twitter 101 Archives - Nimble Quotes

Oct 27 2015

Twitter 101: Examples of Great Twitter Hashtags

In a previous blog post I explained what Twitter hashtags are and how they work. Today, I’m going to give you some great examples of hashtags that you can use as inspiration. Feel free to use them for research, or as a jumping-off point to create your own!

I’m going to organize this list by the purpose of the hashtag: event, brand, and so on. Let’s get started:

Brand hashtag

You don’t have to just rely on your Twitter handle to get your brand name out there. Big name companies have their own hashtags, too. #Starbucks, for instance, is a very popular hashtag. The brand is so big that people even use the hashtag in many ways, from contest to idle conversation.

Movements

The world is an imperfect place, and people have causes that need to be heard. Twitter has proven to be an ideal venue for this, as gives a voice to those who might not otherwise have a chance to speak out. They use hashtags to associate their tweets to the cause and promote their message for others to see.

#YesAllWomen is a great example of this. It lets women speak out against the different levels and kinds of abuse they receive.

Events

Want to promote a great event? Or maybe talk to people attending the same event? Most organizers will set up a Twitter hashtag that’ll allow you to do just that. You can normally find it on the event website, or announced through the company’s Twitter account.

One great example of this are TEDx talks. They’re organized by local groups, who normally set up their own hashtags to promote their TED programs.

Industries

Twitter is a fantastic place for people who work in the same industry to share their knowledge. Even supposedly “dry” industries like #ProjectManagement and #Accounting have their own vibrant hashtags. If you work in a particular industry, don’t be afraid to use its hashtag and make yourself known to your peers.

Specific Items

Are you looking for someone to help you with a specific item, like say creating an ebook or a whitepaper? Just put a “#” in front of it and run a search. You’ll be surprised at what you find!

Twitter Hashtag contest

A hashtag contest is basically a contest on Twitter that requires people to use a specific hashtag to enter. You ask them to do something, maybe post a photo or ask a question. Then you pick a winner through either random drawing or who has the best entry.

If you want to discuss ideas for a good hashtag, or know any hashtags you want to share, send me a tweet! I’m on Twitter at @jenkellyjen.

Learn more tips about using Twitter. Sign up for the Nimble Quotes newsletter! And while you’re at it, why not try a 30-day free trial of Nimble Quotes? Yes, you can add your own hashtag to your quotes. It’s a #wonderful service! (But we’re biased.)

Oct 23 2015

Twitter 101: What is a Hashtag?

Twitter is a perfect venue for a small business entrepreneur to reach a wide audience. The best way to do that is by using hashtags. But what if you’re a newcomer to Twitter and don’t know what a hashtag is, much less how it works?

Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything:

Hashtag basics

A hashtag is a keyword marked with a “#” or “hash” sign, hence the name. Twitter keeps track of these hashtags/keywords and groups together tweets that use the same hashtag. Anyone who searches for a specific hashtag will see all tweets that use it.

So if I want people to see my marketing-related tweet, I should include the hashtag #Marketing.

How do I know what hashtag to use?

You have the freedom to create your very own hashtag, but since you’re trying to market your business you should probably stick with hashtags that already have an audience.

Here are some great ways to find out which hashtags you should be using:

Find what others use. Look for other people on Twitter who are in the same field as you and read their tweets. Chances are they’re using hashtags, too.

Find a relevant hashtag, then click on it to see other tweets that have used it, too.

Scan through this list and see if the people on it are the right people you want to talk to (i.e. potential customers). If they are, then take note of the hashtag! You can use it later on when you start releasing your own content.

Search bar. Twitter has a search bar that helps you look for things. If you’ve got an idea for a hashtag and you’re not sure other people are using it, type it in here. You’ll be offered several other possible hashtag options. Scan through these and see if they’ve got a significant audience.

Trending. Lastly, try looking at “Trending” hashtags. These are the most popular hashtags on Twitter at that very moment. Twitter posts a different list of trends per region (like Toronto), which is fantastic if you want to talk to your local audience.

Just be aware that these trends might not be related to your business. That’s okay if you just want to tweet for fun, but be careful about which ones you use for work. Also watch out for hashtags full of competitors. You might be better off looking for another one, if that’s the case.

Still not sure about hashtags? Nimble Quotes comes with default hashtags at the end of each quote to get you into the conversation on Twitter. Sign up for the 30-day free trial today.

Oct 20 2015

Twitter 101: How do I Compose a Tweet?

So you’ve finally taken the plunge and created a Twitter account. Congratulations! Twitter can definitely open up great possibilities for your business, and I’ll walk you through the basics of what you need to get started.

First off: let’s compose a tweet.

How to compose a tweet

Composing a tweet is actually pretty simple. Just log into the Twitter website (or open the Twitter app if you’re on your phone) and look for this screen.

This is where you’ll put down whatever thought or content you want to share. Just click on that field and start typing. Twitter only gives you 140 characters to build a tweet, so you can’t afford to ramble. You need to be concise and direct.

As you write your tweet, keep in mind that even though nobody’s in front of you that very moment, your tweet is meant to be talking directly to another person. So refer to them often by saying “you.”

