TwitterNerd | Make Money With Twitter | Twitter Tips and Tricks | Twitter Resource » Twitter Tips

4 Quick Twitter Tips For Freelance Writers

Admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:48:06 +0000

2009 was a big year for online trends. Previous advances in Web 2.0 have brought significant changes to the way people interact over the internet, and with the internet itself. Social networking and social media platforms continue to grow and dominate web presence as more and more people are heading online. Actually, according to one Nielson rating, as much as two-thirds of the global online community visit social networking and blogging sites on a daily basis. Social media is actually the preferred way to transfer information these days, which continues to edge out e-mail as the most used form of communication in the world.

Among the most popular social networking apps is Twitter, a mircroblogging platform that allows you to communicate with many people at the same time. An ironically simple and minimalistic departure from the usually customizable networks that many people are used to, Twitter only allows 140 characters per message box, including spaces. Because of this limited interface, Twitter entries, called “Tweets,” have evolved into their own language, with networks growing into their own subculture of etiquette. As a freelance writer, this can help you hone your language in a unique, but modern way that was not available or necessary in recent past.

Although it may seem foreign and unnecessary, many people are using Twitter today to market their businesses. It is a great way to drive new traffic to your site, as you can constantly post updates to products or blogs that you provide. As a freelance writer, this is particular helpful because you should be creating new work all the time, and the only way to continue your success is to find more high-quality jobs who appreciate your particular style and energy. You can not only provide links to your new ideas and projects, but your previous work as well, especially anything that has garnered any success online. You can let prospective clients see how valuable you are.

Twitter is also a great way to connect with a particular group of people, say in your Freelance industry. You can trade stories or concerns about the market or clients you have worked and brainstorm ideas for new projects. In fact, many people are connecting on Twitter for the sole purpose of finding new job leads! Use the constant updates to find new links, resources, and tips on ways to improve your own situation.

The best way to optimize Twitter is to become a filter. Teach mini-lessons or give very specific advice on a topic and then redirect your followers to sites where they can find more information. Typically this will be your personal site or your blogging site, which is where you market products or services, and how you make your money. The more valuable your information, the more popular your site becomes and the more popular your site is, the greater your potential for success.

Finally, remember that Twitter is a “noisy” place. There are many people who tweet several times a day, and with hundreds of new members logging on daily it will continue to get louder and louder. You need to be sure that your content will grab attention without sounding like a sales pitch. People don’t mind self-promotion or even product promotion if it is attached to a worthwhile article. As long as you are authentic about who you are and what you do, you can be sure that you will generate more followers for a long and successful career.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

3 Strategies For Preventing Spam on Your Twitter Account

Admin — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:38:51 +0000

When Twitter first emerged onto the market, it was an exclusive center for tech geeks and social networking addicts. As more people joined it became a more mainstream medium and it is now largely populated by celebrities and large companies, who are responsible for a great deal of the overall traffic. Unfortunately, with this kind of market penetration, Twitter has also fallen prey to bots, spammers, and annoying internet marketers. Although its growth is a welcome one, many of Twitters early members still long for the old days when transmissions were pure and free.

Nobody likes an e-mail inbox full of junk, but the new forms of social media has created a wider and more efficient form of spam that makes it even more difficult to appreciate your favorite sites. For instance, there once was a time when you would simply receive mail and you could easily and automatically trash it, but now you can be convinced or tricked to “follow” someone on Twitter that leads you to an onslaught of affiliate links. Problems like this can be very frustrating and can bring you to nearly cancelling your account. However, here are a few strategies that you can use to lessen some of the impact.

1) Wait it out. Perhaps the most commonly used trick of the automated Twitter bots is to follow you so that you will return the favor and follow them. If you have ever used MySpace then you are familiar with how accepting “Friend Requests” from strangers can lead to a full inbox of spam, or obnoxious irrelevant bulletin postings. Sometimes, when some follows you on Twitter, if you simply do nothing they will go away. Even if they come back and try to follow you again, you can compare the old notifications with the new ones to see if the names or profiles are the same. At this point you can block them if you decide that they are malicious. Twitter’s updated and upgraded notifications have made it very easy to determine which or appropriate for blocking.

2) Look sharp. Because Twitter has a basic framework of profiles, like Facebook, users cannot customize their pages in the same way. This makes it difficult to tell who is who, but if you look closely, you will see that bots often use the same picture or names for hundreds of profiles. If any of the profile pictures of your followers are the same, they are probably the same bot.

