Twitter Twiddle

What the Heck is Twellow and TwitterFriends?

There are two websites I would like to introduce to help you get more out of your Twitter experience. One is Twellow and the other is TwitterFriends.

Twellow Twellow.com

Twellow is a fellowship of Twitterers, put into categories, so you can find people with common interests and they can find you. It's supposed to help you cut through the clutter; all the noise in your Twitter stream (especially if you are following a lot of people.)

You can put yourself into 20 categories at the most, so explore the categories and pick the ones that you have business interests in. They have hundreds of categories, not to mention subcategories, and they're willing to add more categories if you have suggestions.

You can get the pulse of what's going on in a category by clicking on Pulse and then any of the categories you've selected. Perhaps the current trend of Twitter conversation will give you ideas for a blog post to write or a product to create.

Maybe you want to see what's up with the people you follow who are your favorites. Simply hit the Friends tab and you'll see their last tweets. They are in order of Tweeters with the most followers on down to the least followers.

The same can be done when you want to check on what your followers are doing. Click on the Followers tab and bingo, you have a wealth of information at your fingertips. Not only can you respond to something they've recently tweeted and build your relationship with them, but if you think creatively you'll come up with ways to use the information or questions in the tweets to build a product. You can find the needs and help people.

Now here's a really cool feature - TwellowHood. This is where you can find peeps to follow in your home town, or any town in the US or Canada for that matter. It's a quick way to decide who you want to follow as their pics and bios are right on the page. People registered on Twellow can also do an extended bio, which is a nice feature if you want to check someone out a little further.

TwitterFriends Twitter-Friends.com

If you're into statistics, this is a great tool with very comprehensive Twitter statistics.

See who you've replied to the most as well as who's replied to you in bar graph form. Check out your stats with categories like replies sent per day, conversational rank, fans, loyalty, link quotient, and more. You can even compare yourself to someone else. And there's also a TwitGraph that sums up how you're doing on Twitter with a quick glance. This is so interesting you have to be careful you don't spend all day here.

There is a neat visualization chart with conversation bubbles. But of course it's up to you to interpret the information and decide what you want to do with it.

You can check out your conversations with another Tweeter. You can also view the conversations of any two people, but that feels kind of creepy.

Twitter is all about building relationships, and TwitterFriends helps you get a clearer picture of your network of relationships on Twitter. You can also find out who tweets the most and which Tweeters post the most links.

I recommend both of these Twitter applications in your quest to narrow down (or merely find!) your areas of interest so you can use the information to take your business to the next level. They are also great for getting overall pictures of how you tweet and will give you some ideas on what you can make better. Lastly, they are great tools for helping you establish new relationships as well as further ongoing ones.

Kind Regards

Gary "@iTwiddle" Jinks

P.S. Did you know you can make extra cash with Twitter? Check this out: http://cli.gs/QUD1U0

Twitter Rockstar? You Don't Need 16,000 Follower's To Be One!

Hands up those who have been subjected to the various auto DM's asking if you would like 16,000 followers in the next 30 days that you can then use to make huge sums of cash? All of you? Thought so!!

The promise of big money through huge numbers of followers has become a plauge on Twitter in recent months.

Now, It's not that I'm against making some extra cash through Twitter. Far from it. As long as doing so is secondary to actually using and enjoying Twitter for what it was intended I see nothing wrong with it. No, my problem is the flawed logic behind these claims.

