can recommend people I network with offline, but you urther afield if you or your contacts don’t rely on local customers.

It’s a great search for introducing yourself as someone who sells what they want, but it’s

ll as marketing your own

Placing the hashtag symbol # in front of a word or words (no spaces in between) turns the tweet. When you click on it you’ll see a

Anyone who watches television or listens to radio will have heard presenters say ‘join the Talent), #Watchdog