If you've played with Twitter you know that it isn't the easiest social media tool to figure out.
In fact, it is so unintuitive that many separate programs like TweetDeck and Seesmic were created to make the user experience a lot better.
Twitter is worth the effort to figure out.
It is an amazing business and personal tool that can help you add customers to your business and friends to your list.
Twitter can help your business grow as well as other tools like email and other direct marketing techniques.
Twitter is, at its most basic form - boring to look at and interact with.
Many people, myself included, had trouble for weeks - asking myself if it was worth the effort or not.
Twitters saviors came in the form of external standalone programs that connected users to their Twitter account and gave them many more options than the simple controls at the Twitter home page.
In particular - TweetDeck is very easy to use, intuitive and filled with functionality.
Tweetdeck lets you use Twitter in ways that make a lot of sense - and helps us in getting things done.
If you haven't already done so, go to Twitter (.
com) and register.
Then go to TweetDeck (.
com) and download the software for your computer and return here so we can talk some more.
Read below and then return to your TweetDeck program and try some things out.
You'll notice, when TweetDeck opens it doesn't give you a place to write messages.
There are columns and some settings you could change, but it's all rather unexplained until you just dive in and start choosing options.
In the top left side corner is something that resembles a cartoon character.
Click that.
Your message box appears.
With a recent update you won't have to do that all the time, so upgrade as soon as you can.
Type a message in the chat box and hit send.
Congratulations! Your message went to nobody in particular.
The message was saved on the Twitter servers and can show up in Google, Bing, and maybe Yahoo! If you're lucky.
If you have no followers - people following your account, you will be able to send your message to nobody really.
Someone could still find your message through the search function - so you've got that going for you.
Go get some followers.
Best way to do that is go to the search Twitter box at the Twitter homepage and do a search on a topic that is relevant to your business.
See what pops up.
What you'll see are conversations that others are having about the keyword phrase you entered.
Start by following some of the people you see talking about your topic.
See the follow button? Click it.
As you follow more and more people, many will follow you back.
This is a fast way to gain followers.
Create a profile and add your photo at Twitter and you'll be on your way to getting more followers.
Add your Twitter username to your website and email signature.
As soon as you have some followers, now, when you write a message on TweetDeck, this is called "tweeting", your followers can see it and choose to respond if they want.
Most messages are ignored, they are read and your followers don't all write you back.
Depending what you say - this will dictate the responses you get.
You can respond directly to what people you are following say, by clicking near their icon and choosing the reply to username button.
If someone is following you you can select the direct message button to send them a private message.
Now, notice on the top left the "plus" sign? It will add a column and you can choose what you want in that column.
This is an ideal place way to create an auto-search.
It will update that column with conversations about whatever phrase you choose.
Try it.
Tweetdeck adds a column to your desktop and you can now auto-monitor your search in real-time.
Notice that there is a slight delay as you can only make a certain number of calls to the Twitter database per minute.
You can adjust these delays in your settings button.
Are you beginning to see how Twitter and TweetDeck might be useful for your business? For finding friends interested in obscure topics? There are many millions of people using Twitter - and many of them have never heard of you or your business.
Here's another chance to make your mark.
After a couple short chats you might ask if they want to receive a free eBook about your products in exchange for joining your email list...
lead generation, you know? The possibilities are not endless, but there are many reasons why new business owners will want to get up to speed with Twitter and TweetDeck as soon as possible.
Some companies are running their entire business from Twitter already.
Get to work!
In fact, it is so unintuitive that many separate programs like TweetDeck and Seesmic were created to make the user experience a lot better.
Twitter is worth the effort to figure out.
It is an amazing business and personal tool that can help you add customers to your business and friends to your list.
Twitter can help your business grow as well as other tools like email and other direct marketing techniques.
Twitter is, at its most basic form - boring to look at and interact with.
Many people, myself included, had trouble for weeks - asking myself if it was worth the effort or not.
Twitters saviors came in the form of external standalone programs that connected users to their Twitter account and gave them many more options than the simple controls at the Twitter home page.
In particular - TweetDeck is very easy to use, intuitive and filled with functionality.
Tweetdeck lets you use Twitter in ways that make a lot of sense - and helps us in getting things done.
If you haven't already done so, go to Twitter (.
com) and register.
Then go to TweetDeck (.
com) and download the software for your computer and return here so we can talk some more.
Read below and then return to your TweetDeck program and try some things out.
You'll notice, when TweetDeck opens it doesn't give you a place to write messages.
There are columns and some settings you could change, but it's all rather unexplained until you just dive in and start choosing options.
In the top left side corner is something that resembles a cartoon character.
Click that.
Your message box appears.
With a recent update you won't have to do that all the time, so upgrade as soon as you can.
Type a message in the chat box and hit send.
Congratulations! Your message went to nobody in particular.
The message was saved on the Twitter servers and can show up in Google, Bing, and maybe Yahoo! If you're lucky.
If you have no followers - people following your account, you will be able to send your message to nobody really.
Someone could still find your message through the search function - so you've got that going for you.
Go get some followers.
Best way to do that is go to the search Twitter box at the Twitter homepage and do a search on a topic that is relevant to your business.
See what pops up.
What you'll see are conversations that others are having about the keyword phrase you entered.
Start by following some of the people you see talking about your topic.
See the follow button? Click it.
As you follow more and more people, many will follow you back.
This is a fast way to gain followers.
Create a profile and add your photo at Twitter and you'll be on your way to getting more followers.
Add your Twitter username to your website and email signature.
As soon as you have some followers, now, when you write a message on TweetDeck, this is called "tweeting", your followers can see it and choose to respond if they want.
Most messages are ignored, they are read and your followers don't all write you back.
Depending what you say - this will dictate the responses you get.
You can respond directly to what people you are following say, by clicking near their icon and choosing the reply to username button.
If someone is following you you can select the direct message button to send them a private message.
Now, notice on the top left the "plus" sign? It will add a column and you can choose what you want in that column.
This is an ideal place way to create an auto-search.
It will update that column with conversations about whatever phrase you choose.
Try it.
Tweetdeck adds a column to your desktop and you can now auto-monitor your search in real-time.
Notice that there is a slight delay as you can only make a certain number of calls to the Twitter database per minute.
You can adjust these delays in your settings button.
Are you beginning to see how Twitter and TweetDeck might be useful for your business? For finding friends interested in obscure topics? There are many millions of people using Twitter - and many of them have never heard of you or your business.
Here's another chance to make your mark.
After a couple short chats you might ask if they want to receive a free eBook about your products in exchange for joining your email list...
lead generation, you know? The possibilities are not endless, but there are many reasons why new business owners will want to get up to speed with Twitter and TweetDeck as soon as possible.
Some companies are running their entire business from Twitter already.
Get to work!
Source...