Many times, when I talk to people about Twitter, I get the familiar response of “I don’t get it”. But, really, there isn’t much to get—but, I do understand the mental block towards twitter, if you have never worked with Twitter before. So, today, I hope to give you a little help.
Several months ago, I heard an explanation that made a huge amount of sense in explaining Twitter (I wish I knew who said it—but I was driving and listening to a podcast). The explanation says “Twitter was started as a way to send a text message…except everyone can see it.” This is much like talking out at a party, when you talk, everybody can here you. That is all there is to it.
There first step to twitter is to sign up for an account. This can be done at twitter.com.
Second, you’ll want to start following people.
Feel free to follow me! Simply, search for @chaplainandrews or go to twitter.com/chaplainandrews and press the “Follow” button. My tweets will start showing up in your stream. From here you can follow other people as well. Use the search box again and just type some celebrity’s name in the box, or company (like “Disney”), or even a friend’s name—if you know they are on twitter. Once you subscribe, you will be able to hear what they have to say at the party!
The next step is important but easy. While you are at the party, listen to people! This is important! As you would do at any party, it’s best to simply listen to what others are talking about. Just read your feed. This will allow you to watch how others are interacting and learn how to jump into the conversation when you are ready.
Finally, send a message. You can always feel free to send me a message. Simply send my address (handle)–@chaplainandrews–a simple message, like “hi!” and you will have sent your first message. The message will look like this
@chaplainandrews Hi!
From here you can send other messages with longer messages—not to exceed 140 characters.
And that is all there is to it! Twitter is a great place to get social and to connect with people around the world. I hope to hear from you soon—and always feel free to ask me any question you have!!