For newer Twits, it may very well be. For those of us who were “early adopters”, we’ve got clearly different experiences. I remember Twitter before every television show and celebrity and news station had a Twitter account. Before every business went to crazy lengths to get followers. And before it became a place over-run with teenagers Tweeting about crazy sexual stuff. I remember when it was truly a networking place between colleagues, old and new. It was fun to go and see what some of the people I look up to in my field were reading or writing or talking about.

My personal feeling? There’s lots of clutter in Twitter these days. People who follow you in hopes of you following them back so they can increase their follower count, only to unfollow you if you don’t reciprocate, or once they’ve got you following them.

What do you think? Vote, and then discuss your answer in the comments!

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.



Poll & Discussion: Is Twitter Still Awesome?

Twitter is a lot like the wild west of social media. The venue is relatively new, many people are unfamiliar with the etiquette and an even larger number of people could care less about the few rules in place. Which is why I am quick to my trigger and hit the block or unfollow button the minute people’s poor Twitter manners cross my path.

Here are six ways to become a Twitter pariah with me (and I imagine a lot of other people):

1) Send out offers on how to increase Twitter followers. Especially if you have less followers than me. Come on.

2) Repeat the same self-promoting tweet over and over. One follower I have seems to repeat the same tweet every time I sign on about something I couldn’t care less about if I tried. We get it, you don’t need to tell us about this “incredible  limited time offer” eight million times. Obviously, the offer can’t be too incredible or limited if you’re tweeting about it every time I sign on.

3) Send me porn. Only on the web do you have complete strangers offering you free pornography. I’ve never been walking down the street and bombarded by sexy women throwing themselves at me, though I would have killed for that when I was a teenager. Spam, viruses and shadiness aside, porn on Twitter is just plain tacky.

4) Send me a link to your business without having ever tweeted to me before. Nothing makes me hate you more than a blatant and unsolicited tweet to “check out” your site. Seriously, every time I get one of these, I secretly hope that whoever sent it is cursed by a disease which prevents them from typing. This is bad, not to mention, lazy marketing. Unless I am asking for information about the product you’re selling, keep your tweets to yourself.

5) Tweet only slightly less than you breathe. Seriously, if I’m looking at your avatar every time I open TweetDeck, you’re tweeting too much. Go for a walk or crack open a book, just take a break. And PLEASE, don’t tweet, “Off to take a break from Twitter.” Just go.

6) Act like a robot. It’s okay to use an automation tool here or there, but if your Twitter feed is being run by Skynet, people can tell. I want a human on the other side of the tweets, not a robot scheduled to say “something funny” at 12:06.

In the real world, it isn’t so easy to put up with the personalities that annoy us. On Twitter it is as easy as the click of a button. Make sure you are tweeting in the way you would expect others to tweet.

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.



Six Quick Ways to Becoming a Twitter Pariah

Twitter provides a unique opportunity to everyone that has never really existed before. Not only do you have the ability to follow every minute detail of your favourite band, but you can also have a conversation with them.

It’s often been said that twitter is like a bar full of people. You can listen or jump in with any conversation at the bar. Keep this in mind when you tweet.

If you just blurt out “Click here to see my new video!” Then you closely resemble the people handing out crappy pamphlets at the train station, that end up in the bin seconds later.

Anyone attempting to promote a product, be it a song, CD, or even a book, needs to be aware the usual rules do not apply on Twitter. It has evolved with its own set of rules and etiquette. To successfully promote your product you need to be aware of a few things.

Be human.

Most importantly, drop the advertising tone. With the sheer amount of advertising we are all slammed with each day, most people especially online have developed a sixth sense, so to speak, to ignore advertising.

The rise, social acceptance, and in part necessity, of social networks has primed us for reading small bit sized “status updates” of our friends daily lives. Tweets are very much the same thing, just more publicly accessible.

As a band, you have absolutely no reason not to capitalise on this. It is a very powerful tool when used correctly. There is however, a right way, and a wrong way to do this.

The two following tweets put it in a pretty black and white manner.

@SomeBandOnTwitter

Listen to my new single “My New Song” now! [link]

@kmillerheidke

Keir and I have to learn Walking on a Dream for a thing tomorrow.  It has nearly killed our marriage.

