Exploding

There's a lot of misunderstanding about Twitter, and particularly about getting started, so this post is JUST about that – and will be a little texty. Timely though, since I'm about to speak to a major Association's Management Team on finding "The Melody In Noise," and have found most do not know the Twitter basics – I want to point them here. (If you know the basics, go to this post on the Why and How of Twitter.)

Twitter is useful and a good ROI on your time if you don’t overdo it.
(I do but you don’t have to…, you could spend a half hour a day and get
a lot of value for yourself and your business.)

So I encourage it, and here are the beginning steps I’d recommend:

1. Sign up at www.Twitter.com. Use your real name, or as close as you can get.

2. Begin with a post (affectionately called Tweets), as simple as “I’m starting at Twitter.”

3. Fill out your profile in the upper right. Use a good close-up
picture of yourself, and put in a url (ideally your blog, or your
company blog or website), and be interesting and somewhat open in your
profile. Twitter is about transparency. People want to quickly ‘get’ who you are if they are going to
follow you. I strongly recommend you do NOT check the "Protect my updates" box. Not transparent – and actually, why be on Twitter if you don't want to communicate rapidly, spontaneously and personally. I don't follow blocked updates. Fill in your location – your city is best – I'm not sure why some people put in 'everywhere' or a cell phone location – doesn't tell much.

4. Follow me @BertDecker and I’ll help you get followers, and be glad to help you along. Give me an @ or DM message (which is a Reply or Direct Message) or email me (see below.)

5. Write another post, and another. You can start with what you are
doing but that’s pretty useless (who cares), so maybe reply to a
follower, or ReTweet. Move to give value as soon as you can. But get
some posts up.

6. Then get followers (see below), and from that most will follow you. There are
many ways to get followers, but just start by clicking on the ID’s and
follow anybody to start. After you get 10 or 20 you’ll get the gist of
it and begin to use the apps like www.twannabe.com and others.

7. Here are some people to start following from Decker Communications and other good people who will probably follow you back:

@KellyDecker @DeckerBen @KhoriWhitaker @Allisoncds @DeckerComm @MatthewNault @Guy_Baker @DruScottDecker @SamDecker @ChrisSpagnuolo @Jeff_Bailey @OliviaMitchell @GuyKawasaki

8. As soon as you can, get the great application www.TweetDeck.com so you can begin grouping your
followers (friends or associates is a better name actually) and really use
Twitter for both giving value, gaining value, and expanding your
horizons as well as your friendships.

9. Caution! There is a learning curve. Expect it to take a week or so… if you have given value, you will see the value.

10. For further justification and next steps and good tips, now go to: The Why and How of Twitter

And Twitter me @BertDecker , or email me with any questions at Bert@decker.com

"The effectiveness of your communication determines the effectiveness of your life.”