Twitter Me!

I've been an avid Twitter user for the past couple years. As a high school teacher, Twitter has been an amazing resource for connecting with my fellow educators. I can honestly say that I would not be the teacher I am today without all of the knowledge, resources, and support I have gained through my Twitter learning network.

But learning how to use Twitter as a social media marketing tool has been a whole new experience. And it's amazing the variety of sites, articles, and tutorials out there that focus on the importance of Twitter as a marketing tool. Not only can Twitter help businesses connect with their customers, it also can be a helpful tool for forming connections, for finding support. This is especially true for work-at-home moms. Twitter connects us to a whole community of support.

So with that in mind, I've put together a simple list of resources to help other work-at-home moms familiarize themselves with how they might use Twitter.

What is Twitter?
Check out this explanation of Twitter in Plain English:


Or get the low-down on Twitter from its creator, Evan Williams:


Rafe Needleman writes about Twitter in his article on CNet titled "Newbie's Guide to Twitter"

The Basics:

• Twitter is an online service designed to connect you with a group of friends called “followers” through short (140 character limit) messages


• You select the friends you want to follow


• You set your privacy limit for how much others are able to see


• Twitter is a way to connect with others, whether they are people you know or people who share a similar interest with you that you meet through the service.


• “Twitter is useful for close-knit groups. If you follow your friends, and they follow each other, you can quickly communicate group-related items, such as ‘I'm going to the pub on Fourth Street, come on along.’ …If you enter items into Twitter, they can be private, so only friends you've authorized can see them. Items can also be made public, which means anyone who knows your Twitter ID can read and subscribe to them.”


• And the best part? Twitter is free!

Setting Up An Account:
Check out this quick tutorial on setting up your Twitter account


Or, use this handout - How to Set Up a Twitter Account2.doc - developed by Darren Rowse at www.twitip.com/tag/twitter-for-beginners

Twitter as a Marketing Tool:

• New York Times small business writer Kermit Pattison has a great article, "Reach Customers in 140 Characters, All of Them Free" that is worth reading


• Carla over at the Reluctant WAHM has a recent post with wonderful advice on how to make Twitter work for you


• WAHM 2.0 offers some helpful advice when it comes to marketing using Twitter. And the comments to this post are worth reading as well.


• Etsy's Handmade Blog, The Storque, has a great article this month that serves up some practical marketing advice not just for the holidays but for throughout the year. Earlier in the year, Diane Gilleland posted similar advice.

Applications for Twitter:
Check out this list of amazing Twitter Apps. Some of the most used applications include

Twitter Software That You Download to your Desktop

• Twitterific - A downloadable application which can manage multiple accounts, automatically refreshes, and sends audio notifications of new tweets. Compatible with Mac OS X 10.4 or later.


• Twhirl is a popular software that can handle multiple accounts, URL shortening, crossposting to Pownce and Jaiku, post images on Twitpic, and search tweets using twitter search and tweetscan.


• Tweetdeck uses the Adobe AIR application to let you view your replies and public tweets as well as group tweets all at the same time.

Twitter Applications to Add to Your Browser

• Twitbin lets you receive and send tweets at the side of your Firefox browser, while


• Firefox Search Plugin lets you post to Twitter right from your Firefox search bar


• Power Twitter is a plugin for Firefox that enables photo and video sharing

Fun Twitter Applications

• Twibes helps you let your followers build their connections by sending out a tweet with a list of your favorite Twitter friends.


• WeFollow is a site that helps you find people to follow, and you can add yourself to their directory to help others find you.


• Twtpoll is a simple survey application that lets you create polls and share them with your followers through a short url.


• TwitPic allows you to share photos on Twitter.


• TrackThis allows you to track packages. Expecting something from FedEx? Track it on Twitter!