You see I recently met a guy (via Twitter, naturally) who has totally turned this sort of thinking on it's head! His name is Nathan and while discussing a few twittery things he happened to mention that in 7 days, he created a targeted list on Twitter with only 10 minutes per day to work with. And how he spend over 5 months testing his ideas on Twitter, and that he has been doing this since Twitter came out. He s no  Guru Wannabe, and in fact, he didn t even want to share his secrets since they worked so well. He walks his talk. We talked at length about these silly big follower claims that are bouncing around everybodys DM box and how disappointed he was with the overpriced and overhyped Twitter products that were at the root of them, robbing people of their hard earned cash. He told me how he bought a  best selling eBook and was disgusted with its content. At that point, he decided that he had to do something or else people would keep taking advantage of the Twitter craze to sell us all junk products. I listened with amazement about how he told me that he knew that if he embarked on this journey, he d feel obligated to create the best Twitter course on the internet, and the task was so daunting it was looming over him like a dark cloud. That's when he told me that he basically went into seclusion for several months to do all the research and testing for this product. When he finally came out...he said he'd created a masterpiece (Big head!!)...A Twitter manifesto so complete that even the Twitter Gurus would be proud. And that's when he explained, in detail, his Twitter Rockstar system and how he was using it to dominate his niche while creating a ton of social leverage in the process. He uses Twitter in no way that I ve ever seen before. One of the techniques he showed me was seriously cutting edge. He is really on top of his game. That's when he showed me how you can use Twitter to make money, sell services, or just create a killer brand. Social media and social networking are the tools to doing business in the future, and this course is going to put you on the forefront of that change. That's why I am so excited about the Twitter Rockstar program. Nathan didn't want to take any of the credit. I asked him for an audio interview, but he said it is the course that deserves all the credit, not him. He really wants to help people use Twitter the right way. So if you haven t heard of this guy, I guarantee you will soon. He's like a Twitter ninja, working his way into the crowd one step at a time. 

Check out the video below for a undown of the package:

In conclusion, Nathan and his new course has proven to me that although thousands and thousands of follwers are great for the ego, it's not neccessary to make money on Twitter!

You can visit Nathans Twitter course here

Kind Regards Gary 'iTwiddle' Jinks

My Top 10 Twitter Tip's

Here are some random, but no less important, Twitter tips for you:

1. Watch what you tweet, it is readily available to the public. You might think that stupid or lewd comment you made will get buried, but believe me, it can be easily found by anyone searching the Internet.

2. If you plan to be off Twitter for a period of time, make sure your last tweet was a good one. That tweet is what people will see when they check you out to see if you're worthy of following. What you had for lunch is not going to cut it.

3. Don't rush right in and follow 2000 people. When people go to check you out and see you are following a lot of people and hardly anyone is following you, they'll be suspicious you're a bot. Take your time building up a following and give your potential followers a chance to follow you back and even up your numbers a bit.

4. For that matter, have more than 1 or 2 tweets under your belt before you start running after followers. If you don't know what to say, retweet (RT) someone else's excellent tweet, and/or @reply to others' tweets.

5. If you suspect you're not seeing all your replies (like maybe someone forgot to put the @ in front of your Twitter name), use the search function to locate these lost tweets. Simply click on the search function and put your Twitter name in.

6. Use hashtags in your tweets so others with an interest in that same thing will find you. For example, using #bowling in your tweet will ensure your tweet will be found by those interested in and searching for bowling. The more eyes that see your tweet, the better, right?

7. Don't send blanket promotional DMs unless you want people to un-follow you and consider you a spammer. That is not what the DM function is for. DMs are reserved for talking personally, yet privately with someone. There are times when you should the conversation off the main Twitter stream and that's when you would DM.

8. You may have a reason for locking your Twitter stream, but if you're using Twitter for business exposure, don't do it. It's much harder to get followers and let's face it, you want followers.

9. Don't forget to promote your Twitter usage on your blog(s). Cross promotion is a good thing. You let your blog readers know you're on Twitter, and you let your Twitter followers know your blog address.

10. Stay active on Twitter. If potential followers or current followers visit your Twitter page, they're going to form some negative opinions as to why you haven't tweeted in three weeks. Maybe you're just messing around, maybe you're not real serious about your so-called business, maybe you have a hard time sticking with something, maybe your business has gone belly up? Get on there several times every day during the work week.

These are random Twitter tips to help you navigate Twitter's learning curve. They will really help you slot into the Twitter community. If you want to get REALLY serious then check out this Twitter Course.

Kind Regards

Gary "@Itwiddle" Jinks

Twitter Saves Man's Life?

You don't need 16,000 followers to be a Twitter legend

So here I am sitting on Twitter at 6pm UK time when I happen to notice this tweet...

