In my previous blog, I discussed how to use LinkedIn. For this week, let’s look at Twitter.

Twitter is a micro-blogging platform that helps individuals broadcast small elements of conversation such as short sentences, images and video links. The individual messages in Twitter world are called tweets. Each tweet is limited to 140 characters.

Twitter was created in March 2006 and launched in July the same year. According to Statistic Brain Research, Twitter has 554,750,000 active Twitter users and there are 9,100 tweets per second that are sent out. The number of Twitter search engine queries on a daily basis is 2.1 billion.

The Twitters annual advertising revenue for 2012 was $259,000,000 and is projected to grow to $399,500,000 for 2013. This has made Twitter one of the top 10 visited sites on a daily basis.

Let’s look at some of the things that you can do as a user to increase your interactions on this platform and generate some revenue:

Complete the Bio: Write a smart bio that gives an insight into what you have to offer. A Twitter bio can be up to 160 characters. First impressions count, so make sure you put your best foot forward by having an excellent bio. If you are struggling to write a bio for yourself, search for top Twitter users and have a read. Their bios are well written and can give you some inspiration to write your own.

Don’t be an Egghead: The default image for the profile on Twitter is a photo of en egg. Add some personality and make your profile look real. People interacting with you should know that they are talking to real people and not just an automated robot. Add a photograph, smiling, smart or something different, just don’t be an egghead.

Customise the Header: Twitter gives you the capability to customise your header image. Use this space to add some branding and personality to your Twitter profile. You can use this area to showcase your company ethos. The header image dimensions are 520 pixels x 260 pixels.

Connect with People Constantly: Most of the social media platforms are built on the fact that they need to be interactive. In Twitter’s universe, this is especially important. For beginners in Twitter this is crucial; interact constantly with as many connections as you can to create conversations. Tweeting three people (on Twitter using @) on a daily basis is a good start for beginners.

Keep Tweeting: Even if this seems obvious, you have to constantly tweet. Obviously you do not have to do it 24/7. There are tools that you can use to manage your Twitter activity. Consistent tweeting is very important for beginners and seasoned professionals to help you build your reputation in your subject matter.

The world of Twitter is wide and integrated and there are many strategies that can be used to get the most from this beautiful social platform. The points mentioned above should help you get started with Twitter and get you hooked to this platform.

Is there is any advice you have? If so, why not share below and let’s get tweeting about it.

Until next time, have fun tweeting.