3) “Quote, Quote, Link.” This is actually the hardest way to detect a spammer because their account appears to be highly active, but if you look closely you’ll notice that hidden within the quotes are affiliate links that will take you to an MLM or a bot trying to get access to your account info.

You can’t expect social media sites to always stay protected from bots and spammers, especially since their strategy is to allow anyone to set up a page. It’s unfair, though, for spammers to expect that you will tolerate their unwanted solicitations. If you are starting to get fed up with cluttered inboxes, especially on Twitter, you should consider one of these easy strategies to help ease your troubles.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Using the Power of Twitter for Your Business

Admin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 04:52:51 +0000

In the business world, Twitter has long been a service that most people don’t really understand. Because of this, the majority of businesses either use it the in the wrong manner or simply don’t use it at all. When the business world turns its back on, or misuses, Twitter they are passing up the opportunity to get ahead in their business niche. Twitter can be a powerful tool in marketing for any business if you know how to harness that power and use it correctly. Twitter could easily bring you an immense amount of high quality traffic in very little time.

There are essentially three main things you need to do to get Twitter to work for you. The first one, and the one a lot of people find the most daunting, is to get the word out and let people know you are on Twitter. You can find articles on every cyber corner of the internet on how to attract followers to your Twitter account. There are as many strategies and techniques out there as you can imagine. But there are a few things you can do right away, and on your own, to increase your profile. If you have an existing website for your business, then be sure to add a link to your Twitter page to get new followers as well as get the word out to existing customers that you are now on Twitter. When you send out e-mail communications, include a link to your Twitter page as well.

In the case of Twitter, absence does not make the heart grow fonder, so be sure to tweet daily. You need to keep yourself in your audiences mind and interact with them as much as possible. What is in your tweets is as important as tweeting every day. At some point, you will have gained enough of your follower’s faith that you can send out affiliate links, but for now, steer clear of that. While it isn’t absolutely necessary that you appear as an expert in your field, it doesn’t hurt. As you begin on Twitter, keep your posts to tweeting things that are interesting or valuable to your readers. You could tweet funny or inspirational quotes or let people know about a new blog post that may be of interest to them.

While it can be very tempting to purchase some of the Twitter automation software, this is not a good idea. This software does mean you have to invest less time in your Twitter page, but it makes your tweets and interactions with your followers less personal. You want your followers to know the tweets they get are coming from a real person on the other end. This small personal touch will endear you to your followers and encourage them to tell others about you as well.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

The Benefits of Having a Large Twitter Following

Admin — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:26:19 +0000

There are many new Twitter members who are concerned about growing their number of followers. Online marketers who have no followers will get no traffic, and in turn get no sales. It certainly is an ugly, disappointing domino effect. Usually it is only the newer members who grapple with this question. The first place to start is by finding established tweeters who belong to your advertising niche. Their followers should become the people you follow; the more followers you have and the tweeters in your promotional area have, the better choice they are. Doing so will likely get you return followers.

Finding a following manually will be difficult; like most people, you are usually busy, so finding the time to put in the grunt work will be near impossible. This is why you need to get a hold of many marketing aid tools available online. Having one will assist you in growing followers and streamlining the advertising process. These marketing tools will actually follow tweeters for you. The only thing you need to do is set your niche related keyword criteria. This makes it so much easier to follow those who promote similar products or other merchandise that goes hand in hand with your products. This is a fantastic way to build a quality following.

Even though marketing tools will do a great job, Twitter will make using these programs especially tricky; they have regulations about how these techniques are used; make sure the methods you employ are above board. An important guidelines to keep in mind: the following to follow ratio needs to be at a reasonable rate, usually around a 10% gap between the both.

As time goes on, your Twitter list should get bigger, and if as it grows, it will get quicker. The popular Twitter members get bombarded with lists of followers. This benefits you because the bigger you are, the more of these lists you will belong to. Some of the advantages you will enjoy: increased traffic, more sells, and higher profits.

Since you are in the online marketing business, you will understand that your Twitter followers are not customers yet; they are still just potential customers. So, the key is in beginning a sturdy relationship with your followers and the people you follow now. This is a basic business model.

To sum it all up, your marketing techniques have to be infallible. If you want to make several thousand dollars per month and build a fruitful business, you need to use Twitter correctly. There are many of today’s online business marketers doing the same thing. If they can learn how to do this then so can you. The small amount of effort you will have to put in will surprise you.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Succeed With Twitter: Four Twitter Principles – Part 3 of 3

Admin — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 22:26:08 +0000

Before I begin, make sure you have read Part 1, and Part 2 of this 3 part series if you haven’t yet. You will need to read those to know what’s going on in this series.

