Team Twitter Tips !

[WittyDawnUK]

Hi all I’ve been asked by our team captain to set up a thread to help us all get the most out of Twitter. I’ve been using Twitter for a while, and now have over 2500 followers and I do find it has got me quite a few sales and a number of repeat customers too, so here some advice if you’d like it…

# HashTags
Most important TOP TIP ! use the Team twitter tag in your Tweets it is now #BSOEtsy.
This is a way of linking together related tweets for example #DrWho when people are discussing that. Include our team hashtag #BSOEtsy in your Tweets and search for it too – RT tweets with it and hopefully you’ll get some RT’s back.
(NOTE: our old tag was #BSOE however we’ve noticed that this is used by a range of non-team tweeters -I think for a US sports team !? so to minimise confusion we’ve decided to go with #BSOEtsy)


What to tweet?
Links to items/shops/treasuries/Flickr/Pinterest and so on. Don’t just do promotional tweets as you’ll struggle to get/keep followers. You should aim for a 50:50 mix of chat and promotion. Tweet about recipes, weather, tv, books, jokes and so on.

Who to follow?
Search for people with the same interests, look for people you know via Etsy teams. You can look at someone else's set of followers and pick a few to follow. BUT have a little look at a person’s tweets before you follow to see if you are going to find their tweets interesting.

How to Tweet?
You can lose a LOT of time on twitter! I tend to chat in real time but I schedule most of my promotional tweets, I use a scheduler called Twuffer but here’s some more socialtimes.com/10-apps-to-schedule-future-tweets-on-twitter_b8863

ReTweeting (RT)
– valuable way to promote and get followers too. You can RT another person’s tweet to your followers , and if someone RT’s your tweet, reply with a thank you and/or RT something for them. I have regular RT buddies – very effective for promotion. BUT just do 5 or 6 RTs at a time - more than that, your tweets will look like ‘spam’ and you’ll lose followers..

KEEP SAFE!
things to watch out for and “egg” avatars and or avatar names including number strings. These tend to be Spammers. Also NEVER click on links in DM’s (Direct Messages) which say things like “ have you seen what they said about you” / “is this you?” etc – these are hacker's links- even if they come from someone you know. It means their account has been hacked in order to send the message, click on the link and you're hacked too.... If this should happen to you, report it to Twitter and change your password ASAP.

Hope to see you on Twitter – I’m on there as twitter.com/#!/AudreysCat
Dawn x

[WittyDawnUK]

OH! I fogot add your Twitter tips, let us know who you are on twitter and look out for #BSOEtsy!

[AlteredEras]

Thanks Dawn - this will be SOOO useful to us :)

[PrintsByMaggieg]

Hiya thanks for the tips. I am now following you and I am @printsbymaggieg on Twitter. I have also had a couple of sales via Twitter, very delighted with that!

[WychwoodDreams]

Great tips, thank you. I've struggled with getting in to Twitter, but I'm going to make more effort with it I think. I'm @GoddessJewelsUK

[Former_Member]

Thanks for that I am now following you and will watch and learn :-)

[Former_Member]

Thanks for this Dawn, very helpful! I'm @velvetbarnacle

[LinniR]

hi Dawn, thanks for the tips. I'm @Linnirsbooks

[Loutul]

Hi Dawn, thanks for the tips - totally new to twitter and I haven't had much time to spend on it, but I certainly will try from now on

[WittyDawnUK]

Hi all - I think I've found/followed you all !

Louise/Loutul pop a link to your Profile page or follow me and I'll follow back

Another tip!

Profile - make sure you add a link to your shop and some info about you, if you don't you'll look like a spammer and you won't get followed. You want to make it as easy as possible for people to find you! I link to my Blog and my various shops links are on there, see what I mean....https://twitter.com/#!/AudreysCat

So far I think all you guys have done this but I hope that's a good tip for those planning to set up!

[LynnBaileyPrintmaker]

Thanks! And very timely....
I’ve had a twitter account for a while but have never used it. Only list night I thought I would start getting it going. So I have been fishing around for advice before I get stuck in. I shall start by finding people to follow over the next few days and then see how I get on.

I know there is a limit of 140 characters... but is that with or without the spaces between words. I suspect that I will be too verbose for this format!!!

[Former_Member]

Ah useful thread. I do tweet but am stil a bit lost as to its porpoise so thank you. Will read during tea break

[WittyDawnUK]

Lynne - it's amazing how quickly you will learn to shorten - I use a fair bit of tho', tis, twas, pls. gr8, 4, 2 , + but you do have to make sure your tweets stay easy to read.

If you tweet direct from here then the link part of your tweet becomes shortened and not all the characters count to your 140. Also if you tweet from the button on here you can edit that tweet to add your hashtags eg #BSOEtsy or other comments.

Naomi - I've seen you on there before..!

There is something called "twitlonger" which you can use to extend the length of a tweet - but I haven't used that myself, I think it's an App.
( you see I'm not THAT much of an expert....!)

[AlteredEras]

1 tip I was going to say is make sure your twitter account is linked to your Etsy shop (under your banner where your facebook link it).

Then its easy for people just to click the 'follow' button from your shop.

[Former_Member]

Thanks for the twitter tips.

I still struggle with what to tweet...hopefully one day I will figure it all out!

[WittyDawnUK]

Ok Folks I'm not seeing the team hashtag very much ! ( 2 or 3 of you maybe...)

If you tweet something from your shop with the tag #BSOEtsy today I will find it and RT to my 2500 plus followers ....it will be interesting then to see if this does translate into more views for you - let us know if it does!


Ready....Steady.... GO!

[PelinHanleyCeramics]

Great tips, Dawn... Thank you!

[Former_Member]

Thanks very much for this - I've struggled with Twitter, but am slowly beginning to find my feet there. I'm on there as @SewHappyDays - I'll look for the hash and retweet.

[LinniR]

I've got two twitter accounts but my original @LinniR is way, way too boring for sharing! However anyone who is interested in the environment may also want to follow me on it, as well as @LinniRsbooks

[PrintsByMaggieg]

Dawn. Very timely tips as I when I went on Twitter today I had a 'tweet' from someone (with an avatar not just an egg) which said something like 'Hey you should see what someone is saying about you' and then a link. Didn't open after reading your tips, thanks. WARNING ALL.

[Former_Member]

Thanks for the advice, I've been on twitter a while now, but have no real clue what i'm doing and I've been sent loads of those eggy links :(
will use the link now too :)

[WittyDawnUK]

Oh glad you got the warning in time Maggie! other wise you'd've been sending that same dodgy DM to all your followers!

[rosieplustheboys]

so pleased you started this thread. have been really trying to get my twitter account going @rosieandtheboys. should have thought of the team tag. I'll write it on a sticky so i remember to use it. have yo got any tips about running promotions on twitter - mine have tanked so far!

[JewelleryByJora]

I've been trying to acrue followers and it's building slowly but surely. Will aim to use the team tag now I know what it is :o)
Here's me
http://twitter.com/#!/JewelleryByJora

[Former_Member]

Morning everyone. Thanks for this Dawn. I didn't know about the #BSOEtsy hashtag! I'm @sparrowprimitiv on Twitter and will follow you all when I get back from town. We have 1 bus trip twice a week to the nearest town, so can't miss it :) No car! Looking forward to tweeting with you. x https://twitter.com/#!/sparrowprimitiv