LinkedIn informed its users that they will no longer support the Tweets Application.

However, you WILL be able to connect your Twitter and LinkedIn accounts, so that your tweets auto post on your LinkedIn profile.

To set up this feature, log in to your LinkedIn account.

In the upper righthand corner of your screen, where your profile name displays, click “Settings.”

Click “Manage Your Twitter Settings.”

If you haven’t already added a Twitter account, click “Add another Twitter account,” and authorize the app to access your Twitter account.

Click the radio button if you want to display your Twitter account link on your LinkedIn profile (highly recommended).

Finally, customize which of your tweets your want to display on your LinkedIn account:

• Only tweets that include the #in or #li hashtag
• All your tweets. (Your tweets will display in the righthand sidebar of your LinkedIn profile, and will look similar to the image, below)

Save changes.

Hope you’ll connect with me on LinkedIn:

Laura Christianson profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/laurachristianson

Blogging Bistro Company Page: http://www.linkedin.com/company/blogging-bistro-llc

Join me for five social media workshops — take one or take ‘em all. The workshops are sponsored by Everett Community College Corporate & Continuing Education Center and are at the beautiful new East County campus in Monroe, WA.

You do NOT have to be a student at Everett Community College to take these workshops. These workshops are geared for adult entrepreneurs, small business owners, lifelong learners, and cubicle dwellers who are interested in learning how to use social media tools. The workshops are targeted for people who consider themselves “technologically challenged.”

To register for a workshop, click the link at the end of each course description.

*Note that this series will also be offered Spring Quarter, so if you can’t fit it in your schedule this winter, pencil the course in on your calendar for:

• April 12 – Facebook
• April 26  – Blogging
• May 10 – LinkedIn
• May 24 – Twitter
• June 7 – YouTube

Social Media For Business Series

Sign up for all five classes and save $45. Fee $300
For information on how to get the series discount, contact Everett Community College Corporate & Continuing Education Center (425) 267-0150.

Business Blogging Basics

Thursday, February 2, 2012
6-8 PM
Everett Community College Corporate & Continuing Education Center East County Campus
Tye 303, Monroe, WA
Fee: $69

If you want to build your business online, blogging can give you a very good return on investment. Learn to identify blogging topics and blogging strategies to increase your company’s visibility and credibility. We’ll evaluate several blogging platforms, and you’ll learn how to create blog posts that lure readers and keep them coming back for more. This class meets at the East County Campus in Monroe.

To register for this course, click this link: http://www.campusce.net/everett/course/course.aspx?C=687&pc=14&mc=&sc=

Facebook Pages for Business

Thursday, February 9, 2012
6-9 PM
Everett Community College Corporate & Continuing Education Center East County Campus
Tye 303, Monroe, WA
Fee: $69

Use the world’s largest social networking site to promote your business. During this intermediate level hands-on class, you will create and customize your Facebook Business (Fan) Page and learn how to publish enticing updates that help you build your business. Participants must have a personal Facebook profile set up prior to enrolling in this class, and should have basic proficiency with Facebook.

To register for this course, click this link: http://www.campusce.net/everett/course/course.aspx?C=598&pc=14&mc=&sc=

Boost Your Business With LinkedIn

Thursday, February 16, 2012
6-8 PM
Everett Community College Corporate & Continuing Education Center East County Campus
Tye 303, Monroe, WA
Fee: $69

Learn how LinkedIn can help you network with other professionals, attract new customers, and discover job opportunities. We’ll discuss how to craft an enhanced profile and solicit recommendations. You’ll learn techniques for growing your network through Groups, applications, and a Company Page.

To register for this course, click this link: http://www.campusce.net/Everett/Course/Course.aspx?c=733

Expand Your Brand, One Tweet at A Time

Thursday, March 1, 2012
6-8 PM
Everett Community College Corporate & Continuing Education Center East County Campus
Tye 303, Monroe, WA
Fee: $69

Known as a micro-blog, Twitter is ideal for building your brand reputation, 140 characters at a time. During this workshop, you’ll learn how to craft tweets that provide value, how to cross-promote your Twitter updates on other social networks, and how to entice your followers to pass on your brand message.