If you want to share something, like an article you wrote or a video you find interesting, copy the URL and paste it into the tweet field. Use a link-shortener like Bitly so that it doesn’t use up your allocated character limit.

Don’t just put the link, though—say a little bit about what the content is about. You can either share the title of the content, or tell people why they would find it really interesting.

How to get people’s attention

You can mark your tweets with a hashtag, which is a short phrase prefaced by a “#” symbol, like #TwitterBasics. Anyone who follows that hashtag will be able to see your tweet. Keep the hashtag relevant to your topic.

If you want to talk to someone directly, you can mention them by typing in their Twitter handle. A twitter handle is their “name” on Twitter. Mine, for instance, is @jenkellyjen. They will get an alert that you mentioned them in your tweet.

Tips for great tweets

But the best way by far to get your tweet noticed is to make your tweet stand out. There are a few ways you can do that:

Great writing. The best tweets are short and to the point. Long tweets tend to get ignored. It also helps if your tweet is funny, inspiring or insightful. If you’re not any of these, then you can always quote someone who is.

Add images. People are very visual. By including a photo with your tweet you can increase engagement by 33%. It’s just as simple as including an image in your tweet as an attachment. But it has big results!

Be honest. What I mean by this, is make sure that the article you are mentioning on your tweet is the same one people see when they click the link. No bait and switch! People will get very annoyed at you and you’ll actually lose potential followers.

So try sending out a few tweets and getting the hang of how Twitter works. Look at other people on Twitter and see what kind of tweets they’re posting, and see what lessons you can pick up. You’ll be steaming along in no time!

Getting started on Twitter can be made easier by using Nimble Quotes to supplement your own tweets with inspiring and motivational quotes. Choose from 60+ categories that are all written for you. Sign up for your 30-day free trial now.

Aug 21 2015

Twitter for Business 101: How do I Tweet to a Specific Person?

Welcome to another edition of Twitter for Business 101!

You may have already noticed that Twitter is a fantastic platform for broadcasting your message to a bunch of people, whether it’s your followers, the Twitterverse at large or a hashtag. But what happens if you want to talk to a specific person? Do you just throw the tweet out there and hope the person you’re talking to sees it?

You could, but you don’t have to. Twitter already thought of that, and provided some nifty options for you to get in touch with specific individuals. They consist of:

Mentions
Replies
Direct Messages

Let’s break it down one at a time.

Mention

You know how each Twitter handle has the “@” sign at the front of their name? That’s what Twitter uses to identify specific names in a tweet. It kind of works like the “To:” field in an email, except in this case all of the Internet is bcc’d when you send it out. For example, typing “@WilliamShatner” in your tweet will flag it for the attention of, you guessed it, William Shatner.

Twitter has a special section called “notifications” that alerts you every time your name is mentioned in this manner.

So if William Shatner wanted to know who is tweeting him or talking about him, he just needs to read his Notifications.

When do I use mentions?

Mentions are most commonly used when:

Making a public statement that you want the other person to see, either because they’re a part of the conversation or it’s relevant to them in some way.Example: “Met some great people at tonight’s networking event! @HelenHunt”
Quoting someone or referencing their work. Excellent when you want to give credit where it’s due.Example: “Identified my own “Tipping Point” today courtesy of the amazing @Gladwell”

Starting a public conversation that you don’t mind other people reading.Example: “Hey @jenkellyjen, when can we meet up for tacos?”

In addition to the “Notifications” tab, there are a lot of tools like Hootsuite and ManageFlitter that help you track any time someone is mentioned on Twitter, whether it’s you or someone else.

Reply

Do you want to respond to an interesting Twitter post? Hit the “reply” icon on their tweet!

Twitter will automatically fill in the original tweeter’s name, similar to the way mentions work, so that your message will be addressed to them. But the reply will also be attached to the tweet you’re responding to, thus creating a conversation threat that’s easier to follow.

When do I reply to tweets?

It’s just like replying to an email, or answering someone verbally. If you want to ask a question, answer a question, make a comment or even just strike up a conversation, replying to someone’s tweet is a great way to do it.

Even if it’s “just” the Internet, the standard rules of social decorum still apply. Make sure your reply is relevant to the conversation. Don’t spam them with a barrage of messages. Never say something you wouldn’t say to their face. Above all, be interesting.

Direct Message

Finally, Direct Messages (or DMs) are a way to initiate a private conversation with either one specific person or a group. To send a direct message, you have to go to your Messages page on your Twitter account and start a new conversation by entering the Twitter handle (or handles) of who you want to talk to. Only people explicitly mentioned in the address box will be able to see and participate in the conversation.

You can only send a DM to someone who already follows you, and vice versa. If you want to use Twitter for business purposes and encourage people to contact you anytime, there is a setting that allows you to receive Direct Messages from anyone, even if you don’t follow them.

When do I use direct messages?

Marketers love using Twitter for business because it allows for direct messages. Direct Messages are ideal for discussing sensitive and private business topics, and for exchanging contact information if you and the other user want to meet face to face or via email.

The Twitter support page has more great information on how Direct Messages work.

To learn more about using Twitter for business, sign up for the Nimble Quotes newsletter.