OMG! Upon further investigation I notice that allot of tweeple are really getting worked up into a frenzy over this guys tweet. Tweet after tweet starts passing through my stream asking if anybody knows who this guy is and if help could be given. Naturally I joined in. I wasn't sure if it was a prank or not, but I couldn't risk it. Slowly, tweet after retweet information is found on him and a few kind hearted tweeple actually called 911 (one guy did this from Thailand!) . 15 Minutes pass and suddenly Squidhamper replies with....

UNBELIEVABLE!! First I chuckled, then I realised what an absolute dick this guy has just been! He panicked allot of people and may of wasted valuable police time. He later apologises and claims he never realised how "far reaching this thing is".

This clearly proves how powerful Twitter really is at bringing together people from all around the world and channelling them into doing something as amazing as saving life's! 

Morale of the story? Be careful what you tweet!!

Kind Regards

Gary "iTwiddle" Jinks

When Did You Join Twitter?

You DO NOT need 16,000 followers to be successful with Twitter!

Not sure how useful this is (in fact I do know. It's not!) but It seems to be getting allot of attention over the last couple of days so I thought i'd better pass it on to you guys.

Ever wondered what the exact date was that you joined the wonderful world of Twitter? Well wonder no more! Just check out the site below, enter your username and POW, all is revealed!

http://whendidyoujointwitter.appspot.com/

Kind Regards

Gary "@iTwiddle" Jinks 

Twitter Etiquette and Beyond

Twitter may be the latest, hottest thing in social marketing right now and it's still evolving. But even though it's fairly new there are unspoken Twitter Etiquette rules that you should consider following. Twitter does have some concrete rules like Ye Shall Not Spam others, you can't use someone else's name, and you can't follow too many new people in one day, among others. 

However, there aren't written rules regarding polite Twitter usage and if you're somewhat new to Twitter they may be a little fuzzy for you.

Let's explore some areas regarding Twitter etiquette now. The reason is because you want to not only have followers, but you want to build relationships with these followers so they will appreciate you, offer you lucrative deals and/or buy from you.

1. The Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This does apply to Twitter. If someone takes the time to respond to your tweet, thank them or agree with them or something. Be courteous and reply.

2. Retweet what other Twitterers are saying. Retweet the great quotes or profound thoughts that resonate with you. Retweet some of the funny stuff. Retweet other people's questions so they reach a wider audience. Retweet the good promotions or blog posts.

3. Tweet about the excellent blog post or article you just read and include the link, whether you know if they're on Twitter or not. These type of tweets are helpful to others and it's also good karma. :)

4. Thank someone when they've retweeted (RT) your tweet. If several people have retweeted something you posted, you can thank them in one post (remember always put the @ before their Twitter name) or single them out with one person thanked per posting.

5. Don't tweet the same message over and over again. Similarly, don't tweet 20 times in a 3 minute period. It clogs up people's Twitter streams and they won't appreciate it. In fact, they'll probably un-follow you.

6. Unless politics is your business, it's a good idea to leave politics out of your tweets. Politics, no matter which side of the coin you're on, make too many people angry. Another don't is don't tweet while under the influence. Enough said on that one.

This next one falls in the "beyond" Twitter etiquette:

7. When you see a tweet about a blog post that sounds interesting, go to the blog, read it, and leave a comment. I'm not talking about the gurus' blogs but the blogs of the new marketers or little known marketers. You'll have found out something interesting and they'll have gained a much desired blog comment. The funny thing is, even though you did this because you wanted to help out someone who is new, you end up benefiting too because they usually run over to your blog and leave you a comment.

So there you have it, some unofficial Twitter polite usage tips. Most of all, keep in mind the golden rule and watch what you tweet as you don't want your 140 character to be misinterpreted.

Powerful Secrets To Twitter Traffic Secrets Revealed!

Is Twitter a Waste of Time?

Twitter is a social media platform that is here to stay. Many people poo-poo Twitter claiming it's a colossal waste of precious time and no one wants to hear what other people had for dinner. Others claim Twitter has helped them land jobs. Still others say that because of their Twitter use they've seen a surge in income. Which is true?

