Rediscovering Twitter

I've been a Twitter user, both personally and professionally, for a while now. However, I had been feeling like I still didn't really "get" the platform totally. Taking a social and digital media course this year has provided me with some of the most insightful information on using Twitter strategically.

I thought I'd share some tips from my class!

1) Twitter is best when you use it regularly. I know it's easy to tweet something one day, and then not sign back into your account for a week or two - but it's hard to build that coveted community when you haven't been engaging with your networks. My goal is to engage with at least a few people on Twitter each day.

2) Be authentic. Follow what you like! Post and retweet and favourite things that you personally find interesting. This will allow you to connect with people who are excited by the same things as you.

3) Have brand awareness. Some people think the idea of a "personal brand" is corny, but it's actually quite useful. Potential employers can easily look you up on Twitter, so why not use that to your advantage? Think about what message you want to get across on Twitter and how your profile, pictures, tagline, and posts can help you achieve that.

4) Consider cleaning up your Twitter profile. Have any tweets or pictures posted that may not reflect favourably on you in the future? Maybe it's time to take them down. This can easily be done by visiting tweetdelete.net.

5) Have fun with Twitter! It's not supposed to be drag or stress you out.

Happy tweeting!