To register for this course, click this link: http://www.campusce.net/Everett/Course/Course.aspx?c=734

Broadcast Your Business with a YouTube Channel

Thursday, March 15, 2012
6-8 PM
Everett Community College Corporate & Continuing Education Center East County Campus
Tye 303, Monroe, WA
Fee: $69

Forty-eight hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. It’s no wonder that YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine. With users who range from 18 to 54 years old, YouTube is an ideal medium for local businesses to broadcast product launches, interviews, tutorials, ads, and more. Learn how to create, customize, and optimize a YouTube channel that will increase your company’s reach.

To register for this course, click this link: http://www.campusce.net/Everett/Course/Course.aspx?c=735

Share With a Friend

If you are unable to attend these workshops but have friends who might be interested, please share the link to this post with them: http://www.bloggingbistro.com/?p=10023

Book Laura to Speak With Your Group

Laura Christianson is available to teach workshops and keynote at your conference or event. For more speaking topics and to book Laura, visit the Speaking page.

After sending a Twitter tip to Blogging Bistro, Laura asked me to expand on it in a guest post. I am happy to do so, and I welcome your feedback.

• Do you feel like Twitter is a time waster?
• How do you make the most of your account?

Most Twitter users are information disseminators, but they don’t take much time to read about their followers, connect with other users, or even to read or share other Tweets.

To set yourself apart, check out your followers and see what they’re up to. You can generally tell from the short bio if it’s worth your time to go further.

I probably don’t do this as often as I should, but the time I have spent doing this has been very beneficial for networking. One Twitter follower I received ended up to be a multi-published marriage book author and psychiatrist. (Since I am a marriage blogger and was writing a marriage book, this piqued my interest.)

Step 1: Research

I checked out his web site from his Twitter link and watched a couple of videos in which he was interviewed on major TV shows. One of his comments intrigued me, so I emailed him requesting an interview for Marriage Gems.

Step 2: Interview

He agreed, and we scheduled a 15-minute phone interview. Using some of the comments from the interview, I wrote my most successful blog post ever. It was called, “We all married the wrong person,” which went viral the day I published it.

The post reached more than 54,000 readers in four days and was featured on the WordPress page “Freshly Pressed” for several days.

The post was also republished in more languages than I could recognize in countries across the world.

Step 3: Forge Real-Life Friendships

It was an exciting experience, and it helped me to forge a friendship with the author I interviewed, Scott Haltzman, M.D. He has been extremely helpful with my new book, First Kiss to Lasting Bliss: Hope & Inspiration for Your Marriage, even providing a marvelous testimonial for it. We have discussed the possibility of partnering on projects in the future, and we’ve talked many times.

If I hadn’t been checking out my followers, I would have missed this great learning and networking opportunity, not to mention the inspiration for a great post that hundreds of people have told me changed their perspective on love and marriage.

I’d say that was a good investment of maybe 30 minutes of my time.

I’ve met other great contacts online as well through similar ways, although this one was the most dramatic.

Your Assignment

• Who on your follower list might be an important contact?
• Are you seeking to connect with Twitter users in your industry who have meaningful things to share?
• Are you listening and reading or simply using Twitter to send out regular posts and updates?

Making real connections online will help you get the most out of a great social networking tool.

About the Author

Lori Lowe is a journalist, GenXer, and child of divorce. Her book, First Kiss to Lasting Bliss: Hope & Inspiration for Your Marriage, has just been released on Amazon.com and in various e-book formats at LoriDLowe.com.

Couples featured in the book experienced many challenges, including infertility, stranger rape, child loss, infidelity, drug addiction, unsupportive families, faith differences, military separation, life-threatening illness, raising a special-needs child, financial crises and much more.

