If you are finally ready to jump into Twitter, here are 11 Twitter tips for beginners to help you get started.
Twitter is a much better networking tool than LinkedIn! It’s also better for job search and online visibility. What are you waiting for?
If you’ve ever been frustrated when your LinkedIn invitation to connect gets ignored, Twitter could be the perfect workaround.
Here are three benefits of Twitter:
- 36% of Twitter users are on the site every day vs. 13% of LinkedIn users logging in daily. (Pew Research)
- Twitter is an open network (you can follow anyone and mention anyone in a Tweet. Twitter help on how to mention anyone on Twitter) which means it’s a better platform for connecting and engaging with people you do not know.
- Plus, being active on Twitter helps people find you when Googling your name.
If you are ready to hop on Twitter, here’s what you need to know to get started.
11 Beginner Twitter Tips for Job Seekers
1. Don’t Be Faceless
One of the best ways to prove you are real is to you a photo instead of the default avatar. You need to look like a real person in order to increase the odds of someone following your Twitter handle. Plus, a default avatar may convey your amateur status with Twitter.
And don’t forget to use the banner space up top too! This is one more opportunity to showcase who you are.
2. Brand Your Bio
You only have 160 characters to tell the world what you’re all about in your Twitter bio, so make every character count. Jay Baer, a social media and content strategist, once wrote that you should “treat your bio like SEO copy” by including words and phrases you want to show up for in search results.
Here are more ideas for building your bio.
It’s not necessary to include a statement about searching for a job; in fact, that may work against you. Also avoid using words that won’t help with search results, like “professional,” “experience,” or any of what LinkedIn identifies as its 10 most overused buzzwords:
3. Leverage Links
You can and should include a link to a personal website, social landing page (about.me) or LinkedIn profile. Think about where you want people to go to learn more about you, and use the right link to send them there.
4. Tweet Interesting & Relevant Content
When someone clicks on your profile they will see what you’ve tweeted. Be sure your tweets represent the topics, content and activities you want to be associated with.
5. Consider Pinning Your Best Tweet
You can pin one tweet to reside at the top of your Twitter updates. When someone looks at your profille and tweets, this pinned tweet will be the first thing they see. Chose a tweet you posted about something interesting and on-brand. You could pin a tweet to a LinkedIn long post you wrote, an article that mentions you or maybe even a motivational quote. Go to the tweet you want to pin and click on the down arrow at the top right. You will see the option to Pin to your profile page.
6. Find and Follow
Now that you’ve got your profile set up, begin searching for people and companies to follow. Twitter is an open network, which means you can follow any public profile. Once you follow people, you’ll see all the tweets shared by accounts you follow in your feed.
7. Organize Your Twitter Feed With Lists
To improve your experience on Twitter and to keep things organized, create lists.
I recommend categorizing accounts into the lists so you can easily keep track of what you are reading. For example, if you start following marketing industry movers and shakers, create a list, and add new people you follow into the right category. When you want news on marketing trends, all you need to do is go to your list of marketing peeps and view only the updates from those accounts.
To add someone to a list, look for the three dots (to the upper right of their profile) and you’ll see this menu. Select Lists and you can add the person to an exisiting list or create a new list.
8. Retweeet With A Comment
When you retweet interesting news shared by people on Twitter, it hits the radar of the Twitter account that posted the tweet. If you add your own comments or thoughts to the tweet and share it, it shows up more prominently to the person who tweeted it. Which do you think is more valuable for brand awareness and making an impression?
Insightful article that highlights some reasons #millennials clash with others in the workplace #jlmc497 https://t.co/pTskffGnKu
— Lynsey Ng (@Lynsey_Ng) May 19, 2015
9. Diversify Your Tweets
Twitter is part newsfeed, part marketing and part human to human conversations/interactions.
Diversify your tweets to address the various interests of your followers. Tweeting about something personal, including your job search, is fine as long as you don’t do it too often. The majority of your tweets should share news and upcoming events of interest to your followers (or potential hiring managers). You also want to prove you are up-to-date on industry trends.
10. Tweet Photos
Add photos and images to your tweets to improve views and shares. In research conducted by Buffer, a company that makes a social media management app, tweets with images received 89% more favorites and 150% more retweets.
With @Jessie_States We are #MPI #eventprofs #IMEX15 pic.twitter.com/vlIsYoQiIV
— Dawn Rasmussen (@DawnRasmussen) May 19, 2015
11. Send A Private Message
You can send someone who follows you a direct message on Twitter. This message can even include a link to online content, such as your online portfolio or personal website.
Before you blast someone a direct message, interact with them on Twitter (and make sure they are actively using it). It is best to direct message someone who you have actually had an exchange with on Twitter; this will increase the likelihood of a response. Be sure to let the person know exactly what you expect when you send a direct message. Use this function cautiously and never spam.
If you are looking for more Twitter tips, you can see Twitter’s New User FAQs
You’ll also find more Twitter tips below:
50 Best Twitter Accounts For Job Search Advice 2019
Hannah Morgan speaks and writes about job search and career strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process. Hannah was nominated as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success.
