And by "old" of course I mean "experienced". Even if you've been using Twitter for ages, there are tips, tricks and cool new functionalities to familiarise yourself with, to get the most out of it. Best of all they're easy and accessible.
Earlier this week I met Jen Leo, a Silicon Valley transplant now here in the UK, and she suggested a solution to the problem of tweeting all my messages and RTs at once: Hootsuite.com. This social media dashboard - among other things - allows you to schedule tweets throughout the day rather than bombarding your followers all at once. Just sign up online.
These days it doesn't take long to update the look of your Twitter page, streamline your favourite Tweeters and brush up on evolving etiquette. For example:
- if you want something RT'ed, make it 120 characters so there is enough room for the RT and even a note
- Follow back people who follow you. It's nice and social media gurus recommend it
- It's a conversation... Follow up and thank people for RTing and mentioning you
Find a buffet of Twitter tips on this page on Alltop, including the top 5 steps after you join Twitter, 5 ways to guarantee you won't be followed back and more.
And good advice for using Twitter doesn't have to involve technology. Last week, the social media expert at PRCo told me his analog strategy for making the most of it: he restricts himself to logging on once in the morning and once at the end of the day.That way he can catch up, connect, read and retweet, without Twitter taking over his day.
What are your tips and advice for using Twitter? Do you tweet via Twitter, Tweetdeck, or other dashboard? Tell us how you use it.
Picture by Rosaura Ochoa