The first tweet has no real value or hook. It also has a very cold and promotional tone. Sure there is a link. But we see links everywhere, why would your (potential) fan want to click it? Oh you have a new song do you. Well so does everyone. Why is yours important to me?

The second tweet is not only humorous, but also interesting. It works on everything that makes a tweet good. This tweet doesn’t link to anything. Its not trying to sell. Merely to inform.

Now, you can actually get away with using the first tweet, just not very frequently. If you fill your stream up with tweets like the first, then you are really of no value to any of your followers. What are you giving them besides something they, presuming they are fans, already have?

What’s worse, is spamming random people. As the old saying goes, you only get out what you put in. The first tweet is not adding much, the second is.

Don’t Spam your new song/video

Whilst many of you may want to try and show everyone your new song or video, consider it from their perspective. As normal humans in a modern society we are constantly bombarded with advertising whereever we go. Some places its acceptable, twitter is definitely not one of those places.

Twitter works on our desire to be social, to keep up with what’s going on with people we care about. This doesn’t mean you cant promote what you’re doing, you should. The way you do it however, is of the utmost importance.

Remember the first tip ‘Be Human’. Well if your stream is full of tweets that are human and interesting then, believe it or not you can get away with a “New song – [link]” style tweet. The real trick is not to actively sell the link. By which I mean don’t use words like ‘Now’, ‘Click Here’ and my probably the most overused ‘Check Out.’ Not to mention avoid exclamation points if you can!

Twitter is like one big Publicity Campaign

If you need convincing about whether or not to use twitter as a band, treat it like a publicity campaign. And give it as much, if not more, time and energy than you would a traditional publicity campaign.

Regular tweeting is an investment, of both your time and energy. It also a major investment to your public profile, and can have great returns. This goes for everyone, not just bands.

By keeping regular updates on your twitter, you are staying fresh in the minds of your followers. In the same advertising methodology that sees hundreds of ads for Coke every year, it is not about selling per se. Rather its about brand recognition.

The purpose of brand recognition in respect to bands is that, when someone is deciding what to listen to you want to be one of the first things they choose.

Regular tweeting also lets your fans know that you’re alive, but more importantly that you’re doing something. It also helps keep the perception that you are still successful. After all not many people listen to bands that don’t exist anymore.

Let your fans know what you’re doing.

To keep up that pace of regular tweeting, tell us what your up to. If you’ve just finished a soundcheck at a gig, tell us. But also tell us something about that soundcheck.

What’s the venue like? Do you like it?

Are many people coming to the gig? Sold Out?

Is your voice totally nackard from the last few nights?

Or maybe you just finished a gig and it was absolutely awesome. Don’t be afraid to tell us. At the same time be wary of declaring permanent absolutes like “best gig ever”. They get old very, very fast and, they don’t add any value to your tweet. Instead tell us something that happened at the gig.

Did you fall off stage?

Someone profess their love for you? Get heckled?

Debut a new song?

We want to know. Don’t be afraid to embarrass yourself slightly, self deprecating humour is the best. As Nancy Baym said in a recent CD Baby Podcast (#59) twitter is like an extension of your inter-song banter.

That said, set your boundaries early. And remember not many people really want to see your vomit, however epic it may be. Unless you fans want to hear that.

Share behind the scenes info.

As well as telling us what you’re doing, show us what you’re doing. We fans are a hungry bunch. We want to know what its like recording that album, or how it is backstage at that festival. We want to know what goes into making that next album.

Don’t hesitate to upload that new demo to show to your followers. It adds more value to your stream. Ask for their feedback, it could prove to be invaluable.

Many bands have caught onto this which is great, but for those who haven’t show us snippets of video, show us photos of you recording or lazing about backstage.

Sharing all this info helps build a layer of trust between you and your fans, which comes incredibly handy when you have a new song. Your fans will be so involved in what your doing they will probably be chaffing at the bit to hear the it and purchase it.

[Image Credit: marfis75]

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.



5 Things Every Band Should Know About Twitter

I have to admit that my very first three tweets ever should have gotten me fired right on the spot.

