Now, some of you already use Twitter... which means you probably fall into three camps. You either love it, don’t know how to use it, or haven’t gotten past the confusing gibberish to even start. Let me offer some advice to those who aren’t already benefiting.
Start by Following. Click the Who to Follow button and then look through recommended users as well as search for people you know. Choose 50 people or brands that interest you and read them for two weeks. See what they talk about and what information you’re finding out that you’d likely have missed if you had to search actively for it.
Complete Your Bio. Make sure you upload a photo and add a descriptive bio. You can also include your homepage which will serve as an inbound link to your site. You are missing opportunities when you don’t introduce yourself properly.
Start Posting. Many on Twitter are simply lurkers. Make sure you get involved. Post updates whenever you add new blog post to your site. Try posting quick tips or observations about photography. Share good news and accomplishments with others. You can also include links to useful articles relevant to your interests. The important thing here is to periodically engage others and comment.
Don’t Obsess. Twitter is not your email inbox. You do not need to read every tweet that comes in (however be sure to click on the @Mentions and Messages buttons to see tweets about and to you.) You should also not log in and send out too many tweets at once.
Go Mobile. Put a native Twitter application on your mobile pone. You’ll find Twitter a pleasant companion that lets you keep in touch with your friends and interests. The phone applications make it easy to share photos and video as well as streamline the posting and browsing process.
Switch Your View. You might enjoy your Twitter feed more if you use a helper application. Look at things like Flipboard for iPad or Pulse for Android which turn your Twitter feed into a virtual magazine.
Like all new things, Twitter takes a while to learn and even longer to master. But it does a great job of keeping you informed of important industry news and can lead to a passive intimacy with your clients and fans. This excuse to keep in touch means that you stay in people’s minds... which of course improves your chance of referrals and repeat hires.
Richard Harrington is the founder of RHED Pixel (www.RHEDPixel.com) a visual communications company in Washington, D.C. You can follow him on Twitter @rhedpixel.
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