Want Tweet Cred? Speak the Language

Does Twitter have you looking like this?

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So you wanna learn Twitter-speak, do you? Or maybe you just want to learn the basics so you know what’s going on when you see things like #FF or RT. Either way, understanding the“language” Twitter users have created over time will help you engage with your followers. And the good news is that you don’t have to take any Twitter Rosetta Stone classes to get the hang of it.

I’ve include a list of the most commonly used Twitter-inspired words below as well as some basic Twitter terms to help you get that tweet cred in no time at all.

• Tweeple - users of Twitter, or a users’ followers (also “tweeps”)
• Tweetup - a real world gathering of Twitter users
• Twisticuffs - a verbal argument conducted via tweets
• Tweet cred - social standing on Twitter
• Twelete - removing a previously-published tweet
• Twirting - flirting in 140 characters or fewer
• Twitterfly - A social butterfly on Twitter
• Twitterish - Erratic behavior/prone to outbursts
• Tweme - a popular idea (meme) on Twitter
• Twittiquette - the social norms of micro-blogging
• Twebinar - a “web seminar” using Twitter
• Retweet - RT- reposting a tweet someone else already sent out
• Hashtags - Hashtags are keywords preceded with the # symbol See: Hashtag 101
• Dweet - A tweet sent while drunk (Not advisable)
• OH – If you see this preceding a post, it means that you're letting people know something funny or interesting that you overheard and not posting an original thought
• DM – This means direct message
• Twittersphere or Twitterverse – Refers to the entire world and culture of Twitter.
• #FollowFriday or #ff – Used on Fridays to suggest people who are interesting to follow on Twitter.
• #MusicMonday – Used on Mondays to suggest music to your followers or to let your friends/followers know what your favorite song(s) of the week are
• #ThankfulThursday – Used on Thursdays to tell your followers what you’re thankful for
• Microblog. Twitter is often referred to as a microblog because it allows people to update their status using only 140 characters.
• Mistweet - Accidentally sending a tweet to the wrong person or wishing you didn't send a particular tweet. Dweets can often become Mistweets.

Have more to add? Feel free to keep the list going in comments.

And to read more about Twitter-speak, check out these articles:

Are You Down with the Twitter Lingo? AKA Twingo

The Twitter Glossary

Hashtag 101

Ahh, the sweet sound of hashtags

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Pretty soon after you sign up for a Twitter account you’ll start noticing a whole lotta hashtagging going on. There is no hashtag police (that I know of) who will arrest you for using hashtags the “wrong” way, but it’s always helpful to know how to use them to benefit not only your company but also to enhance your experience as a Twitter user.

First of all, if you post a tweet like this:

"Longest day ever! #sofreakingtiredcantwaitforbedzomgimgonnadie" ….

Some might say you used your hashtag incorrectly. While this is debatable as there are no actual rules or governing hashtag authority, there’s also no real point to using a hashtag in this way either. Other than trying to be funny, no one is ever going to use that hashtag again or search for it, which is the point of using a hashtag in the first place. 

However, there are a few ways you can use hashtags that will engage your followers and encourage interaction.

Hashtagging for a cause. If there’s a particular cause, charity, or organization you are interested in, putting their name as a hashtag in your tweet is a good way to show your support and talk to other people who are also interested in this cause. If you’re a business owner, don’t forget that engaging your followers doesn’t mean only talking to them about your products or services. Talk to them about similar interests and build trust and loyalty – two essential ingredients for success.

Entice followers with a contest. Want to keep track of conversations about your brand? Run a contest and give it a hashtag that you created specifically for it. This way, all of the people interested in your contest will use the same hashtag, which enables not only the community to interact with each other but also lets you keep track of what people are saying and who is engaging with your brand. I may have forgotten to note that when you use a hashtag, it becomes a clickable link, which goes to a page that shows only results for people using the same hashtag.

Chat about your interests. Love a certain TV show? Find their official Twitter page and use the hashtags they designate for each episode. For example, as a True Blood fan myself, a Trubie, if you will, I can use not only the hashtag #trueblood but the specific hashtag they dictate for each episode. Last week’s episode was hashtagged #souloffire and the week before was #burning. By using those hashtags when you talk about the show, you can click on the hashtags and go read what everyone else on Twitter is saying about that episode. This gives you a unique way to interact with people who share your interests.

Here’s the Wikipedia article on hashtags for more info and another helpful article titled:  How to Use Twitter Hashtags.

While Twitter is a great way to promote your products and services and get to know your followers, you’ll still want to make sure your website is getting found on the search engines. If you could use a little help, let Voice of North America help you increase your linkbacks by driving relevant traffic to your site.

Get More Out of Social Media with Crowdbooster

Want to learn more about your social media followers? Try Crowdbooster!