Luckily for me, I don’t think too many companies in early 2007 were savvy enough to be monitoring twitter. However, recent news has shown us this is no longer the case. With the Cisco job interview fiasco many of us on Twitter learned that our job (or future job) just might be watching our tweets.

With this in mind, I thought I would post the top 10 Tweets I read this week that could possible get someone fired.

10. “hate my job!! i want to tell my bosses how dumb they are and how meaningless this job is, then quit, and be happy!”

9. “So my job was to test all the food at the new resturant, can I just say, ughew. I’m going to taco bell then twistee treat.”

8. “Workin… This job sucks worse then the economy!”

7. “I’m going to work! Walmart! Must find better job! I hate it when chicks there have a deeper voice than me and refer to me as foo!”

6. “Also I’m really bummed that I’m working today, i asked off so i could study but my boss is a ******* **** ***** ***** who can’t read.”

5. “Coworker smuggled out a chair for me. Currently being paid to SIT around and listen to John Barrowman on my iPod. I don’t hate my job today!”

4. “having sex dreams of people you work with makes for an awkward day.”

3. “smoking weed at work is so [EDITED] great ”

2. “It’s bad when you overhear the n00b programmer say “I used to work at McDonalds with him” and you wonder if he is talking about the CEO…”

1. “Huh, with my boss on twitter, maaaybe I should take down that sexy picture of her… but her reaction will be priceless!”

With companies paying more attention to their brand it is becoming more conventional wisdom to tweet like the world is watching–because, in reality, the world is.

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.



TwitterFired: The Top 10 Tweets To Get You Fired

For new Twitter users, understanding Twitter and how to use it may change in those first few days after signing up. It could mean working through the learning curve or it could mean too much frustration to continue. Some people stay, others move on, realizing Twitter wasn’t for them. I know of some people, including me, who stopped using Twitter but came back and tried it again to find out they really enjoyed it. The problem is, as with many things in life, there is a learning curve. I want to offer three important steps to surviving the Twitter learning curve.

Locate
If you’re particular about who you want in your friend and follow lists, finding people you want to follow can be a bit tricky. It’s relatively easy to amass followers by following them and hoping most of them will follow you back. But most of these type of followers will probably be people who will never communicate with you. And you probably won’t receive a shout out from anyone in the top 500 rankings, either. See Twitterholic. Here are some basic ways of finding people with whom to network:

• Try Twitter tools like Twubble or Twellow to help find people with interests similar to your own. TweeterTags is a new tool that allows you to tag yourself with your interests and also find people with similar tags.
• My interests are in writing, blogging, and social networking, so I look for people with similar interests. My preferred method to find people is simply using Twitter itself and look up my favorite and respected friends to see who is following them.

Communicate
The obvious principle behind Twitter is communication, but sometimes it’s hard to feel engaged in the medium when you send out a tweet, @Reply, or DM and no one responds. At first Twitter can seem like a black hole and conversations may be more one-sided with people in your network. But it won’t always feel that way, and here are some reasons why:

• You will find friends who have things to say that interest you and provoke a response (It’s hard to become engaged when you don’t care what is being said).
• You will learn how to tweet messages that are interesting and evoke a response.
• People will begin to engage in conversation with you over something you tweeted.
• People will retweet your tweets, and you will think, hey, I really made an impression!
• You will become comfortable with the format and enter into more and more conversations.
• You will find your favorite tools for making Twitter fun and easy to use. My favorites for the communication part of Twitter are TweetDeck and Seesmic. A key function in their design is to help you manage your friends and followers groups, which makes conversations a snap.

Negotiate
Managing our lives requires negotiation. Relationships require negotiation. Using Twitter requires some level of negotiation on how to fit it into your lifestyle and schedule. Here are some ideas to keep in mind when negotiating the Twitterverse.

• Don’t feel you are locked in to your game plan for using Twitter. If you want to build a big follower base, change the way you do business. If you realize having thousands of followers is not what you really want out of Twitter, feel free to change your goals and strategy.
• Don’t feel you can’t unfollow someone. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out. For instance, if you don’t like the comments from a particular individual, hit the unfollow button. Poof!
• Don’t feel you have to follow everyone who follows you. Sure, an etiquette about following back has developed, but if it doesn’t apply to how you want to use Twitter, don’t follow back.
• Don’t feel you have to respond immediately, or ever, if someone sends you a message or reply. You only have so much time and you can only do so much in a day. Time, friends, followers, etc. all enter into your negotiation.
• Sometimes followers leave. If they do and you’re no longer interested in following them, you can certainly unfollow. Applications like Tweetlater will even auto unfollow if that’s something you choose to do. No need to take it personally.

