A Beginner's Guide to Using Twitter

The three most useful terms on Twitter:
@ Reply: If you see an @ (that isn’t part of an email address) on Twitter, it is typically followed by someone’s screen name. It’s a way to hold a public conversation with that person.
DM: DM stands for direct message. It’s a way to hold a private conversation with another Twitter user, but you can only DM people who are already following you.
RT: RT stands for retweet. If you like what someone says on twitter, You can retweet it to spread the message to your followers as well.
*Know the difference between using the @ and the DM!
Also:
Hashtag (#): If you see the pound symbol (#) before a word or phrase, it is essentially a keyword tag for the tweet so that others can find it more easily. On Twitter, this is called a hashtag, and they can be serious, to help people search for your tweet (like #advice or #blogging) or funny (like #ImSoDarnTired). Not every tweet needs hashtags. Basically, it’s a way to follow the stream of everyone talking about a specific subject.
Tagalus

Lists: Once you start following lots of people, you can put them in different lists to keep them more organized. People can also add you to their lists to keep their own streams organized. Lists can be public or private.

Important:
Bitly.com
https://bitly.com/video_experiment

Twitpic.com - Quick Tutorial

Tweetdeck



Important Information From the Readings:

From: http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/23430.asp

1. Outline your goals
2. Give it a face
3. Monitor constantly
4. Use the available tools: PeopleBrowser.com

From: http://mashable.com/2009/05/09/twitter-customer-service/

1. Understand why Twitter is an ideal customer service platform
1. Problem resolution: The main goal of customer service is to help someone resolve their issues. While phone conversations can help solve problems, wait times do not. Twitter is a lightning-fast platform that can help sift through and solve problems quickly. If it’s a small issue, a single tweet may be enough. For a more complex problem, the brand can initiate a deeper conversation with the customer.
2. Positive brand image: Great customer service gets talked about, and this can lead to more sales and more attention. Twitter is one of the most viral platforms around, which can make one happy customer into an international story.
3. Staff involvement: If the team does not buy into the notion of helping the customer, they are going to provide sub-par assistance. Twitter is not only a more interesting platform than phone or email, but gives staff a better picture of their impact on others.
4. Cost reduction: Customer service via Twitter often takes less time and a lot less money than a dedicated call center. With Twitter, it’s necessary to be short and to the point, which reduces the time needed to solve each problem.
2. Track the ENTIRE conversation around your brand
1. Monitter:
2. Tweetbeep: TweetBeep is like Google Alerts for Twitter. Get emailed when someone is twittering about you, your company, your product, or your website!
3. More Monitoring Tools
3. Make customers aware of your presence
4. Respond quickly and transparently
5. Be engaged in the conversations
6. Be authentic: People value honesty, being upfront, and listening to others. Employing these principles can prevent social media blunders from turning into lawsuits and PR disasters