You can also connect with Lori at www.Facebook.com/LastingBliss or on Twitter @LoriLowe.

Share what you’re learning about the power of social tools.

Check out our guest post guidelines, and then submit your own guest column to Blogging Bistro.

1. YouTube Home Page Redesign

http://youtu.be/W-ajXnrpkio

Click here to view the embedded video.

2. YouTube Improves Analytics

Latest features include:

• A Quick Overview: A new overview provides all of the information that you care about quickly, while also enabling you to easily access more detailed information.
• More Detailed Reports: Analytics now includes more detailed statistics so that you can have a more precise understanding of your content and audiences.
• Audience Builders: Discover which videos are driving the most views and subscriptions.
• Audience Retention: See how far viewers are watching through your video in the new audience retention report.
• Source: The Official YouTube Blog

3. Twitter Launches Brand Pages

Pages can be customized with large header images and allow you to keep a tweet of your choice at the top of your timeline

Source: Cotton Delo, Ad Age Digital

4. Google Bar Integrates Google Menu, Search, and Google+ Tools

http://youtu.be/vSIMpFfNLEA

Click here to view the embedded video.

5. StumbleUpon Streamlines its Look

http://youtu.be/F8DtI9e4xZ8

Click here to view the embedded video.

6. Facebook Timeline for Personal Profiles

http://youtu.be/hzPEPfJHfKU

Click here to view the embedded video.

7. Facebook Insights Feature Negative Feedback

Page admins who click “engaged users” on Facebook posts can now see how many users either hid their posts or gave them negative feedback in their news feeds.

Source: David Cohen, All Facebook

This is a guest post by Isaac Bullen. If you would like to submit a guest article, please check out our guest post guidelines.

Business owners can promote their business using Twitter provided they have a good following. What is not always evident however is how to get more followers on Twitter. These proven methods can help you immediately.

1.  Fill out your profile

Fill out your profile with a brief description of your business and a link back to your website or blog. Due to space restrictions, you can put a single line and provide a link to your online site. Don’t make Twitter followers wonder who you are.

2.  Engage existing followers

Twitter is a great marketing tool, but at its heart it is a social site. Do not set up your account and simply let it sit idle. Interact with your current followers, get involved in Follow Friday to increase interest and show you are paying attention.

3.  Share great information

One of the best methods of attracting new followers is to share information that is useful. While you can (and should) promote your own business, sharing information from other sites is also helpful to readers. Do not “hog” your time line by simply selling people.

Other options

Twitter offers many great opportunities for increasing interest in your product or services and getting new followers. Some of these include:

5.  Offer something free

Run a contest for a gift certificate, free report or other giveaway. Tag your posts with the hashtag #free.

6.  Conduct one or more surveys

Conduct a survey using a plugin like Survey Monkey and ask a great question to engage followers. Offer to post results at a future date.

7.  Advertise your Twitter presence

Place your Twitter user name on your blog, your website and your marketing materials. Include your Twitter user identification in all emails as well.

8.  Identify high profile users

Twitterholic provides a list of some of the most active Twitter users. Follow some of them and you may find that your follower list will grow.

9.  Share images

Readers love images! Find images that are likely to gain attention and you may find that it will help you gain more followers. Remember, the more followers you can attract, the more likely you will be to convert followers into customers.

10.  ASK!

One of the amusing things about social networking sites is that people love to hear from other people. Use the search tools provided on Twitter and search for users who are talking about your interests. Follow them and ask them to follow you back.

Twitter can be a powerful marketing tool if it is used properly. There are several experts who provide great information about Twitter, including Blogging Bistro.

Are you active on Twitter?

Did you do something different to gain followers? Please share your methodology! Looking forward to hearing from you.

Isaac Bullen works in the field of search marketing in an industry which is rapidly merging with the social. He regularly writes on subjects from social media to fiduciary management and even more obscure subjects.