Here it is. The moment you have been waiting for. My four twitter principles. It’s about time, isn’t it?

PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW YOU, DON’T GIVE A CRAP ABOUT YOU.

Don’t get offended; I am just stating the facts. You know it’s true, and if you are an adult who doesn’t understand this concept, move back home with mommy and daddy. They’ll take good care of you. However, since most of my readers have brain cells that function and synapses that fire appropriately, understanding my article shouldn’t be a problem. So, if you feel like farting around on Twitter all day, and waste valuable time with your stupid cookie tweets, go right ahead. I’m not stopping you.

Don’t expect me to give a shit. Well, why not? Quit whining. It’s just because I have no idea who you are, so I don’t really care about how many cookies you can stuff in your mouth at one time. I want to read something compelling. Give me that, and I’ll give you my attention. The more quality I get, the more I’m gonna read your tweets. I might even look forward to it. Tweeters who only talk about the mind-numbing details of their lives are not people that I or anyone else is gonna want to associate with. Get your head right. Get your goals in order and you will know exactly what to tweet, retweet, and the audience you should tweet to.

YOU GOTTA GIVE TO RECEIVE

Why do most people like to give to others? So, that maybe one day people will give something to them. It’s not different on Twitter. There are tons of people who put up links in order to get their name out there, but most people who have good sense do not even bother checking out these links. Why? It’s simple, you know how nobody likes dealing with car salesmen? Nobody likes to deal with shameless, relentless advertisers either.

How do you go about getting promoters? You get promoters by promoting others. That is how you get users to retweet your links, and this is exactly what you want. If you are boring and soulless, Twitter just isn’t going to work for you. Giving is how you start getting the attention you are looking for.

QUALITY COUNTS

There are a lot of major players in the music industry who use Twitter. Do you want them to stand up and take notice? Then you should only have quality ideas to share. This means brushing the cookie crumbs off your face.

KEEP IT FRIENDLY

It’s pretty self-explanatory, but I will explain it anyway. Pushy marketing strategies are out. Attractive marketing strategies are in. Okay, that’s it. I’m done. Huh, wait a minute! Just kidding. Let me say this: you are an independent musician, so do things, come up with good concepts, and make things happen. This is what draws in only the best kind of people. Labels are falling out of power, and people like you are starting to get that power. Take that power, use it right, and nothing will stop you.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Welcome to Your Personal Introduction to Twitter Land – Part 2 of 3

Admin — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:26:11 +0000

Hey, it’s the cookie monster, back for the attack. Does anyone have a big glass of milk? Yawn! If you haven’t yet, make sure you read Part 1 of this series. A little tip, I don’t want to know about every mundane detail of your life: when you wake up, when you brush your teeth, when you pick your nose, et cetera. Give me a break, please.

Relax, I know we are all guilty of posting little pieces of nothingness. It’s okay, just make sure you post something interesting and worthwhile too. You gotta sit down and evaluate your goals for the near future and for your career in the music industry. This is the first step in making Twitter work for you.

Getting Twitter to boost your career will require two things. First, networking. You must network with people in the right kinds of circles. With a little searching, you will be shocked by the famous tweeters you find. Yeah, you can link up with people who really love their Chips Ahoy. Yummy. If that’s what you’re into then whatever, but don’t you want to follow people who you respect? People who can be a great role model for your budding career? Then, you ought to consider using Twitter to spread your word and your ideas to the masses. Not your goofy ideas, like an electric toilet, but your quality, innovative ideas. Remember, yakking about your roommate’s odd personal hygiene habits is not a quality tweet.

You really need to sit down and come up with a game plan before you start. A good game plan will not including spamming, for any reason at any time. Sometimes, people get this mentality that because they are on the internet, etiquette can be flushed down the crapper. Wrong. A social network is all about human behavior. Keep it above board, unless you want to fail.

Now that I have gotten my mini lecture out of the way, I need to share some steadfast rules about Twitter. You must know and apply these rules to achieve success. The technical aspects aside, since they are easy enough for anyone to learn, you gotta figure out how to relate to other people in this social network. If all you do is tweet about meaningless drivel, don’t come crying to me when nobody wants to follow you. Do you really want to know how to advance your career through Twitter? Read on; I impart my wisdom upon you.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

My Biggest Twitter Mistake: Learn Twitter’s Biggest Secret!