As a new user, understanding and using Twitter can seem overwhelming. It can be frustrating, it can even feel depressing. And you may decided it’s not for you. But remember that these are sometimes symptoms of working through a learning curve. Ultimately Twitter becomes how you re-invent it for yourself.

My Twitter Learning Curve graph from TwitterCounter

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.



Surviving the Twitter Learning Curve

Twitter, having been quickly adopted initially by key influencers, has grown into a mass-market communication tool, with millions of users.

If you’re publishing content, undertaking online marketing, and looking to keep up with the latest trends in anything web related then Twitter should be featuring highly as a ‘weapon of choice’.

In this article I’ll be assuming you are new to Twitter, and that rather than wanting to use Twitter as a way of simply keeping up with friends, you want to use it as a tool for valuable engagement and maximum effect, avoiding the white noise that Twitter can also create if used incorrectly.

I call this ‘Using Twitter, the Smart Way’.

So, in a nutshell . . . Twitter allows users to post updates (known in the Twitterverse as ‘Tweets’), which consist of text-based posts of no more than 140 characters. A Tweet can include a website link if you wish.

Updates are displayed on the Twitter profile page of the user who submitted the Tweet, or alternatively through a desktop Twitter application, such as Twhirl or Tweetdeck (more on these later), to other users who have signed up to receive them (‘Followers’).

To get you up to speed, before I go into any further detail, it’s worth checking out the Twitter in Plain English video, from the talented folks over at Common Craft.

This will give you a simple and entertaining outline of how Twitter works and how it is most commonly used.

So, Why Should I Use Twitter?

As I’ve mentioned, if you use Twitter smartly, it’s an outstanding tool for engaging with key influencers in your niche and also with your own target audience.

Twitter is immediate, it is fast and it is extremely effective.

Twitter is also invaluable as a means of posting, sharing and recording your own ideas and links, as you have them or come across them (the ones you think others would benefit from hearing about that is!). Think of it as sharing your own virtual notepad.

Some Other Advantages

• Twitter helps you cut down on the clutter created by wading through blogs, newsletters and RSS feeds for the odd gem of useful information, and gets information in front of your eyes with more immediacy, allowing you to filter and favourite ‘on the spot’ (especially if you’re using a desktop application, which you should be)
• It shows you as a keen follower/adopter of the latest tools and apps to your peers and general website audience – always a good thing
• Helps you get your name known with those that matter (to you)

So, how do you get started then?

Here’s the Steps I Recommend:

Step 1

First you need to sign up with Twitter at http://twitter.com

I suggest that you use your name (no spaces) as your twitter account name, but that’s just a suggestion.

Next, you need to track down the people that are worth following. This you can do by using the Twitter search, or alternatively a Twitter directory service, such as TwitDir (listed below). Click ‘Follow’, once you’re on a person’s profile, to follow their Tweets.

Here’s some suggestions (by no means definative) to get you off to a good start. These fit well with TwiTip’s readership, but should also have pretty mass appeal:

• Mashable: http://twitter.com/mashable (blog reviewing all that is web 2.0)
• Scobleizer: http://twitter.com/Scobleizer (web 2.0 commentary)
• Jowjang: http://twitter.com/jowyang (senior social analyst at Forrester)
• Problogger: http://twitter.com/problogger (hugely popular blogging blog)
• Kevin Rose: http://twitter.com/kevinrose (Digg founder)
• Andy Beard: http://twitter.com/AndyBeard (web marketing blogger)
• Maki, DoshDosh: http://twitter.com/doshdosh (blogs about making money online)
• Rohit Bhargava: http://twitter.com/rohitbhargava (social marketing guru0
• John Chow: http://twitter.com/JohnChowDotCom (also blogs about making money online)
• TechMeMe: http://twitter.com/techmeme
• . . . and of course myself, the author of this article, Mark Ramskill: http://twitter.com/ramskill

It’s also well worth checking out the followers of those i’ve listed above as well. Read their profiles, visit their sites, and only add them if you feel they’ll bring value to your Twitter experience.