All three.

Yes, Twitter is a social tool. It's a way to talk to your friends as well as make new friends and talk to them too. People do tweet about what they had for dinner. Twitter has also helped people find 9 to 5 jobs and given some contract workers more than enough work to do. Marketers have made money with Twitter by tweeting about their blog posts and selling their products to those in need.

But.... Twitter can eat away at your time. You can blow hours just b.s.ing with your new friends - cracking jokes and retweeting some excellent one-liners. In order for Twitter to work for you while you still get the important things done during your day, you have to go about it smart-like.

Have a purpose before you log into Twitter. Obviously you can't just tweet your promos and leave, or when people look at your Twitter stream they'll going to consider you an almost-spammer. No, you need to have a plan.

Let's say you want to promote your ebook about xyz. Start off in the morning by saying hi to your friends, some individually, the rest in mass, and answer some of the tweets you see.

You don't want to read every single tweet - that could take hours and hours and hours if you have a lot of followers. Look at maybe the first two pages.

Next do a search using Twitter's search function to look for any comments or questions regarding xyz or similar. Answer any of those tweets that you can. Now you have several tweets under your belt for the day and you can go ahead and tweet your xyz promo. Then leave!

Come back midday and again read the first one or two Twitter pages and shoot off a few answering tweets. Retweet any great quotes or other tweets you find informative. Don't forget to check the @yourname mentioned function to see who's talking to you so you can answer them. Send off a few tips about xyz that are useful information to others, including a link to your new blog post. Tweet your xyz promo again, using different wording from your first promo tweet. Then leave!

In the evening, repeat the process of answering tweets, sending out a few more xyz tips, and retweeting. Send yet another xyz promo. Then leave!

You are not being a pushy salesman by tweeting about your product promo three times in one day because you've got lots of other tweets going out between each one. Plus, people are not on Twitter all the time. Some people are only in the morning or evening, plus you need to remember there can be quite a time difference between where you are in the US and where your next customer is in Australia.

To sum it up, plan your time with Twitter and use it as a business tool. It's a great way to market your products and build your list if you do it right and don't spend all your time there. Go on with a purpose and set a timer to limit your tweeting if you have to.

Kind Regards,

Gary iTwiddle Jinks

How Can I Increase My Number of Twitter Followers?

Many people, in fact millions of people, are now using Twitter. That's a whole lot of people! If you could gain even a very small percentage of these people as your targeted followers, you could market yourself and your products to them quite successfully. 

There are a few things that are important to cover before you can start amassing your targeted followers. If you miss these steps, you're not maximizing your efforts to get followers and if you can't get followers, how can you brand yourself, let alone sell anything?

I'd like to first ask you to turn the tables… what makes you want to follow someone on Twitter?

A Bio

Having a bio on your Twitter page is very important. Don't skip this step. If you don’t know how to craft one, take a look at the bios of Twitterers that you admire or are in your same field. Bios are a very individual thing, but you can get a feel by looking at what others have done.

People like to tell with a quick glance what you're about. If you don't have any bio, you're shooting yourself in the foot because they won't be back. So get one up as soon as possible. What you put is important as well. If it's just a pitch fest for your products, it's guaranteed to scare people off. Your bio should show what your business interests are first, then some of your personal interests and possibly some humor.

The business interests will get you targeted followers as people will do searches for these interests. Personal information in your bio helps people decide if they might like you and have something in common with you. Humor is because people like to laugh.

An Avatar

Yes, Twitter has a default avatar - a brown square with o_0 in it, but that's certainly not you. This is the spot where you show your real face to the world, so to speak. If people get to associate your face with good tweets, they're more likely to click on your links. Not having a picture does not endear you to people and many won't follow you solely based on the no picture thing.

What's in your Twitter Stream

Do you send out promotion after promotion, or always send out random tweets to no one in particular? Potential followers don't want to see that, they want to be able to interact and have conversations. They want to follow people who can help them with their problems or answer questions. If your Twitter stream shows you haven't "talked" to people with @replies then you are seen as only caring about you.

