Top tips for using Twitter

Following a recent Twitter training course, in which I gained further knowledge in the use of this social media platform and how to optimise my profile, I’ve compiled some top tips that will hopefully help you to do the same!

1. Key words

Twitter’s word limit can be a real obstacle when writing tweets! For example, you may have produced a really engaging tweet, but because there are too many characters, Twitter won’t allow your message to be seen by others. For this reason, keywords are extremely important – if you include as many keywords in your tweet as possible, which reflect the topic you’re tweeting about, it’s more likely to be seen by many people, maximising its coverage and engagement. This will produce a shorter, snappier tweet, which can be understood instantly.

2. Hashtags

Do you struggle with knowing what words to hashtag? Keywords – either within your tweet or at the end – are always a good place to start. They emphasise your message, and also allow people to search for a specific topic. If you’re tweeting about an event it’s a good idea to do a quick search for a hashtag, which may have been created especially for the occasion. If this is the case, you can use it to connect with others who are talking about the same thing.

3. Engagement

When writing posts, think about the types of people you want to read them. If you want to grab the attention of a particular individual or company, tag them in your tweet. This is known as a ‘direct mention’, but is still viewable to others, meaning numerous people can engage with it. Another thing to consider is the tone of your tweets. Depending on the message you’re trying to convey, your tone should vary. For example, if you’re wanting to directly address a professional, you may want to use a more formal tone, whereas, if you’re ‘speaking’ to all your followers you may opt for an informal, chatty tone to increase the likelihood of engagement.

4. Lists

Using lists on Twitter is not a well-known feature. Lists act as a filter system to your (sometimes overwhelming!) feed. If you use the platform for multiple things, in both your personal and work life, it can be hard to read exactly what you want, without other things getting in the way. Lists allow you to tailor what you see. So, if you follow your local newspapers and only want to view the tweets from them, you can create a subfolder to do just that!

A point to remember is that a twitter list is automatically made public, unless you change it to private. This is important if you’re building a list which you want to keep away from competitors, as you don’t want to give them access to sensitive information, such as journalists or target publications. If creating lists seems too overwhelming and time consuming, you can subscribe to lists created by other people. This can be a real time saver.

5. Profile picture

Your profile picture is a very important aspect of your profile. As well as your bio, a header image and content, your image shows the viewer exactly who and what kind of person you are. If you’re creative, you may want to think outside the box and use a picture that really expresses this. However, if your profile is for work related tweeting, you should pick a clean and simple image. This doesn’t mean you have to wear a dark suit, with a serious face – you can let your personality shine through, whilst remaining professional.

There is no perfect code to follow when using Twitter or setting up your profile. If you utilise some of these simple tips it may add an extra sparkle to your account, maximise your engagement with other people and expand your social network. After all, we all want our words to be seen and heard!

Back to all Words

Written by Bethany Lunt

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