Twitter for
Influencers

One of the very first steps to becoming a successful Twitter influencer is updating your profile. Your profile is a first impression for anyone who visits your Twitter page. Keep your profile updated to reflect your desired image and showcase the best content to new followers.

Most Twitter spam accounts don’t take time to update their profile picture or profile. Replace the generic new account photo with a recent photo of yourself or your logo to avoid looking like a bot.

Next, engage audiences through your bio. Include a brief sentence about who you are and what you do. Keep it short and sweet with a few words like “Writer” or “Professional Traveler.” Try writing a few different bios so you have several in rotation. Find out which one is most effective by monitoring how many followers you gain with a different bio in place.

You may have already created a Twitter handle, but consider changing it to fit your brand or area of expertise. Avoid using a series of numbers after your full name if it isn’t available. Instead, consider something unique that will stand out like a spin-off of your business name.

Twitter suggests thinking of your header as a billboard. Consider using event photos, your brand logo or graphic or a featured product. Highlight the work you do with your team or in your community. Promote new events or product news periodically to switch things up.

After updating the visual elements of your page, introduce yourself with your first tweet. Pin your first tweet, or other important tweets later, to the top of your page. Simply click on “more” at the top corner of your tweet and select “pin to profile page.” This tweet will stay at the top of your profile page until you choose to unpin it or pin another tweet there. Only one tweet can be pinned at a time. This ensures profile visitors are aware of your latest news.

Like on any other social media network, you can follow other users and they can follow you. This allows for you to keep up with their newest content, and vice versa.

There are several ways to follow a user on Twitter. Follow these simple instructions:

• Use the search bar to find an account you’d like to follow
• Click on the user’s profile picture to go to their profile
• Click ‘Follow’ at the top of their profile page

Or

• Find a tweet from the user you’d like to follow
• Hover your mouse over the user’s profile picture
• Click “Follow”

Or

• Find a tweet from the user account you’d like to follow
• Locate the icon at the top of the tweet
• Click on the icon and tap ‘Follow’ from the menu

Follow these instructions to unfollow a Twitter user:

• Go to the desired user’s profile via the search bar or one of their tweets
• Click ‘Unfollow’
• You may also choose to block this user via the ‘Block’ button. This user will not be able to see your tweets or interact with your profile until you unblock them

Think of text as the basic building block of most of your tweets. Words are useful, but, as you’ll see, you have plenty of other tools at your disposal as well.

Remember, what makes Twitter stand out from other social media channels is its 280 character limit. Knowing some common acronyms will help you get your point across in a concise message:

• DM – Direct Message
• RT – Retweet
• ICYMI – In Case You Missed It
• IMO – In My Opinion
• NSFW – Not Safe for Work
• TFW – That Feel When
• TBT – Throwback Thursday
• SMH – Shaking My Head
• IDK – I Don’t Know
• IRL – In Real Life
• NBD – No Big Deal

QOTD – Quote of the Day

• OOTD – Outfit of the Day
• BTW – By the Way
• LOL – Laugh Out Loud
• TY – Thank You
• YW – You’re Welcome

This list is in no way exhaustive. You’ll learn lots of other acronyms and social media lingo as you interact with other Twitter users.

You can add a photo or gif to any tweet. A gif is a type of animated computer image often used to express emotions or reactions to a situation. To add a photo to a tweet, click on the “What’s Happening” box at the top of your timeline. You can also click the ‘Create Tweet’ icon, a small circle with a quill inside, located in the corner of your timeline.

To upload a photo or gif from your documents, click on ‘Gallery.’ You can also search for a specific gif from Twitter’s gif library by clicking on the gif icon. Choose up to four photos to include in any tweet. Only one animated gif can be selected at any time and cannot be included with other pictures.

Every photo or gif image will attach as a full-size image to your tweet and does not count toward the character limit. Click on the Tweet button to post your photo or gif. You can send photos or gifs as Direct Messages, as well.

Hashtags are a great resource on Twitter. They help categorize tweets by keyword, making it easier to find popular and relevant hashtags in searches. Use the hashtag symbol (#) to create a hashtag of your own. You can use these hashtags anywhere within your tweet to show up in searches. Find trending hashtags in Twitter’s ‘Trends for You.’

Use these popular hashtags to make your tweets stand out in searches with other influencers:

Events (#WorldCup, #WomensMarch)

• Daily (#ThursdayThoughts, #FollowFriday)
• Places (#LA, #NYC)
• Industry Terms (#influencers, #socialmedia)

A good way to increase engagement is to create a poll for followers to vote on. You can pose a serious question or something a little more trivial, depending on how you want to interact with followers.

Open the compose tweet box by clicking at the top of your timeline or the icon to the left of your navigation bar. Inside the compose tweet box, you’ll notice an option to add a poll. Click on the ‘Add Poll’ icon and type a question in the main compose box.

A poll can include the same amount of characters as a regular tweet, and it must include some form of text before posting. Use up to 25 characters for each poll box. Create poll options in the Choice 1 and 2 boxes. Add more up to four poll options by clicking ‘+’ and ‘Add’ and entering polling information.