Step 2

Download a Desktop Client

I suggest Twhirl for light users, or for those who want to make frequent use of Twitter and build up a following that needs more careful management, try TweetDeck.

Twhirl makes it really easy to follow others and post Tweets. This desktop application functions in many ways like an instant messenger, whereby as soon as anyone you are following sends a Tweet to you, it is received in Twhirl and also flashes up in a small bubble in the corner of your desktop, for quick and easy reading.

When I began using Twitter as a light user, I wouldn’t have been able to use it in any kind of useful way without relying on Twhirl.

Once you’ve downloaded Twhirl and opened it for the first time (you may be asked to install Adobe Air), add your Twitter account information in your Twhirl settings (you can add more than one Twitter account if you wish) and away you go! I’ll let you know the four key methods of Twitter communication / engagement in a moment.

TweetDeck

As mentioned, I suggest you start using TweetDeck once you’ve built up a following. I moved across to TweetDeck when I reached 100 or so followers, although you may wish to use it straight away.

At a certain point users find that Twhirl becomes harder to manage, requiring a need to think about grouping people, according to what they do or their relationship to you, with replies and direct messages filed separately.

TweetDeck provides all the functionality you need to adequately manage posts, groups of followers, replies and direct messages, however many followers you may have.

TweetDeck, like Twhirl, is an Adobe Air based application, so as part of the installation process you make be asked to install this as well.

Step 3

The four key methods of Twitter communication / engagement

Ok, so you’re set and ready to go. However, before people will be prepared to follow you (barring those that add anybody) you need to start posting Tweets that others will find useful and that relate to your niche or your interests.

1. For general posts, simply either log in and type your Tweet in the message box on the Twitter website, or use the message box in your desktop app (140 characters is the maximum length of message).

2. To reply to someone, use the ‘@’ symbol, then their Twitter username, e.g.

eg: @ramskill your message, whatever it may be

Bear in mind that this reply can be seen publically, by your followers and the followers of who you are replying to.

3. To ‘Retweet’ / repost a Tweet from someone else, use ‘RT’, a space, the ‘@’ symbol, then their Twitter username, e.g.

eg: RT @ramskill your message, whatever it may be

4. To send a private direct message to someone, use ‘D’, a space, then their Twitter username, e.g.

eg: D ramskill your message, whatever it may be

That’s all there is to communicating and engaging through Twitter . . .

Step 4

Don’t forget to tell others that you have a Twitter account!

Now you’ve started following people yourself and you’ve begun Twittering, it’s now time to post about your Twitter accounts’ existence (www.twitter.com/yourusername) on your website or blog, email friends/collegues/relatives that share your interests and generally get people to follow you (remember: you don’t necessarily have to follow them back).

Don’t forget to link to your Twitter account on any other social sites you use, such as Facebook (most of them have functionality to add a link to your Twitter account or even take live feeds from it).

Step 5

Remember the importance of Twitter Etiquette!

A rapid way for Twitter users to unfollow you is if you spam them constantly, don’t respond to replies or direct messages, act obnoxiously or generally fail to bring value by Twittering about ’stuff’ that is of no use to them.

Think of your audience at all times. Act as you would if you were dealing with them face to face in a business situation, or sitting down for coffee with them. Respect is key.

Most importantly, remember that new people are viewing your Twitter profile constantly, and making a decision about whether to follow you, based on the Tweets and replies they see.

By all means Tweet about your website, blog, service or product, but also try and add value by making this just a part of your communcation. If you come across a website or service that could benefit others Tweet about it. You’ll soon build up a positive reputation as someone worth following and recommending.

What you give is what you get back. Apply that mantra and you can’t go far wrong!

That’s it. You’re set!

You now know how to use Twitter, begin following others and build up your own posse of followers. Most importantly you now know how to use Twitter effectively to communicate and engage with others.

Twitter Tools

So . . . now for the hot stuff! The Twitter tools . . .

