so what is this whole thing about twitter? did you twit or did you tweet? would you like to retweet that please?
twitter can be a little confusing- but today i hope to show you how easy it is! we’ll start as if you’ve never even heard of it- then move on to if you should do it, why and how it could help your shop!
twitter non conformist birds
here’s a good definition (from sharpened) “twitter is a service that allows people to stay connected with each other by answering the basic question, “what are you doing?” once you sign up for a twitter account, you can post your own updates, or “tweets,” using a computer or cell phone. You can also view the updates posted by other users you are following. since each tweet is limited to 140 characters or less, the updates must be short and sweet. however, you may twitter as often as you want, meaning there is no limit on how much information you can share.”
twitter addict
if you’re ready to get started, it’s easy. just go to twitter.com and click the ‘join now’ button. you’ll fill in your name, username, email and password and then be granted a twitter account! then, all you have to do is start tweeting- i.e. tell us what you’re doing in 140 characters or less! even if you’re only thinking about it for the future- you may want to go ahead and get your account. with over 25 million tweets a day- twitter is growing fast- so you want to snatch up your username while it’s still available!
crocheted twitter tweet coffee cozy
next, you’ll want to update your profile. epheriell designs says that filling in your profile is vital. have a nice avatar, upload a unique background image, and fill in where you are. use all the characters in your description to tell people about yourself. here’s epheriell‘s description: “i blog about handmade style, indie design, craft resources; i make contemporary silver/metal jewellery; i love reading scifi; i am a tea addict!”. try to outline who you are and what you do- and make it personal.
boy’s twitter bird fabric wall decal
the next step is to get some followers! twitter will allow you to import e-mail lists, contacts from instant messaging services, and you can find your friends on their search engine. the best way to build a list of interesting people is to go to the twitter search engine at search.twitter.com and plug in your interests. this will then spit tons of people back out at you that you can choose to follow. twitter will also give you some suggestions for people to follow. if you start following people, chances are, they will follow you back. once you start following someone, their updates (tweets) will appear in your twitter feed- and vice versa.
be sweet retweet
you can either update your twitter status via their webpage, link it to your facebook updates, or from your cell phone.
here are some simple rules to keep in mind. twitter often and tweet things of value. yes, you should tweet when you list a new item or have an exciting blog post- but people will generally get annoyed if you tweet only for self promotion. so, throw in some personal stuff too- twit pics, and discussion about your design process etc. people are interested in getting to know you- not just about when you list a new item. if you’re including a url- it may be helpful to shorten it by using tiny url- that way you can squeeze it all in to those 140 characters!
twitter notes
is this all making sense? still don’t know why you should be tweeting? for etsy shop users- tweeting about a new product will increases that product’s number of views. you should tweet about your latest and greatest items (don’t forget your url!), and you can easily offer special promotions to your shop via twitter (by providing a discount code), as well as promote any sales you may already have at your shop.
tweet twitter necklace
susans heehan posted about her ’10 days to 2000 followers’ goal on her blog (you can get the quick outline of here) and shares that it has been very beneficial to her. for going home to roost, about 10% of my traffic here and to my etsy shop come from my twitter and facebook fan page (combined). linking them together will save you time and make sure that everyone is always updated!
twitter bird wall sticker
does that help get you started? what questions do you have? advice? success stories? please share!
love, bonnie
do your homework :: {why teams should tweet}
wrap up: {etsy savoir faire} {etsy shop help} {retweet} {tweet} {twitter}
welcome lovelies! my name is bonnie and this is where i roost. i hope you'll grab a cup of tea and make yourself comfy- we look forward to getting to know you! you can learn more about me and why i love to blog 