Conversely, if your Twitter stream shows you're interacting and building relationships, you become more interesting to them. Once they get to know you, they're more likely to follow your links.

So there you have it, three Twitter tips to start you off in the right direction of getting more Twitter followers. The bottom line is you need followers, especially targeted followers before you can use Twitter to help your business bottom line.

Kind Regards

Gary iTwiddle Jinks

Beginning Twitter - What Do I Tweet About?

At first, you feel a little weird tweeting. You think everyone is going to read it... until you realize no one is going to read it because you don't have any followers yet. The biggest question you have, and rightly so is, what do I tweet about?

Rest assured everyone feels that way when they start out on Twitter. In fact, without looking at the number of updates a person has, you can usually if someone is new to Twitter. Their tweets sound tentative and directed at no one in particular.

Instead, form a bold plan and hop right on the Twitter train. Here are some beginner examples to get you started:

Tweet #1:

"Yes, I'm new to Twitter. Get over it... I have. :-) "

(Option B is to not mention being new at all - start with #2)

#2:

(Tell what you're doing) "Right now I'm setting up another WP blog about ________."

#3:

(Again tell what you're doing) "I just finished writing the outline & intro to my newest ebook. I can't wait to get it out there; I think it will answer a lot of questions." (No links in post)

#4:

(Ask a question) "I'm not liking my WP theme. Anyone care to share links to their favorite free WP themes?"

#5:

Retweet someone else's tweet, being sure to put the @ in front of their name. "RT @TerryBrother Quote Tip: Want your #quote to be easily RT'd? Make it ~120 characters leaving room 4 others 2 add RT & your @name"

#6:

@Reply to a tweet.

If you can give help to someone, all the better. The sooner you start showing your expertise in your niche, the better.

Now start following people you respect in your niche(s).

#7:

@Reply to another tweet.

This is a good time to respond to tweets by the big names in your field. You are not only establishing a relationship with these people, it looks good to have their @name in your Twitter stream.

#8:

Tweet a favorite quote. "You succeed only if you aren't afraid to fail."~Anonymous Be sure to then thank @whoever's name when they RT your quote.

#9:

Throw in a random tweet. "Good grief, I just realized I've been wearing my shirt inside out all day. (This kind of tweet gets people talking to you as they have similar stories.)

#10

Offer up a freebie tweet "Do you want to write an ebook? Here are the 10 steps [put link to article here].

Now you can start following lots of people and most of them will follow you back. You've established yourself as a real person who takes action, needs occasional help, likes to help others, likes good quotes, can laugh at himself, and is interested in building relationships with people. It's all there for them to see in your timeline.

Notice you don't jump right in promoting a product and try to follow 2000 people? That's because you're a human, not a bot or a spammer.

Tip - You can retweet (RT) someone's tweet or reply to a person's tweet even if they don't yet follow you. You do have to be following them or you won't see their tweet in the first place, unless you are directly on their Twitter page viewing what they've posted.

When people decide whether to follow you, they will jump onto your Twitter page and see what you're about. If they see you exchanging tweets with people they are following, they feel good about following you too. You have some friends in common.

Hopefully this will help you get past your initial fears regarding Twitter and not knowing what to tweet about. Once you get rolling, your problem will more likely be, how can I stop tweeting and get some work done?

Kind Regards 

Gary iTwiddle Jinks

I Was Here Before Oprah. How About You?

Continuing down the road on the celebrity Twitter waggon brings me back to Oprah! In short, some people like the fact that Oprah s now on Twitter and some people HATE the fact that Oprah's now on Twitter. I don't hate or love either option. There are pro's and con's to streams of thought (which I wont go into here. It's late, and I'm tired!)

One thing I do know is that the creators of this site (it's coming, don't you dare just jump straight to the link!) aren't to fond of the thought of mega super star Oprah Winfrey clogging up there Tweetstream!

Check it out. I was here before Oprah. Were you??

www.HereBeforeOprah.com

Twiddle

Powerful Secrets To Automated Twitter Traffic Success finally revealed!