TWITTER - Where do I start?

I am sorry about the delay in posting, but this last week has been SUPER busy.  3 birthdays in my family, including mine =D 

I didn’t want to start talking about twitter until I made sure I had time to get everything in.  I know people look at Twitter as a big monster.   It’s easy to say, “I don’t need that, I am doing fine without it.”  Or, “It’s too much work.”   But please trust me on this; you need Twitter if you are going to build your business in this new Global Market.  I am going to try and break this isn’t steps, so that you aren’t thrown into anything.  Once you have a few tools and learn a couple concepts, it really isn’t so bad, and it’s fun. 

Twitter is the marketing “Market Place” of today and the future.   If it isn’t happening on twitter, it isn’t happening.  Even major news stations like CNN and CBS are looking to twitter to find out what is going on faster and in real time.  People all over the world are using twitter to communicate and it's time to join the conversation. 

First things first.  

1.       GET A TWITTER ACCOUNT.  www.twitter.com.  

When choosing a twitter name, remember, this is for your business.  It is best to use your business name.   Fill in your Profile and other information.  Be sure to Link your business site on your profile page.  It will make it easier to find you.  When starting out, I would use your Etsy Shop Avatar as your Picture.  It will help people recognize your shop when they click on links. 

Ok – A little info about how twitter works.  When you tweet, only your followers see your message.  But, add “#” in front of a word, (lets use etsy) then anyone watching the  “#etsy”  topic will see your tweet.

EXAMPLE   TWEET: Come see my newest collection.  www.classickeepsakes.etsy.com #etsy 

The “#” is your best friend.  I make jewelry, so I add #jewelry and #fashion to my tweets.  Depending on what you sell, your #topics might be different.   #etsy and #handmade are good topics to start with for Etsy shops.   If you aren’t with etsy  - #yourtypeofproduct works great.

Now try out some tweets and play around a little with twitter.  Let me know how you are doing or if you have any questions.  I have TONS more tips on Twitter – Stay tuned!!