You’re busy.
I’m busy.
We’re all busy.
It’s super easy to get sucked into spending a LOT of time on the various social media solutions without knowing whether or not you’re making a difference in your bottom line or not. This article is the first of many that will teach you how to make the most of your time AND make sure you are using your time wisely.
30 Minute Twitter Solution
1) Start by signing up for HootSuite. This could take 5 minutes or so, so take this time to go grab yourself a cup of coffee or continuing to prep for your day.
2) You should already be logged in, but if not, log in with your Twitter userID and password, and click on the X to remove the Direct Messages (DM) column. DMs are made to distract you, and don’t need to be answered right away if you only have 30 minutes. This will leave Replies and All Friends. You’ll want these columns open all the time, because you know why you’re using Twitter for business or you’re using Twitter for personal reasons. If you’ve only got 30 minutes, you can only choose 1 reason, and stick with it for this session.
3) Click on the Search button on the top, and add 2 new columns for 2 of your keywords. I keep Social Media and Milwaukee as my searches. You search for what’s important to you. This will give you 4 columns.
4) Look at the @replies. See if there is anything there worth replying back to. Say thanks to a few folks who’ve said hey to you, especially if they’ve pointed new friends your way. Say hello to at least 5 people.
5) Re-tweet 2 links you see from existing people you follow. You can do this by mousing over someone’s picture, and clicking on the arrow that says “Retweet <username’s> post”
You should be at 15 minutes now, if you’re careful. If you’re faster than that, good for you! You may finish early, or you may expand steps 6 and 7 a bit.
6) Read through the first search panel that you subscribed to. Unless it’s a totally obscure search, you will have at least a screen full of stuff. Click on 3 links (they’ll open in a new browser window not in Tweetdeck). If they’re useful, go back to TweetDeck and re-tweet them (like in step 5). If not, click on 2 more links and skim 2 more. Try to share at least 1 useful re-tweet.
7) Pick 2 people in this stream to follow and follow them.
8) Read through the second search panel that you subscribed to. Unless it’s a totally obscure search, you will have at least a screen full of stuff. Click on 3 links (they’ll open in a new browser window not in Tweetdeck). If they’re useful, go back to TweetDeck and re-tweet them (like in step 5). If not, click on 2 more links and skim 2 more. Try to share at least 1 useful re-tweet.
9) Pick 2 people in this stream to follow and follow them.
10) Share one quick tip for today with your followers.
With any extra time:
11) Respond to a few more folks who Replied to you.
12) Follow a few more people.
13) Click and share a few more useful links from your searches or your followers.
14) Ask a question of your followers, and return later to collect your answers.
What would YOU do with 30 minutes to spend on Twitter?
Please follow me on Twitter. I’m @philgerb, and if you found this useful, please Re-Tweet is using the widget on the blog. Thanks!
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{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
I can’t “X” out the DMs. I love the secret parts of anything, so I love DMs on Twitter.
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Hi Phil .. thanks for making everything so simple .. and setting the instructions out so well, also for making suggestions as how best to ‘work’ Twitter.
Thanks – have a good day
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters
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Phil –
Great resource, even for more advanced Twitter users.
My suggestion: on TweetDeck, I have a column called “Leaders” which I populated with the people I consider “leaders” in the field of social networking and/or careers. (You’re on the leader board, for example.) There are about 35 names on there right now, and doing that allows me to easily follow what the top thought leaders are saying about my topic.
Thanks for another super helpful post.
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Awesome suggestion Joan! Thanks for sharing it! This will be included in my next revision for sure!
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Can you please elaborate on what a “retweet” is? I understand HOW you do it, but what happens WHEN you do it? Thanks Phil!
When you “re-tweet” you are basically taking a tweet someone else wrote, and sharing it with your network. This exposes your network to people and ideas they may not be following already.
Does that help?
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Are you familiar with using hashtags to have a topic trend? I am told that if you retweet anything with a hashtag, Twitter will not count that tweet. I am told the reason is that Twitter sees the “RT” as possible spam.