Admin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:26:06 +0000

Whether you have just joined Twitter or you are an established member, you probably believe that you must grow tons of followers as fast as you can. Unfortunately, this school of thought is far from the truth. Sure, if you are selling automation software, I have probably purchased most on the market, having 10,000 followers will suit your goals. But, who needs 10,000 followers if nobody in your group pays any attention to you. I am willing to bet that out of all of your followers you do not even know but 10 or 20 of them. This is why I want to share my Twitter secret. This hush-hush fact will give you a quality following, and your followers will like you enough to actually read your posts.

So, what is this wonderful Twitter secret? First of all, this must be said to everyone who utilizes Twitter’s automation software, which is software that will follow any of your followers: stop using it. I realize this goes against the entire theory of getting followers by following others, but have you ever stopped to take a look at some of these tweeter’s profiles. You should because if you do, you will most likely discover that these are not the kind of people you want to associate with on Twitter. When you use automation software to follower tweeters, most of them won’t know you, so most of them will not care a thing about you.

Now, I know you are wondering how to get followers without automation software. You can start by posting interesting, informative tweets. This does not mean tweets that include any of the following: sales pitches or links to products you sell. Now, just sit back and give it a couple of days; you will start to see people following you, and all without automation software.

Once you have a small base of people hooked to your tweets, it is now time to put in the hard work. The first thing you should do is check out your follower’s profiles, and ask yourself a couple of questions. Are they interesting? Are they quality people you want to form a connection with? Next, read the last 20 to 50 tweets. Do they have tons of sales links, or do they contain quality content? These questions will help you determine if these are followers you want to keep. One more point, if 5% of their tweets are sales related, you probably want to steer clear of them.

After a week of using these methods, you will see Twitter in a brand new way. You might even want to think about opening a different Twitter account to try these ideas. This Twitter secret will introduce you to an entirely new way of twittering. Have fun, and good luck on your endeavors.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Getting Only the Best Benefits From Twitter

Admin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:26:04 +0000

For those who didn’t know, the latest social networking tool on the internet today is Twitter. Twitter allows you to keep in touch with people in real time. There are some people out there that refer to it as micro-blogging because Twitter lets you send messages and receive message from friends, family, and others in 140 words or less. Yes, it is a tight limit, but these short blurbs will force you to use your imagination.

Besides being a social networking tool, Twitter is also a way to waste some time. But, it can also be used as a marketing device that will talk to people and communicate messages without being wordy. You can tell any of your followers anything in an instant.

Micro-Blogging—An Advertising Aid:

Most internet users have heard of blogging, but might not know about micro-blogging. This is what Twitter is because it caps all blogs at 140 characters. This forces the user to keep it short and sweet. The benefits are not having to pushy text or perfect grammar. Twitter lets you send messages that are straight to the point without all of that extra “fluff.” Another reason to use Twitter: attracting people to your own website or blog that provides information on products you have for sale.

Networking—Do It With People In Your Niche:

Another great aspect of Twitter is that it takes away that wall of formality between you and other business associates. The informal, “in a flash” atmosphere lets people get down to work without having to worry about social constraints. And, it doesn’t hurt that you can get some enjoyment out of it too. Twitter can be the stepping stone to starting off a business relationship in the right direction. Twitter can be thought of as the “backyard BBQ” or “company picnic” of the internet. The relaxing background can only do nothing but good for you and your business.

Monitoring—Keep Up With Your Industry Efficiently:

Twitter is an excellent resource for keeping yourself up-to-date with the latest happenings in your niche. On Twitter, you can discover any late breaking products before the rest of the media outlets release any information. This will do two things for you: keep you above the rest of your competitors and make you number one in the eyes of your customers.

Saving You Time:

Twitter can streamline your communication efforts. It will take you less time to send and receive messages to and from people that by using emails, IM’s, and RSS Feeds. Twitter just makes communicating faster and more efficient.

Having Fun:

Don’t forget, Twitter is not just for business practices; it is a wonderful way to keep in touch with friends and family. Actually, Twitter was originally meant for this kind of use instead of business promotion.

Warnings:

A new Twitter user might be shocked by the staggering amount of incessant talking that probably doesn’t mean much to you. Do not stress over this; Twitter provides an option to screen out twittering you do not want to see.

Like many other places on the internet, Twitter can be so appealing it might be hard to log off sometimes. You must exercise some self control and step away from the computer screen for awhile. Give yourself a break.