If you have a business, product, or service that you’re currently promoting on Twitter or Facebook, you might be interested to learn about Crowdbooster.

Crowdbooster is a free (of course, you can also upgrade to a paid membership) site that analyzes your social media accounts and provides you with detailed feedback on how you can improve. Some of the data they’ll give you includes your follower growth, influential followers, recommendations on how you can improve your content and gain more readers, audience insights, and even a content scheduler that analyzes the best time for you to post updates and send tweets and then does it automatically for you!

Signing up is very simple – you log in with your Twitter or Facebook info and then create an account. Crowdbooster instantly starts analyzing your account and provides you with feedback very quickly. I think this could be a good tool if used regularly to learn how your company can better reach your target audience. What do you think?

Want to increase web traffic and brand exposure now? Visit Voice of North America.

Do You Have Social Media Cred?

She's smiling because her Klout score is higher than yours.

Did you know that every time you post a story, article, link, or comment on sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Foursquare, you’re influencing your followers? But wouldn’t you like to know exactly how much you’re influencing them and conversely, how much they’re influencing you?

There’s a new site out called Klout that lets you know just that. It gives you your “Klout Score” based on how many people you influence, how much you influence them, and how influential they are. It’s an interesting concept and pretty fun. You sign in with your Twitter or Facebook account and it gives you your score plus a detailed report. Right now, my Klout is only at 28.3%, clearly I need to work on that. Sad face.

Check it out and leave a comment letting me know what your Klout Score is!

Trying to grow your business? Don’t forget to check out Voice of North America to learn how you can start blogging in all 50 states, maximizing your exposure on the search engines, and driving more traffic to your website or blog.

Get the Latest Breaking News on . . . Twitter?

Poor weather man. Social media is taking over his job.

I’ve seen many articles lately about how social media has become an unlikely news source. Take for example the east coast earthquake that just occurred. Apparently Virginia residents began tweeting about the earthquake before it even had a chance to hit New York—leaving Twitter to claim it’s faster than an earthquake.

I can’t deny that my knowledge of major news stories occurring around the world have come directly from my friends’ Twitter and Facebook posts. I first learned that Osama Bin Laden and Michael Jackson had died from a Facebook post and heard about the Casey Anthony verdict on Twitter.

I think the reason that so many social media users immediately post on sites like Facebook and Twitter with news-worthy stories is because they simply want to be the first one among their friends to break the news. This way, they get all the shocked comments and get to enjoy the satisfaction of being the first one to report something big.

Here’s a few interesting articles I’ve seen lately on this topic:

East Coasters Turn to Twitter During Virginia Earthquake by Lauren Indvik

Timeline: How News of Osama Bin Laden’s Death Unfolded on Twitter by Brian Anthony Hernandez

Be sure to check out Voice of North America if you’re ready to grow your business and get noticed on search engines. Voice of North America allows you to blog in all 50 states about your business, product, services, or anything else you want to promote.

What’s Your Favorite Blog?

I bet she's tweeting about her favorite blog right now.

There are billions of blogs out there - how do you choose what to read? I think all of my favorite blogs have been introduced to me by a friend via Twitter or Facebook. I’ve noticed that many of my friends will put a link to a blog post they particularly like in a Twitter or Facebook update and encourage everyone to read it. If I end up liking the post, I will usually keep reading, and before you know it, I’m hooked on a blog I previously didn’t even know existed!

Here’s a few of my fave blogs right now, in no particular order.

The Fitnessista – The reason I love this blog is because it’s a personal take on healthy living. The Fitnessista is constantly posting about working out, eating healthy, new exercises to try, workout DVD reviews, recipes, workout plans, and so much more! She’s even made me crave more vegetables and fruit by posting pics of what she eats at every meal. And she does it all in a fun and friendly manner. She normally updates a few times a day, too, so it keeps me coming back regularly to read her tips.

Hyperbole and a Half -This blog kills me. Every time. It’s so weird but so funny. I love reading these posts and normally always laugh out loud at some point. The weird drawings only make it better. This was the post that a friend initially shared on Facebook that instantly had me coming back for more. This blog is witty, hilarious, and a little demented – just the way I like it!

Diva Marketing Blog – For a fun way to learn about various marketing topics, from social media to blogging, check out the Diva Marketing Blog. The writing is done in an easy-to-read yet interesting style, so you never get bored and a new blog post is always a welcome read!

Practical SEO – Read this blog to learn about SEO and everything SEO-related. From optimizing your blog to optimizing your website, you’ll learn tips and tricks for optimal success. Practical SEO also ventures into other related topics, like web development, content writing, and more, so you’ll never get bored and always learn something new.

Not sure how to get your blog or website noticed by the search engines? Check out Voice of North America – a blogging platform that lets you post about any topic you desire in all 50 states. You’ll get found by the search engines easier and get more traffic to your website or blog.