Social Media Tutorials 01: How to setup a Twitter account

Most people are familiar with FaceBook, so I thought I would start my tutorials with Twitter because it is a bigger mystery.

What is Twitter and why should I care?

Twitter is a micro-blogging platform. Users can share “tweets” that are up to 140 characters.

When Twitter first came out, everyone thought it was a fad, but Twitter is here to stay. Brands and professionals (like artists and writers) often have Twitter accounts to connect with their fans. Unlike FaceBook, Twitter allows you to have conversations with anyone (including non-friends) about any topic using hashtags. (We will discuss hashtags in a future installment.) It is acceptable to post more often on Twitter because posts are short.

How do I setup a Twitter account?

Go to http://www.twitter.com, and enter your name, email, and a password to start your account. You will be taken to a screen to choose your username and can change the info you just entered. The next page will show you a sample tweet. Click the Next button to be taken to a screen to add followers. They will provide you with a list of celebrities and popular accounts. You can also use the search button to search for specific people. You need to follow 5 accounts to continue. Don’t worry, you can always un-follow these people later. On the next page, select a category and follow 5 more accounts. On the next screen you can search for people to follow based on your email contacts. If you wish to skip a step, you can click on the “Skip” link at the bottom of the boxes.

On the next page you can upload a profile photo and write your bio. I would suggest cropping your photo to a square before uploading it to prevent a squished or irregularly cropped image. The image can be up 700 kb or less. Your bio can be up to 160 characters. Most bios are short and quirky. You want to tell readers what they need to know about you while also expressing something about your personality.

Then you have a Twitter account!

How do I follow and un-follow people?

To follow more people, click on “Discover” and select “Find Friends” or you can search for specific account names in the search bar at the top of the page. Look for the Follow button on the search or profile page to follow an account.

To un-follow someone, go to your home page. Below your profile name, there will be a box showing the number of following and followers. Click on the following number to see who you follow. Click on the following button beside each account you want to un-follow.

How do I tweet?

From the home page, just start typing in “compose new tweet” box beneath your profile picture. You can also download the Twitter app on most mobile devices and you can tweet from there.

Other basic Twitter tips:

You will need to verify your email address. To do that, open your email and click on the link in the email from Twitter to show you are actually the person who setup the account.
Start tweeting, and try to be consistent in what you tweet based on the kind of followers you want to attract.
Twitter is all about the relationships so find people to follow and start tweeting with them. Have conversations. Get to know them. (I will discuss how to reply and send direct messages in a future update.)

Please note that social media platforms change all the time, so the steps may be slightly different if it has been a while since I wrote this blog. Come back in two weeks for more Twitter basics!

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