Twitter Learning Archives

Dec 29 2015

Why is Twitter so Difficult to Use?

Twitter’s Difficulty Curve: You Know More than You Think

Have you ever logged into Twitter and felt a bit overwhelmed at the rapid stream of tweets? Or at a loss on where to begin? Why is Twitter so difficult to understand?

Don’t worry about it, you’re not alone.

Twitter’s executive chairman Omid Kordestani (Jack Dorsey’s boss) was recently quoted as saying, “I did find [Twitter] challenging to use at times and intimidating to use.” This is a former Google executive talking, who is knee-deep in the tech industry. So it’s no surprise that entrepreneurs unaccustomed to Twitter would feel overwhelmed upon first logging in.

But if you can overcome your initial hesitation and dive into Twitter with both feet, you’ll be able to quickly adjust and harness its potential to boost your business. Today I’m going to help you get over that obstructive mindset.

Similar Concepts

The best modern technology products follow similar design and usability concepts, so that it’s easier for users of one product to jump to another. Twitter is no different. Any entrepreneur with a Facebook or email account can quickly adapt their knowledge into using Twitter. Allow me to demonstrate:

Twitter’s tweet stream is basically the same as your Facebook stream or even your email inbox, where new messages come in at a constant pace (although Twitter’s feed is a lot faster than Facebook’s, an probably an order of magnitude faster than your email inbox!). You don’t have to read every single tweet—just the ones that really interest you.

Each tweet has several interaction buttons on it that have the exact same functions as other apps. Retweeting? Exactly the same as “sharing” on Facebook or forwarding an email. The only difference is retweeting automatically sends it to everyone the moment you click the button. Similarly, the Twitter “heart” works just like the Facebook “Like.”

You know how you can tag or label emails based on certain subjects? Twitter’s hashtags work in a similar way, except in this case these tags are publicly available to everyone on Twitter. Everyone can label, search or filter using these hashtags, and even create hashtags of their own.

Leveraging Twitter

One of the keys to effectively leveraging Twitter is to treat it like a networking tool, not a promotional tool. In networking, you introduce yourself to potential contacts and be as pleasant and useful as possible so that you build a good reputation.

Twitter works the same way. Entrepreneurs should invest time developing relationships on Twitter and engaging others, whether they’re customers, potential customers, or colleagues. These relationships are what will establish your online reputation so that when you talk, people listen. This is an effective way of becoming an industry thought leader or building brand loyalty.

As you can see, Twitter is not the mysterious technology that it first seems. With the right mindset and a little effort, you’ll be able to turn it into an effective part of your business marketing strategy. If you’d like to know a few strategies for making that happen, contact me at @jenkellyjen and I’ll be happy to share!

One way new Twitter users can get up to speed is by having some help. NimbleQuotes.com will send out inspirational and motivational quotes into your Twitter stream as if you’ve tweeted the quotes yourself. Then you’ll be able to see how hashtags, retweets, follows and mentions work. It will all make sense to you. Within 30-days you’ll ‘get Twitter’. Sign up today for your 30-day trial at NimbleQuotes.com

Dec 21 2015

Twitter do’s and don’ts

Twitter do’s and Twitter don’ts

To the average business owner, Twitter might seem like a one-way exchange, where companies or entrepreneurs throw out content but don’t get any feedback in return. But interacting on twitter isn’t just for social media gurus and celebrities. You can have meaningful interactions with people in a way that will build your business’ online audience and professional network.

Here are some suggested Twitter do’s and don’ts to follow.

Do make the first move

In a normal business setting, you wouldn’t just sit and wait for customers to approach you, right? You would get out and meet people, introducing yourself and making sure people know who you are. Interacting on Twitter is the same. In order to build your audience from scratch, you have to take the first step and make your own introduction.

One way you can do this is by following someone. A “follow” on Twitter is kind of a mix of a handshake and giving your business card. Following someone calls attention to yourself and puts your name in front of them.

Another way of making the first move is by releasing content that sparks conversation. This could be a quote or a blog that you wrote.

Do look for common ground

Starting a conversation works the same on Twitter as it does in real life. Look for common ground that will break the ice. Since you’re an entrepreneur, try talking about something you’re an expert in. Maybe they asked a question about your industry, or need advice on a specific issue. A cursory check of their past tweets can clue you in on what to talk about.

Do promote others

Did the other person just publish content of their own? Retweet it. They’ll take notice of that. Even if they don’t thank you that particular time, there’s a good chance they’ll remember you next time you interact with them.

Don’t rush things

This is where it can get strange. Some of us move faster than others and feel more comfortable quicker than others with people we’ve recently met online. Just be aware that while Twitter moves fast, people’s ability to know, like and trust you moves at different rates than yours. Sometimes a sales pitch will work immediately and it is appropriate to do so, other times not. Just be aware that everyone you are interacting with may move at a different pace than you.

Don’t interact with bots

Bots are empty Twitter accounts run by a computer, which are usually used to artificially inflate a Follower list. These don’t do anything for your business, and can actually hurt you if people discover many of your followers are bots.

It’s easy to recognize a bot: first, they follow way more people than those who are following them: I’ve seen bot accounts that have 1000 follows but only 10 follows. Another sure sign is that they always tweet the exact same thing to many people. Once you discover a bot, don’t waste your time or energy trying to interact with them. Just walk away.

Do be you

The best way to engage with people on Twitter is to just be a person people want to talk with. Behave with them the same way you would behave with someone who was already your customer. Be pleasant. Be professional. Be helpful. Be memorable. Be interesting.

