Twitter is a microblogging platform that allows users to post short updates and follow others to see their updates in real-time, and this document provides guidance for new users on setting up an account, engaging on the platform through posting updates and following others, and using hashtags, retweets and other features. It also outlines some Twitter applications and terminology like @replies, DMs, hashtags and retweets that new users should understand to effectively use the platform.

1. Agency Lesson
Twitter for Beginners
What Does It All Mean?

2. What is Twitter?
• Microblogging: post short bursts of information or
thoughts
• A real-time search engine: what are people talking
about right now? (aka: The Water Cooler)
• Citizen reporting tool
• The ability to send a text/instant message to 1,000
people at one time
• The opportunity to interact with like-minded people
(aka: Social Media)
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3. Where do I start?
When you are getting
set up, include
information about who
you are. Twitter is not
about hiding. You want
people to find you and
follow you.

4. Your Twitter Name
Make it something that is identifiable
as you so people can find you.
Your Photo
Use one.
Your Bio
Fill it out.

5. Ok. I have an account. Now what?
Start talking. Don’t expect people
to follow you if you are saying
nothing. Don’t just follow.

6. Yeah, but what should I talk about?
Industry news.
Helpful tips.
Promote yourself (but not ALL the time).
Interesting life observations.
DO NOT:
Talk about what you are eating.
Talk about how you are learning about Twitter.

7. So, I am talking. Can I follow
people now?
Yes. Find them:
Search name on Twitter.
Look at who your friends are following.
Use your e-mail address book.
Look for like-minded people on WeFollow.com

8. WeFollow Search
People register themselves at
Enter search terms here to find like-
WeFollow and “tag” themselves with
minded people.
subjects they write about.
Register
Yourself
Don’t forget to
register yourself.

9. Your Page Should Look Like This

10. Y
The Number of
Don’t Really
Characters You
Answer This
Have Left For
Question
Your Post
Write What You
Want To Say
Here
Here Is What
You Last Said
Here Is What
People You Are
Following Last
Said
{

11. Y
The Number of
People Following
You
The Number of
People You Are
Following
The Number of
Twitter Posts
You Have Made

12. Y
Click to See the
Number of
Posts
Mentioning You
Click to See
Your Private
Messages
The Top Topics
on Twitter Now
{

13. Click to See
Posts That
Blake Has
Marked As
Favorites
Random
Pictures of
People Blake is
Following
An RSS Code
That You Can
Plug Into Your
Favorite Reader
(i.e., Google
Reader)

14. Some Key Twitter Terminology

15. @reply
• This is a comment aimed at a particular Twitter
member and can only be seen by people that follow
that Twitter user.
• Including @ before a user’s name will make your
post show up in their feed, even if you are not
following them and they are not following you.
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16. DM
• Direct Message
• Sent to you as a private message from someone you
are following. Will go to your email inbox.
• You can only DM people that are following you.
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17. Retweeting
• Often abbreviated as RT or (via @user)
• Reposting what someone else has posted (aka:
sharing)
• It is a form of flattery. But don’t do it too much.
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18. Hashtag
• Words beginning with a #
• Helps search/track conversations about a specific
topic
• Using Twitter Search (http://search.twitter.com),
these conversations can be tracked real-time (it is
pretty cool)
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19. TinyURL
• Tools/services that abbreviate your URLs (links) to
make them fit within Twitter’s 140-character limits
• There are several other options:
- http://bit.ly
- http://digg.com
- http://is.gd
- http://snurl.com
- http://tr.im
- http://twurl.nl
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20. Fail Whale
• Twitter has too much going on right now and can’t
process your request. It happens more often than it
should.
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21. Twitter Apps

22. For Your Computer
Desktop
• Feeds posts from those you are following straight to
your desktop.
• You can update from your desktop.
• You can organize your friends in groups.
• Top desktop applications:
• Tweetdeck
• Seesmic Desktop
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25. For Your Mobile Phone
• Feeds posts from those you are following straight to
your phone.
• You can update from your phone.
• Blackberry application:
• Twitterberry
• iPhone applications:
• Twitterrific (basic version is free)
• TwitterFon (free)
• Tweetie ($2.99)
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30. Other Stuff
• TwitPic: include photos in your Twitter posts
• TweetLater: create a series of posts and schedule
when to release them.
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31. Questions?
Emily Blake
ereeves@stoneward.com brutherford@stoneward.com
501.772.6142 (text) 501.772.6108 (text)
@reeves501 @blakerutherford