Although normal polling duration defaults to 24 hours, you can lengthen polling time by adjusting the time. Create a short poll with the minimum amount of five minutes or a long poll with the maximum duration of seven days. When you’re finished organizing your poll, click Tweet to post.

You can create a link to pretty much anything, including your own YouTube videos or Instagram account. In fact, linking to these accounts can help you build a following on multiple channels, not just Twitter. For example, if you’re already a fairly established Instagram influencer, why not invite your followers to keep up with you on Twitter as well?

Any URL pasted into the tweet box is automatically shortened to 23 characters. This is to ensure maximum character capacity for a tweet.

Simply type the URL into the tweet box or Copy+Paste the URL to add it to a tweet.

Add more characters or post tweets with the 23-character URL only. Click ‘Tweet’ to post link.

Sharing videos on Twitter is another great way to gain followers and earn recognition, especially if you already have a steady YouTube following. Share special video content with Twitter followers to boost views and impressions. There are multiple ways to share a video to Twitter.

• Record videos straight from the Twitter app. Go to the ‘Compose Tweet’ box, click on the camera icon and switch to video mode. Edit the video once you’re finished recording and share immediately.
• Import videos from device storage. Use your iPhone or iPad to import videos from the device. Edit videos in the app if needed and post them to your profile.
• Upload videos online. Upload videos onto twitter.com from device storage, Google Docs, Dropbox or another online storage space.
• Create a Live Video. Access the compose tweet box or swipe left from your home timeline to access the live video mode. You can create videos with sound only by tapping on the microphone icon at the top right of the screen when in live video mode. You can also fill in a brief description of the video and your location information before going live. Press ‘Go Live’ to start live video mode. Press the stop button at any time to stop the video. Live videos will show up as a regular tweet would, appearing in your followers’ timelines and on your profile page.

The goal is to create content that people will like and retweet. This, in turn, gets more people interested in your content and results in more followers. But how do you create an influential tweet that interests followers? Follow these simple rules to creating an influential tweet.

• Get to the point. You may only have 280 characters to express yourself, but composing a compelling tweet in fewer words creates an easy-to-read notification that people are more likely to read. The longer it takes users to read a tweet, the less likely they are to stop and share it.

Use an image. Any type of visual content is more likely to grab a user’s attention, according to Twitter’s internal poll.

• Limit hashtag use. Hashtags are a great resource, but using them for every other word breaks up the visual flow of your tweet. This makes it more difficult for other users to read your tweet, as well. Use hashtags more as a reference or guide for searches rather than for attention.
• Include a link. Informative tweets are shared more often. Be sure to include a useful reference to any opinion piece, especially those related to politics, social issues or industry-related ideas.

Composing tweets is only the first step in establishing yourself as a Twitter influencer. You must also actively engage with your followers and other people on Twitter. Spend time every day retweeting content that inspires you, too. Respond, mention, like or retweet with comment to engage with other users.

Don’t be afraid to join in on the conversation. Your expertise is valid, especially on industry-specific content. Further your reach by starting conversations with other industry-professionals. Take time to share your experience, answer questions and engage in topics of conversation that interest you.

Avoid over-following. Some people may choose to follow back, but this is more likely to foster inconsistent follower growth. Focus your attention instead on trustworthy,

long-term followers. Following others with this same goal in mind encourages mutual connections later on, developing an equal follower-to-following percentage.

Promoting your Twitter profile on your other sites helps build a trust-worthy following quickly. Be sure to add a link to your profile on your other social media sites like

YouTube and Facebook. Your current followers from these sites are more likely to add you on Twitter and provide meaningful interactions.

Posting content at peak Twitter activity hours ensures your tweets are seen by followers. Proper engagement on posts is essential to boosting other activity like retweets and likes. The Twitter timeline algorithm lists tweets in chronological order, so it’s important to post at the right time to get the most engagement.

Your tweets are among the 500 million that are posted daily. Stand out among the plethora of social opinions, conversations and industry-news with these quick tips on when to post on Twitter.

• Weekday mornings are the best time to post, according to Sprout Social’s data. Engage with followers as they are starting their day. Post interesting updates, news or announcements around 9 AM on Wednesdays and Fridays.
• Connect with followers on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Twitter engagement analytics show that mid-week is the most active time for followers.

Mid-day engagement picks up again around the lunch hours. Be sure to post interesting content that will catch your follower’s attention.

• Morning check-in still happens on the weekends, but is less frequent. Avoid posting important updates on Saturdays and Sundays. Instead, focus your attention on weekdays between 8 AM to 4 PM.
• Social interaction drops off in the late evening hours between 10 PM to 4 AM. Avoid posting around this time.

Beauty isn’t just about the face. Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) is a colorful hairstylist who has an audience of over 785,000 Twitter followers. Perhaps best known for his role on “Queer Eye,” he also has a podcast called “Getting Curious” and a book titled “Over the Top.”

Despite being in her 20s, Tavi Gevinson (@tavitulle) sometimes likes to show off an intriguingly vintage sense of style. She has over 371,000 Twitter followers and 514,000 followers on Instagram.