The following is a list of the key sites or apps I have used, and continue to use, to enhance my Twitter experience:

• Mr Tweet (makes recommendations on who to follow)
• Tr.Im (url shortening service for Twitter, with stats)
• Tweetburner (alternative to Tr.Im)
• Tweet Later (schedule Tweets over a period of time)
• TweetBeep (track who is mentioning you)
• TweetGrid (live updates for any keyword on Twitter)
• TwitDir (a Twitter directory service)
• Quitter (emails you when someone stops following you)
• Twitter Grader (see how you rank on Twitter)
• TwitStamp (create a personalized Twitter badge)
• Twitterfox (Firefox Twitter status Add-On)

And if you want more – 27 Cool Tool and Resources for the Twitter Addict

In Summary

Hopefully, i’ve given you enough information to fuel your imagination and make you want to get started with Twitter and its associated apps and services.

In this new web 2.0 world, immediate access to information, and easy engagement with those that post it, is a necessity.

Twitter, if used smartly, helps you do just that!

Remember, i’m here to help.

Add me: http://twitter.com/ramskill

And feel free to ask me questions, or just say hello!

Mark Ramskill is the Marketing Specialist for SubHub, a revenue-ready content publishing platform.

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.



Using Twitter… ‘The Smart Way’

So you want to join the Twitter. You think of a cool username, sign up and get excited at the thought that you have complete freedom (140 characters worth) to tweet about whatever you want. You seek out the most popular Twitterers and start following them along with hundreds of others. How simple, you think. Now, the time has come for your first tweet:

“Hey all! Check out my blog www.pleasereadmyblognow.com!”

Hmm, no responses and not many people following you back. Let’s try that again:

“Glad to finally be on Twitter all. Leave some love on my latest post!”

Ok, we get it – it’s about you. Unfortunately, other people aren’t as accepting to your philosophy and won’t listen to you. Why, you ask? It’s because you’ve become a broadcaster – someone who constantly tweets about themselves and their blog/site. You fail to get involved with the community and end up providing little to no value to your network.

Wait – don’t give up on Twitter already because no one is listening to the broadcaster in you. As with any network, group or forum, there are always basic cultural mores to understand that’ll help you become a better communicator. Twitter has a few of its own that will help your experience:

1. Do NOT link/friend Whore

Sending out tweets and DMs (direct messages) to tell people to check out your blog or sign up for your RSS feed (trust me, I’ve gotten this numerous times) is not proper Twitter etiquette and is considered spamming.

The same goes for mass following people. Clicking ‘follow’ on several hundred people at a time is not building your network. Profiles with skewed following to follower ratios (e.g. 2,000 following – 57 followers) will typically be looked at as spam.

Continually doing these activities will put a huge ding on your online reputation before it even takes off.

2. Two-way Street

Be human and actually talk to people and not at them. Follow those you find interesting but make sure you communicate and make it a two-way conversation. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing against about talking about something you worked on and getting other’s opinions on it, but maintain a proper balance of that. No one likes a friend who talks about themselves all the time. Keep the dialogue free and open for both sides.

3. It’s a Marathon

With any circle of friends, online or offline, time and effort are keys to building positive relationships. There’s no need to rush in and follow a thousand people to try to gain attention; instead, steadily increase your network while communicating and building relationships with your current Twitter friends. Show that you truly care and spend time getting to know them. Focusing on the amount of effort you put into these relationships will give you more credibility within the community and help grow your network.

Twitter is often mistaken as a broadcasting platform for people to spit out anything and everything. In the end, adhering to the Twitter culture and being respectful of the tips listed above will influence your experience on Twitter and whether you’re looked at as a conversation starter or a broadcaster.

Let’s get the conversation started and hear from you. What do you personally do to better communicate with your network? What other tips can we add to the list?

PS from Darren: Thanks for this post Sonny. It’s actually been a topic I’ve been wanting to write about for a while and one that I want to post a follow up post on tomorrow where I’ll ask – ‘when is it ok to ‘broadcast’ rather than ‘converse’?’ Subscribe to our RSS feed to make sure you get notified when this next post goes live.

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.



Do you Converse or Broadcast? How to Build (or Kill) Relationships on Twitter