Follow Blogging Bistro on Twitter: @bloggingbistro

Join me for five social media workshops — take one or take ‘em all. The workshops are sponsored by Everett Community College Corporate & Continuing Education Center. With the exception of next week’s Facebook workshop, all courses will be at the new East County campus in Monroe, WA.

Here are details for each workshop in the series, as well as a description of next week’s Facebook workshop:

Facebook Pages for Business

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

6-9 PM
Everett Community College Corporate & Continuing Education Center (in Everett, near Boeing)
Room 204
Fee: $69

Use the world’s largest social networking site to promote your business. During this intermediate level hands-on class, you will create and customize your Facebook Business (Fan) Page and learn how to publish enticing updates that help you build your business. Participants must have a personal Facebook profile set up prior to enrolling in this class, and should have basic proficiency with Facebook.

To register for this course, click this link: http://www.campusce.net/everett/course/course.aspx?C=598&pc=14&mc=&sc=

Social Media For Business Series

Sign up for all five classes and save $45. Fee $300
For information on how to get the series discount, contact Everett Community College Corporate & Continuing Education Center (425) 267-0150.

Facebook Pages for Business

Thursday, January 19, 2012
6-9 PM
Everett Community College Corporate & Continuing Education Center East County Campus
Tye 303, Monroe, WA
Fee: $69

Use the world’s largest social networking site to promote your business. During this intermediate level hands-on class, you will create and customize your Facebook Business (Fan) Page and learn how to publish enticing updates that help you build your business. Participants must have a personal Facebook profile set up prior to enrolling in this class, and should have basic proficiency with Facebook.

To register for this course, click this link: http://www.campusce.net/everett/course/course.aspx?C=598&pc=14&mc=&sc=

Business Blogging Basics

Thursday, February 2, 2012
6-8 PM
Everett Community College Corporate & Continuing Education Center East County Campus
Tye 303, Monroe, WA
Fee: $69

If you want to build your business online, blogging can give you a very good return on investment. Learn to identify blogging topics and blogging strategies to increase your company’s visibility and credibility. We’ll evaluate several blogging platforms, and you’ll learn how to create blog posts that lure readers and keep them coming back for more. This class meets at the East County Campus in Monroe.

To register for this course, click this link: http://www.campusce.net/everett/course/course.aspx?C=687&pc=14&mc=&sc=

Boost Your Business With LinkedIn

Thursday, February 16, 2012
6-8 PM
Everett Community College Corporate & Continuing Education Center East County Campus
Tye 303, Monroe, WA
Fee: $69

Learn how LinkedIn can help you network with other professionals, attract new customers, and discover job opportunities. We’ll discuss how to craft an enhanced profile and solicit recommendations. You’ll learn techniques for growing your network through Groups, applications, and a Company Page.

To register for this course, click this link: http://www.campusce.net/Everett/Course/Course.aspx?c=733

Expand Your Brand, One Tweet at A Time

Thursday, March 1, 2012
6-8 PM
Everett Community College Corporate & Continuing Education Center East County Campus
Tye 303, Monroe, WA
Fee: $69

Known as a micro-blog, Twitter is ideal for building your brand reputation, 140 characters at a time. During this workshop, you’ll learn how to craft tweets that provide value, how to cross-promote your Twitter updates on other social networks, and how to entice your followers to pass on your brand message.

To register for this course, click this link: http://www.campusce.net/Everett/Course/Course.aspx?c=734

Broadcast Your Business with a YouTube Channel

Thursday, March 15, 2012
6-8 PM
Everett Community College Corporate & Continuing Education Center East County Campus
Tye 303, Monroe, WA
Fee: $69

Forty-eight hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. It’s no wonder that YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine. With users who range from 18 to 54 years old, YouTube is an ideal medium for local businesses to broadcast product launches, interviews, tutorials, ads, and more. Learn how to create, customize, and optimize a YouTube channel that will increase your company’s reach.

To register for this course, click this link: http://www.campusce.net/Everett/Course/Course.aspx?c=735

This is a guest post by Lesley DeSantis. If you would like to submit a guest article, please check out our guest post guidelines.

