BlakeAtwood.com

“Certain thoughts are prayers. There are moments when, whatever be the attitude of the body, the soul is on its knees.” ― Victor Hugo

Getting Started with Twitter: 51 Tweeting Templates

December 7, 2012

In my ongoing series Getting Started with Twitter: 10 Steps to Twitter Competence, I’ve shared how Twitter novices can dive into one of the fastest-growing social media sites on the web. From choosing a name to the basics of tweeting, from recommending Twitter apps to suggesting ways to get more Twitter followers, I hope I’ve provided at least one new idea you can implement in order to increase your enjoyment of the site and your engagement with your audience.

In this next-to-last installment of this ten-part series, I’m offering 51 Twitter templates: questions and quotes that may help you entice and engage your online audience.

To tweet the line, click the link.

Questions

1. How would your friends describe you in three words?
2. What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
3. What book(s) are you reading right now?
4. What’s the best question you’ve ever been asked?
5. How can I help you accomplish something today?
6. What are you most looking forward to right now?
7. Who are the top 3 people you follow on Twitter?
8. What’s your favorite website?
9. What means the most to you in the world?
10. What one movie could you watch over and over?
Continue Reading…

In Technology questions, quotes, social media, twitter

Getting Started with Twitter: Using Twitter Ads

September 25, 2012

Since beneficial influence is a key factor in using Twitter to its fullest potential, you may wonder

Should I use Twitter ads to gain followers?

I am not an expert on this particular subject, but I recently enjoyed a good experience using Twitter ads. Don’t worry. I’ll point you to better resources in addition to sharing my small story.

Due to Hootsuite‘s largesse, I received an email with a $100 voucher towards Twitter advertising for my @Writers_Read account, a twitter handle I use for my other blog, WritersOnReading.com. With nothing to lose except time spent learning their ad models, I visited ads.twitter.com and redeemed my voucher.

Twitter’s ad management console is very straightforward. This stands in stark contrast to the seemingly overwhelming world of Facebook advertising. If you’ve been looking to get into online advertising and you’ve amassed at least some followers (let’s say 100), you’d serve yourself well by trying out Twitter advertising.

In Featured, Technology ads, advertising, followers, online ads, promoted, social media, tweets, twitter

Let me begin by stating that I do not have the single, magic bean answer to the question

How Do I Get More Twitter Followers?

While “social media experts” may tell you that a certain service (namely, theirs) will help you amass followers, they’re likely not the kind of followers you’d want (if they’re even real).

Some online sources say there’s little cachet in a large Twitter following, but we have a difficult time not ascribing some level of greater influence to those who have larger numbers of followers than we do. While numbers alone don’t tell the entire story, they help us to form a quick impression of someone we only know through a glass screen.

This, in part, is what gave rise to the sometimes controversial site Klout, which purports to tell you and the world around you how influential a person you may be. Last I read, they’re even attempting to incorporate real-world influence into their otherwise all-digital universe. But I digress.

The key to getting more followers is to be someone others want to follow.

That may sound simple, but there are multiple ways to achieve this goal. Celebrities, sports stars, authors, and business leaders have a built-in followership. That’s why they can easily have millions of Twitter followers in a short amount of time. But what about someone just starting out on Twitter, like a new business owner?

If you’re serious about using Twitter to enhance your personal online profile or to augment your business, you’ll need to learn how to use Twitter differently than if you were only using it personally. The following is by no means a comprehensive list, but I’ve experienced moderate success with my work Twitter account (@FVmomentum) by following a few simple guidelines.