This post is the second in a series.  Here’s the first post on All About Tweets.

The secret of using Twitter is to create an interesting group of people and enterprises with whom you can enjoy communicating.  Twitter offers many benefits to those who choose to participate in a civil, social way.

After all, Twitter is one big International  Cocktail Party.

It can be a delightful community to hang around to learn about what’s happening in the world and get to know other members of the community.  News travels fast on Twitter and being connected is part of the fun.

Of course first you have to Follow and be Followed, so here’s the technical scoop on How to…

You have of course completed your bio and added a photo of yourself.  This is very important, because if you didn’t you could be wasting your time trying to get people to Follow you.

As you Follow people, they will be checking out your profile, deciding if they want to Follow you back.  If you look like a spammer or an ax murderer, you can be assured no one will follow you back except maybe a spammer or an ax murderer.

Adding Followers can be done in this manner:

1. People Search: in the top navigation bar you can Find People
   1. you know on Twitter by entering their names.
   2. Twitter can also search other networks your are a member of to find matches if they are also on Twitter.
   3. You can invite via e-mail
   4. Twitter will also suggest Followers for you
2. Click on one of your Follower’s names:
   
   1. It will take you to their profile where you can browse through their Followers.  If you like what you see, you can click and add those Followers to your list!  You can see how easy it can be to grow your list, including the Followers of people you know and like!

3. Using Twitter Search – at the very bottom of Twitter pages there is a navigation bar, click on the “Search” link.

You will end up on a new page with more options.  This one is very easy to miss.

Here’s what it looks like.  Now click on “Advanced Search.”

Advanced Search is a hidden treasure trove, a paradise for Twitter users wishing to define their objectives more clearly.  Here you can search in many ways, including a radius around where your market area is located.

By adding my town with a 15 mile radius, Twitter Search will return the most current Tweets occurring within this area.  It is now up to me to review and decide if these Tweeter folks are worthy of being in my Twitter stream!

With these tools you will find plenty to keep you busy on Twitter. Try at least one of these methods.  As you become more comfortable with the system you will see how easy it is to use.  You will also begin to see how Twitter can be beneficial in your business and personal life.

Summing Up Day Two of Tweet Week

1. Let Twitter find your existing friends by searching through your address book.
2. Do a name search for a few friends by using the “Find People” button on the nav bar.
3. Use Advanced Search to look for Tweeters in your geographic area.
4. Use Advanced Search to find people talking about a subject that interests you.  (haha! This is a trick suggestion, you will have to figure out how to do this on your own.  It can be done and you can figure it out! I challenge you!)

Be sure to let me know if you have questions.  I’d love to hear from you.

Since this week is Tweet Week, I will be writing about some of the Twitter Tools you can use to make your Tweeting easier on the road, in the office or at home.

Related Posts:

• Followers, Friends and Freaks
• Tweet Week ~ Talking Back on Twitter
• Peek Behind the Twitter Background
• All About Tweets It Is Twitter Week!

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