Through social networking sites such as Twitter, people are able to provide a glimpse of their daily lives to everyone that follows them including close friends, family members, or virtual buddies. News is spread through Twitter much faster than other media such as traditional media outlets because it just takes a nanosecond to post a tweet and share it with the world.

If you are thinking about joining the Twitter community, consider these helpful tips to improve and maximize your Twitter experience.

Tip #1 – Choose A Twitter Name

Choosing a Twitter name doesn’t have to be a science. You should choose an account name that is simple, easy to remember, and reflective of your personality. Most people tend to use their real name as their user account name.

Since there is only room for 140 characters in each Twitter posting (better known as a tweet), it is best to use a shorter account name leaving more room for your followers to tweet when mentioning you. For this reason, Twitter limits your user id to 15 characters.

User account names will be used to identify you, so if you are not comfortable using your real name, the next best option would be to choose words that describe who you are. Classic examples of this would be to choose user ids such as “naturegirl” or “musiclover.”

Tip #2 – Follow People

Once you have a Twitter account, you can utilize the Twitter tools and services that are available on the website to help maximize your Twitter experience. If the primary reason that you are joining Twitter is for you to stay up to date with the latest popular celebrities, you can use the “WeFollow” Twitter celebrity member directory website to find them.

Aside from following celebrities and other prominent people, you can also find and follow people that have the same interests as you do. Finding like-minded users can be accomplished by clicking on the “Who To Follow” button and selecting topics of interests.

Tip #3 – Manage Your Twitter Friends

If you’re looking for ways to maximize your Twitter experience, you can download tools to manage your stream better. Once you begin following a lot of people, a stream can get overwhelming and making Twitter a much less attractive tool. There is great application called Twitblocker that can help filter your incoming tweets. This is really helpful if certain users are posting too many tweets in a short amount of time. This script will temporarily remove that person’s tweets until you restart your browser.

There is also a tool called Twalala that will let you filter tweets from your stream by using certain keywords and phrases. If someone keeps tweeting about the same topic repeatedly, you can mute that person’s tweets canceling the noise they are bringing to your stream.

Twitter is a great tool once you successfully learn to manage it. This is done by following like minded people and utilizing a few applications to cut down your stream when it gets out of control.

Lesley DeSantis is a content development specialist for Twiends, a Twitter Directory that helps you grow your social network and get followers in Twitter.

1.  Skype Now Available for iPad

Skype: http://blogs.skype.com/en/2011/08/skype_now_optimized_for_ipad.html

If you’re both a Skype fan and an iPad owner, you’re in luck: Skype for iPad is now now available for download in the iTunes App Store. Here are some of the features you’ll get:

~Two-way video calling. Using the iPad 2’s dual cameras, you can talk face-to-face with the front camera or switch to the rear camera to show what you are seeing.

~Call landlines or mobiles at low rates. (You’ll need Skype Credit to do this).

~Instant messaging. You can even instant message during a video call on your iPad.

~Simple-to-view contacts. Contacts are displayed in a grid on Skype for iPad, showing large avatar photos.

~Simple SMS texting. An SMS text message can be sent by simply opening a contact and selecting SEND SMS or by opening the dial pad, typing in the number you wish to SMS and then typing your message.

Here’s a YouTube Video with more info: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLOrf0tGMCc

Click here to view the embedded video.

2.  Gmail Makes International Calling Easy and Cheap

Gmail Blog: http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/calling-from-gmail-now-in-38-languages.html

If you prefer making calls through Gmail, they’ve expanded their reach. Not only can U.S. callers call any mobile phone or landline directly from Gmail, but users who live outside the U.S. will soon have the ability to make calls to and from the U.K., France, Germany, Mexico, China, India, and more, at reasonable rates.

Gmail is offering calling in 38 new languages, and you can buy calling credit in your choice of four currencies (Euros, British pounds, Canadian dollars or U.S. dollars) and there are no connection fees, so you only pay for the time you talk.