Tiffany Bendayan (@LivingSMoments) is a busy mom who still makes time to blog, take snaps of plates and share recipes online. She has 85,000 followers, and they’re all treated to an ongoing stream of recipe suggestions. Even more recipes appear on her personal blog, Living Sweet Moments.

Cory Lee (@coryleetweets) is a Webby Award winner and New Mobility Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2018. He’s also received the Lowell Thomas Award for Best Travel Blog and boasts an impressive 26,000 followers on his twitter page, Curb Free with Cory Lee. He’s travelled to 33 countries and six continents in his wheelchair and has been featured on The Travel Channel, CBS News and National Geographic. From Iceland to Bali to exploring the Rainforest, Cory shows that a wheelchair user can successfully travel the world.

Andrew Ng (@AndrewYNg), co-founder of Coursera, an online education service, sends out tweets to his over 435,000 followers. If you have an interest in artificial intelligence and other futuristic tech trends, you’ll want to follow his account. He’s been on Twitter since November 2010.

Fans of the Metal Gear Solid series will recognize the name Hideo Kojima (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN). He’s very active on Twitter, frequently posting about upcoming projects and whatever entertainment news catches his eye. He has a loyal audience of over 2.8 million followers.

Charlamagne Tha God (@cthagod) is an extremely popular entertainment specialist with over 2 million followers on Twitter. Although controversial, he is a recognizable name in the hip-hop genre, focusing on interviews with guests on “The Breakfast Club.” Charlamagne’s abrasive personality gets him in trouble, but fans enjoy the drama.

This free, integrated browser created by Twitter includes all the tools you could need all on one page. See your home feed and profile, access messages and notifications and browse trending tweets through this scheduling software. You can even access your account settings and other linked accounts. Create and schedule tweets with no limits and delete scheduled posts at any time. You can also manage scheduled tweets for multiple Twitter accounts.

There are several plans offered by Twittimer with varying benefits. Schedule social media posts, including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts, with the free plan. You can also add up to one RSS feed. Twittimer also offers two paid plans with additional benefits. Add up to 30 social media accounts through Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn with an additional 30 RSS feeds that display up to 10 of your latest posts. Although you can only view 10 recent posts, scheduling timetables and posting amounts are unlimited.

Twitter itself has its own analytics tool built into the site for any user to explore. Use this simple tool as a first step to understanding how your tweets perform.

Browse metrics in a 28-day summary that includes tweet data like impressions and mentions. You can also view how many people have viewed your page, when you gained followers and when you lost them. View a month-to-month summary to gauge how well your content performs over time.

Use other sections and tabs for an in-depth look at other tweet analytics. View your most popular tweets, metrics on videos you’ve posted and follower information. Set a specific date range and export your data to keep track of analytic statistics.

Compare audience engagement to pre-built audiences through Twitter Analytics. View audience demographics, lifestyle information and consumer behavior to better curate future tweets for your specific audience. Compare this information to other audience examples similar to yours like brand-related businesses or generation information.

Twitonomy offers several methods to analyze your Twitter account and tweets. Compare yourself against competitors or others in your niche with this thorough tool.

Sign in with your Twitter account to view competitor’s statistics alongside your own. Simply enter your information along with other Twitter handles to view engagement details.

View Twitter lists, popular tweets and other analytics provided by Twitonomy. Easily track hashtags, conversations and keywords that you’re both apart of. Graphs and statistics easily break down into understandable numbers.

Twitonomy also helps you to see where your tweets are most popular in the world, showing you a literal map of information. Knowing where your social content is most popular also helps you to post at the best time of day for your followers.

You must have a Bitly account in order to link Bitly with Twitter. However, there are free scheduling plans available with post limits. Link Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and schedule up to 10 posts a month with the free plan. Paid plans offer 500 or 1,000 posting limits for all social media accounts linked.

A mutually beneficial relationship between a brand and an influencer sounds great but getting started requires some work. The Internet is a big place, and you’ll need to make yourself visible to the right brands. The best way to do this is through an influencer marketplace. These types of platforms streamline the search process, making it easier for content creators and brands to connect.

Not all brand and influencer relationships start in a marketplace. But they all generally involve a negotiation process.

How much a brand pays you to work as an influencer depends on a variety of factors. Before a brand makes you an offer, it will likely look at:

• Audience size
• Engagement rate
• How you respond to followers
• How often you post
• Quality of work (such as spelling and graphic design skills)
• The types of content you share (such as video or infographics)
• Whether you use platforms aside from Twitter (such as a blog or Instagram)

A brand might offer to pay you hourly or per post, depending on their needs. You don’t have to accept the first offer that comes your way though. If you feel comfortable negotiating terms, you might be able to make more than the initial offer. When negotiating, remember to highlight the value of your content. If you have a small following but excel at audience engagement, emphasize your strength and how it can improve business results.

Although you might be willing to make small changes for the sake of a contract, avoid clients who ask you to completely overhaul your social media image. Your followers will likely notice drastic changes in your style and tone, and you might lose their trust in the process. It’s best to work with brands that have a mission and set of values that already match your own.