Is this true?
When trying to get a topic to trend, you ask your network to retweet. If Twitter isn’t counting the “RT”s…..you’re kind of spinning your wheels.
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For Mac users, the TweetDeck close equivalent is Destroy Twitter. Seriously. A fabulous program created as part of a dissertation. If you have a Mac, it’s the application to get.
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Maggie – I use the hashtags all the time for topic trending, and I don’t think it counts as spam (or I’d be screwed). I don’t think RT is spam either, and I see Twitter count these all the time.
Do a Twitter search for philgerb and you’ll see how often I do this, and it seems like they all count to me.
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Thanks Phil for the answer about the retweets – I do this on linked in all the time, copying articles posted in one of my groups to another group that I manage (with credit of course). look out, here the retweets come!
You’re welcome Julie.
And look out, Monday will feature an article about how to job search using Twitter. If memory serves, you are the asker of that question
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Thanks Phil. Have a great weekend!
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Phil, as a (relatively) new tweeter, this 30-minute Twitter solution is really fantastic. You lay it all out in such an understandable way. Because I went on my own and figured out TweetDeck before I read your post, it took me four times as long…I am definitely sending this to some friends who have been asking me “how to do twits”
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Thanks Julie. Glad you found that helpful. I’ll be sharing my slides on this too so folks can see it in a more visual way.
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Praktisches Tool, vorallem für mich als Twitterneuling
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Great resources! I need to get up to speed with Twitter. (I still feel silly saying I “tweeted” something.) This should help a lot. Thanks!
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Phil,
Wow. This is a powerhouse post. Talk about concentrated content. Bam.
I’m going to book mark this and use it as a checklist for others that I help get online and engaged. Heck, there are a couple here I’m missing or can improve on.
Thanks for putting this together and then giving it away.
Todd
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Nice post. Just about everything I have in mind for my new book.
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I have been blogging for about a year, my resume help blog: http://www.ResumeHelpBlog.com has attracted some attention but not nearly the traffic I had anticipated. I intend to save this article and follow your tips every day and will check back and let you know the results.
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Wow! This is the best, most succinct, clearest and most comprehensive list of exactly what to do to brand yourself I’ve ever seen. Phil, you’re selling yourself short — I know “gurus” in the industry who charge hundreds of dollars (and more) for this exact same info. You’re not only knowledgable with a lot of insight into how this “branding” thing works, you have an incredible generosity of spirit. Thank you — this is a permanent bookmark for me and I’ll be sharing it widely.
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Great information Phil! Everyone in today’s professional world needs a “brand”. It has replaced the “resume” as the new way to manage our careers.
Keep making it great!
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Yes, yes, yes! You are absolutely right on with these awesome suggestions.
I just now need to carve out some time implementing them for myself instead of only helping others to achieve them. I need to remember the words “Physician, heal thyself.”
Thanks, Phil!
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Woah! Tip number one is exactly what I did just like Phil. My own name as my domain. The best benefit is that people trust you, not the business. It’s like how Eckhart Tolles business is built around him.
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Thank you for this detailed post. I plan to start the new year off right with help from your list.
This comment was originally posted on Phil Gerbyshak
Really helpful mechanics and insights Phil!
I suspect the vision piece is the hardest.
What’s worked for me is to remember my vision is in constant revision. When starting off call it Vision 1.0 realizing that you’ll be issuing an upgrade as you learn more.
Thanks again for a really helpful post Phil!
Keep creating,
Mike
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I’ve heard of branding and have used it myself. However, you offer solid advice on how to use the Internet and Networking to it’s full advantage. What most people need to know is that Networking is the best way to find the best job in the field that you want.
Great job. Keep up the wonderful writing.
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Short and concise. Very helpful!
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Great article!! I defenitely needed some good branding advice as I want to get my clothing company off the ground. I will bookmark this for sure.
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Awesome Ryan! Glad you stopped by and found the article useful!
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