Here’s a YouTube video with more info: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG190LlSmrg

Click here to view the embedded video.

3.  LinkedIn Becomes No. 2 U.S. Social Network

Bloomberg: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-08/linkedin-tops-myspace-to-become-second-largest-u-s-social-networking-site.html

As of June 2011, LinkedIn ranked as the #2 social network in the U.S. in terms of visitors. Here’s the tally for June:

1. Facebook: 160.9 million U.S. visitors (up 14%)
2. LinkedIn: 33.9 million U.S. visitors (up 63% from a year ago, according according to a ComScore Inc. (SCOR) report)
3. MySpace: 33.5 million U.S. visitors (down 50%)
4. Twitter: 30.6 million U.S. users (up 31% from a year earlier)

4.  Twitter Adds Ads in Timeline

Mashable: http://mashable.com/2011/07/28/promoted-tweets-timeline/

During the next few weeks, Twitter is rolling out a new Promoted Tweets option that will display ads directly in a user’s stream. Up until now, Promoted Tweets have only shown up in Twitter search or in sidebars as a promoted Trending Topic.

The good news (if there is good news about being subjected to even more advertisements): You’ll only see ads from accounts that you already follow.

This is a guest post by Mike Barbre. If you would like to submit a guest article, please check out our guest post guidelines.

Celebrities are all over Twitter these days and we’ve all heard about the crazy things Charlie Sheen has typed out in 140 characters or less. We’ve also learned that Jim Carrey is a bit of a misogynistic jerk and that Kanye West is as crazy when tweeting as he is at awards shows.

Just 5 years ago, most celebrity statements were tightly managed with their public pronouncements filtered through a team of publicity agents. Not anymore, though. Now celebrities grab their iPhones and tweet away no matter their state of sobriety.

Here are 5 things (and this is by no means a conclusive list) celebrities love to do wrong on Twitter.

1. Rampant Egotism

Celebrities usually have large egos; otherwise they wouldn’t be in a business that demands so much attention. They really shouldn’t let that egomania show to their fans, however, and Twitter lays bare their self-obsession and blatant self-promotion.

During this past holiday season, Kim Kardashian urged her followers on Twitter to give their loved ones a “Kardashian Kard” as a stocking stuffer. For those that do not know what a “Kardashian Kard” is, it is a high-interest credit card derided by consumer advocates but endorsed by the Kardashian clan. Why, in heaven’s name, would anyone give someone that as a gift for Christmas?

Of course a seemingly boring and egotistical tweet from Paris Hilton in 2009 celebrating her new Chanel purse turned out to be more interesting than originally thought. When police later found cocaine in the very same purse, she claimed it was not hers. That tweet became VERY interesting.

2. Yelling at the Public

Film director Kevin Smith actually earned a few points in a Twitter rant in early 2010 after being kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight because of his weight. He protested that he wasn’t “too fat to fly” in a funny and self-deprecating series of tweets. In the end, it earned him some sympathy and gave his followers a chance to rant at airline regulations in general.

That goodwill disappeared a few months later, however, when he went on misguided rant against critics who panned his movie “Cop Out”, starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan. He asserted that movie critics had no right to pan his movie since they watch it for free. This was not a very convincing argument, especially after people actually SAW “Cop Out.”

3. Profanity

When Ozzy Osbourne’s daughter Kelly broke up with her boyfriend in late 2010, she decided to lash out in a string of profanity-laced tweets. Turning to Twitter in such a vulnerable state is probably a mistake, but her string of obscenities did not win her any new fans. At least she seemed aware of her mistake; she announced a break from tweeting shortly after these profane rants.

4. Spouting Politics

Celebrities like Sean Penn and Bono wear their political views on their sleeves. It’s no surprise when that spills onto Twitter.

But what about someone like John Cusack? He went on a tirade against Fox News in 2010.

