Some people are in love with Twitter but others just don't 'get' the concept at all and almost become irritated when they hear the word being mentioned. Lack of knowledge sometimes makes us feel that way. I remember years ago my lovely mother-in-law saying 'www blah blah blah' when she saw a website being advertised at the end of a game show she was watching on television.

Often if the subject of Twitter comes my way in conversation I am reminded of the figure that came out in April revealing that "60 percent of new twitter users never return after the first month". My answer to this is I suspect the new users just didn't get much help when they started. On first look we are told "Twitter is easy, it's just like sending text messages from a web page" and this is to a point true. What isn't revealed is that there is a lot more under the surface and a lot of ways a new user can be confused. I find that being able to use Twitter successfully is a bit like driving a car. For the first couple of months there are lots of new things you have to learn. After you've got the hang of it you do it automatically with enjoyment and don't really think about the process too much. My suggestion to anyone feeling ambivalent about Twitter is to follow the 'starter tips' below and see how you go. If you find it's not for you there is no shame in acknowledging that but at least you will have some understanding of what it actually IS.

Officially..Twitter lets you write and read messages of up to 140 characters, or the very length of this sentence, including all punctuation and spaces. However I liken it to a 24 hour combination of all of these things - a cocktail/dinner party, a world university lecture, a busy Friday night at the pub, a cosy chat with friends. Age is no barrier of course and I asked two 'grandmas' what they liked about Twitter.

Sheila Longden, Central Coast NSW
www.twitter.com/idoby2
Sheila is expecting her eighth grandchild but is also a central coast/sydney marriage celebrant along with her partner Brian. She loves twitter because it's easy to use. It was a good starting point to social media and helped her move onto Facebook. Sheila says that it's great for networking, finding sites she would not discover otherwise and she is learning business tips faster than she would ever have expected.

Sandy, California USA
http://twitter.com/mamaw4t
Sandy is a 67 year old grandmother from California. She loves twitter because it keeps her in touch with many different thoughts and concerns.

Use search.twitter.com 


A great place to start listening as you don't even need an account to search. Listening can help you get a sense of how you might want to engage on twitter.


Tip: search for anything you are interested in and see what comes up - books, travel, interests, people, health issues etc


Sign up for an account at www.twitter.com


Choose a username - it is preferable to use your own name (mine is @helencrozier) as this will make you easier to find. You may also use your business name or the name of your blog if you have one.


Tip: register your own name with twitter even if you aren't going to use it - one day you might want to but someone else with the same name will have nabbed it!


Complete your profile before you start tweeting


Upload a nice picture of your face and complete your 160 character bio. Use keywords to tell people what you are interested in and try to stand out from the crowd. Add a link to your website, blog, facebook page or other site that has more information about you here too.


Start following


Use twitter search to find people to follow using keywords for subjects you are interested in. Most bloggers now also have a twitter page so follow your favourites. Once you have a few good people to follow check out the bio's of the people they are following and tag along. Discriminate and don't feel obliged to follow someone just because they are following you. This will help keep your twitter stream interesting and clean of 'spam'.


Be social


If someone says something you wish to comment on click on the reply arrow (underneath the star) and type a reply. This will be a public response that everyone will see - you may alternatively send a direct message (DM) which is private if that person is also following you. 
Try to respond when someone sends you a message otherwise they will feel ignored. Don't be self-conscious just be yourself. Twitter is an enormous melting pot of characters - you will be surprised at how many are interested in what you have to say!


Shorten links


Because of the 140 character limit you need to use a URL shortener such at www.bitly.com or www.owly.com so you don't waste space.


Tip: Don't ONLY post links to sites or blogs - 'sweeter tweeters' prefer human interaction!


Retweet (RT)


If somebody posts something you see as valuable send it out to your followers but put RT and the user name of the original writer to give them credit.


Be regular


Try to keep a routine if possible that way you will start to connect in real time with the same crowd and build up a rapport.


Take Twitter with you


Most mobile phones have software that will allow you to use Twitter on the move. This software as a rule does not use up very much of your data allowance so it's easy to keep in touch while you are out and about or away. 


Learn more!
www.twittonary.com is a decoder for common twitter terms and acronyms.
www.twitips.com - twitter tips in 140 characters or more
www.hootsuite.com - a must use web service for the advanced tweeter

Helen Crozier has a mission to make IT everybody’s friend. She has worked with computers, software and gadgets for over 20 years and loves to help with Microsoft Outlook, Blogs, Twitter, the iPhone and the internet in general. Helen also has three blogs www.keyboardkarma.com, www.myfabulousiphone.com and www.technosavvyparenting.com containing hundreds of useful tips.  Visit her website at www.helencrozier.com or tweet with her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/helencrozier



By Helen Crozier