If inspirational and motivational quotes appeal to you, add them to your Twitter feed. NimbleQuotes.com is a service for Twitter users where you choose quotes to cycle out into your Twitter feed as if you’ve tweeted them yourself. No searching for quotes, just enjoyment, retweets and great interactions with your followers as a result. Try today for 30-days free. Sign up at NimbleQuotes.com

Dec 11 2015

Want to Connect Emotionally? Start With Inspirational Quotes

Using inspirational quotes on Twitter is a fast way to connect with others. They can help us be more relatable, particularly on a platform like Twitter where we are connecting constantly with ‘strangers’ and need a way to break the ice to start the conversation.

Here are some of the reasons tweeting quotes helps you connect emotionally with your audience. Consider adding a couple of quotes per day to the information you share on Twitter. It can be just the thing that sparks the connection with another.

Inspirational quotes are valuable

Emotionally valuable, that is. Quotes can inspire, motivate, and entertain.

Quotes can cover a variety of topics—it doesn’t have to be all business all the time. Be aware that the quotes you pick must speak to the people you’re trying to reach and need to convey the feelings and values that you and your business stand behind. If you’re a consultant working with executives, for example, consider sharing quotes related to leadership.

Inspirational quotes say it best

What is is about inspirational and motivational quotes? To us at Nimble Quotes, they really do feel like little statements of wisdom. They are here to help us push on, try just once more, go for it – particularly when we are tired, scared or feel a little defeated. What is it about a few words strung together in a way that has a positive knock-on effect the more it is shared? Who knows, but do take advantage of this wisdom.

more you position yourself as someone knowledgeable in your industry, the more weight you’ll have with potential customers. Quoting famous business men or entrepreneurs can accomplish this, as well as quoting people who are known figures in your industry.

If you have content that you want to share, like a blog article or a video, you can also pull a passage from your blog and use that as your quote. You can even quote your own company wisdom by sharing a quote by one of your company executives.

Inspirational quotes connect us

Not just on Twitter, but take a look at any social network, listen to a business talk, attend a conference and guaranteed some one will be referencing a famous quote to make a point. The quote will be one or a few sentences which sum up exactly the point someone is trying to convey. We read it or hear it and nod or say “Yes! I get it, I know what you mean.” What a beautiful way to move from stranger to known and start the conversation.

Let the quotes do the work for you.

We’ve collected thousands of business-appropriate quotes you can add to your Twitter feed automatically. Check out NimbleQuotes.com for 30-days free and see what it feels like to have quotes added to your Twitter feed and be connecting daily with your followers.

Dec 01 2015

How Financial Advisors Use Twitter

A financial advisor using Twitter? Perhaps you are an investment advisor, financial planner or lead a wealth management firm, and are sure there is no way Twitter can help grow or build awareness for your business. You’re wrong! Read on to see how Twitter could help you promote you investing business.

This article assumes you understand how to use twitter, what a hashtag is, and how to follow people.

Share investment news

Don’t be scared to share publicly available investment and financial news. Sharing news that your followers will find interesting is exactly the kind of post that you should be looking to create- as long as the news content you share and what you choose to say about it remain impartial. As an investment professional it is likely that you will keep on top of news, use this to your advantage by making your account the first place a follower will check for financial news. Share news as soon as it happens and share a mixture of your own content and content from financial blogs, websites and luminaries in your field. This is one way financial advisors use Twitter.

Retweet, quote and follow other financial advisors

Follow, retweet and favourite/like tweets from influential people in your industry. Doing this will increase the chances of your target audience finding your profile and become aware of you.

Share what you do

If you attend meeting, and industry talk or presentation, let your Twitter followers know about it. Take a quick picture and caption it with a short sentence that tells your followers what you have been doing. Financial information can be very confusing to people, particularly your clients. To build trust with them, consider giving your own summary of the talk or presentation you attended. Pull out the key points and phrase them in a way that will make sense to your clients. Tweet that information. This way you are adding value and your own take on the news.

Link to your website

Be sure to share the information already on your company website ( blogs, updates ) on Twitter. You can reach a wider audience than those who currently know about your company and visit your site. You can track the link in Google Analytics to see if your blog/website visits increase because of sharing your information on Twitter.

Controversy is your enemy

We understand that there are certain pieces of information that just are not allowed to be out in public. We’re not encouraging you to tweet that content. However, there is a massive amount of helpful information that is completely appropriate to tweet. Error on the side of caution and when in doubt, stay conservative. Also, avoid tweeting negative news about your competitors.

Use your bio

Use your Twitter profile (bio) to let people know what it is you do and how you can help them. It should inform viewers of who you are, where you work and what you specialize in. Include a link to your website. Spend some time on this, you have 160 characters. Use them all. Yes, you can change your profile description at anytime. So do your best version and publish it. If you feel it needs tweaking, do so. Refining your message on social media becomes easier as you spend more time on the network.

Customer confidentiality

Unless you have permission, don’t tweet anything indicating that an individual or company uses your services. As you will most certainly be the first to know, finance is a sensitive and personal matter.

Employer’s guidelines

If you work for a company, check that it isn’t against employee guidelines to create a social media account, or post views about finance online. Some companies we’ve talked with have their tweets approved about 2 weeks in advance. While this may hamper immediate information, use a different strategy. There is a lot of timeless advice and information that can be of use to your clients whether they see it on your Twitter account in two weeks or two months. Adopt a strategy of sharing timeless content and leave the breaking financial news to the news media outlets.

And finally…

If in doubt, consider a potential client is viewing your profile. Would what you have to say paint you as an industry authority? Would they be impressed by what you have to say? When you can answer yes to both of these questions, you’re on the right track. It may take a bit of time to get used to, we were all new to Twitter at one point. Jump in and enjoy the interaction with others on this social network.

Add motivational and inspiring quotes about investing to your Twitter feed via NimbleQuotes.com. Try it free for 30-days and see how wisdom from some of the most famous investment leaders can attract more followers and engagement to your Twitter account.