Scott Baio went on a series of rants against Michelle Obama and “lazy left-wingers” in 2010. Do people really care about the political opinions of Charles in Charge? Those celebrities not looking to alienate half their fan base, especially those that haven’t worked for as long as Scott Baio, should probably keep their political opinions to themselves.

5. Engaging in ‘Twitter Wars’

Before Donald Trump recently dropped out of the presidential race, he got himself embroiled in a series of flame wars with Robert DeNiro, Jerry Seinfeld, Martha Stewart, and a few others after taking heavy criticism for his doubts about President Obama’s birth certificate. Fighting with celebrities is nothing new for Trump; he had a well publicized battle with Rosie O’Donnell a few years ago but Twitter upped the ante. Whatever Trump’s Twitter rants were supposed to accomplish, they certainly didn’t look presidential.

Ultimately, it really comes down to the “KISS” principle. What could be simpler than to just BE NICE? When you log into the Twitter-verse, that action should be an innate mental shift into “positive” mode for your synapses. Be welcoming, be engaging, encourage other tweeters into productive and community-oriented conversation and interaction. That’s what “social” media” is about, that’s how Twitter success is done.

Mike Barbre is a social media professional and technology enthusiast. When he’s not writing for Intermedia’s Hosted Exchange, he can be found tweeting quite regularly at @MikeBarbre.

Melissa K. Norris

This is a guest post by Melissa K. Norris. If you would like to submit a guest article, please check out our guest post guidelines.

If you’re an author, you’ve heard about the importance of platform and social media. A website, blog, Facebook, and Twitter accounts are considered must-haves. But knowing how to figure out all of these outlets can be a big time sucker.

Here are tips for figuring out your Twitter account.

1.  Check out other authors’ profiles.

Your profile is your business card. You want to include what you write, but also give some fun facts that show off your personality. Reading others’ profiles will give you an idea of what to include in your own.

2.  Follow people who you find interesting and are in your industry, not just for a follow back opportunity.

Pick people whose tweets you find informative and interesting. Don’t choose them simply because they have a huge following.

3.  Your follower numbers will fluctuate.

When someone follows me, I will check out their tweets. If I like what they have to say, I’ll follow them back. You’ll find people will unfollow if you don’t automatically follow them back. As an author, you want followers who follow you because of your content, not because you add to their numbers.

4.  #Hashtags.

Hashtags are twitter-speak for keywords. They allow people to search tweets containing certain hashtags. I use #amwriting a lot. One to two per tweet is good, any more than this and it becomes hard to read.

5.  Retweet comments or posts you found helpful.

Retweeting is a compliment. It means what you had to say or your link resonated with someone. If someone retweets you, it’s appropriate to send them a simple “thanks for the RT” (retweet). Make sure the retweet is something your followers will find interesting or pertinent.

6.  When you have new followers send them a thanks.

I always enjoy it when someone sends a tweet that mentions my twitter name and thanks me for the follow. I try to do the same for my followers. I usually wait until I have few and group them together.

7.  Don’t relentlessly plug your blog or your book.

Definitely post links to your new blog posts. I use Hootsuite so this is done automatically whenever new content is posted on my blog. A tweet such as, “Check out my website” doesn’t tell me anything. Give your readers a reason to do follow your links. Remember, it’s about what the reader gains from your words/tweets, that matters.

8.  Tweet daily.

I found that tweeting about five times a day works well for me. Too frequently and you may drive some people crazy. Not often enough, you’ll be forgotten. I tweet once or twice in the morning, my blog post link is automatically posted in the evening, and then check back in the afternoon. I reply to any tweets and then post once more. The most traffic is during the weekdays in the morning.

Please share any tips you have for navigating Twitter.

Melissa K. Norris is an inspirational fiction writer and blogger. She is a member of NCWA and ACFW. Follow Melissa on Twitter and mention Blogging Bistro and she’ll follow you back. You can read an excerpt of Melissa’s inspirational historical romance at www.melissaknorris.com.