Now that I have gotten all of that out of the way, go ahead and give Twitter a try. It will be a huge asset to your personal and professional life if you apply it appropriately.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Twittering: How To Get Followers Quickly After Signing Up

Admin — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:26:02 +0000

It is said that Twitter can be an obsessive pastime, which is true. If you start the right way, and keep your twittering under control, you will discover Twitter to be more than a fun hobby, but also an outstanding communication tool. So, for those of you who are still wondering what Twitter is, this article is a great place to learn what you need to know.

Throughout the course of time, the world has only seen one main way to communicate: by talking to people one on one and in a group. Then, as the planet’s technological capabilities began to advance, we were introduced to the word in written form, printing presses, and Morse code. Then there was the grouping in succession from telephones and radios, to televisions and the internet. Our conversation options have taken off.

Workings of Twitter

See, Twitter has sprinted off in a direction all of its own. It takes the internet’s communicating capabilities, such as email and blogs, and makes something new that is totally unique. Take a look at email; it is similar to having a one one one conversation. Then, there are blogs. Blogs let you communicate with a mass of people. But, Twitter takes the theories behind email and blogs, and allows you to have several one person to many people discussions that compare to a huge, understandable conversation.

A Different Kind Of Social Network

Twitter is unlike any other social network on the internet today, such as Facebook. Yes, Twitter and Facebook may have a few similarities; they connect you with your friends, family, and colleagues. But, that is where the likenesses end. When using Facebook, you will notice the user interface is made up of connections with people whom you share common interests, organizations, or personal relationships. But, Twitter encourages open talking, and you will enjoy the simple to use system.

Conversations of Equality

Twitter may not hold back on the ways of making connections, but they do restrict the amount of characters per each post to 140. This prevents people from rattling on too much. Yes, they can continue the conversation in more than one post, but each blurb has to be a full thought or idea. This is how Twitter gets people to pull their very best ideas from their head and re-tweet it.

Setting Up An Account For Free

It’s fantastic that Twitter is completely free to use. Visit Twitter.com and register by quickly writing out your profile and posting a nice picture of yourself. That’s it. Now, the only thing left is finding people you know and following them.

Also, you might want to think about adding this to your Twitter arsenal. An automatic invite software tool. This tool will send requests to tons of people everyday urging them to join your twitter feed. This is a fantastically efficient way to get the job done while freeing you up to take care of other important business.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Twitter Cash Flow: 3 Ways to Earn Income Through Twitter

Admin — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:25:53 +0000

There are many people in this world looking to make some money using the internet. But, where should they start? Try Twitter; the latest social networking tool. It does not take much time to gain followers who you can make some money from. What is the best way to go about this? The following article outlines 3 ideas that will work for you.

The first method is through direct selling. By sending tweets about special offers or affiliate products to your group of followers, you can get a commission every time they click on your link and make a purchase. The only thing you need to do is place the link inside your tweet post and see how many people follow it and buy your product.

While many marketers find this difficult to do because they only have 140 characters per tweet to utilize, you do not have to. There are plenty of tools available online to make your links shorter. I advise you to look into the tools available through these websites: bit.ly, budurl.com, and tinyurl.com.

Shortening your URL is not the only option you have; you can talk about the link on your public profile. I have not put this theory to the test myself, but I have heard great feedback. Direct sales may not make you rich, but the income is nothing to turn your nose at either. Who would want turn down free money?

The second Twitter money tip is leading followers to a free opportunity. Placing a link inside your Twitter post to a Cost Per Action, or CPA, offer can be another fantastic way to earn some extra cash. I realize that most readers are probably unfamiliar with CPA, so I urge you to independantly research this topic.

CPA allows you to advertise offers that make you a little bit of money, perhaps only a dollar, but the best feature about CPA is that it only requires your followers to fill out their email address and maybe their zip code too. After doing this, they are entered in a sweepstakes where they could win prizes, such as an iPod or gift certificate. This can be a lucrative way to make some money, and if the prize is something you like, it can be interesting too. The benefit of CPA over all the rest of money making tips is that it cost your Twitter followers absolutely nothing.

For the last tip, I will discuss making money through Twitter by giving freebies away: reports, ebooks, videos, et cetera. Post your website through your tweet, and when people follow this link, they will see an opt-in box. The opt-in-box will ask for their email, and once they input this information, they will receive their free gift. And, this strategy will also help you build a emailing list you can use to help advertise products in the future. This way is far better than direct sales through Twitter, and I have had a lot of luck using it myself.

Don’t forget; if you want any of these tips to work in your favor, you need to build a large amount of targeted Twitter followers. So, build up your Twitter numbers first, and the rest will follow.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites