Interview With Social Media Exerpt, Entrepreneur, and Author, Manny Hernandez
Interview Date: October 20, 2009
WIB: Do you have any advice about setting up a Twitter account?
MH: Try to choose a name for your account that includes your business or keywords related to your business.
Use the name field to include keywords. For example, on twitter.com/tudiabetes the name shows as “a diabetes community.” Be sure to include keywords in your sites' biography, too.
I have found people respond better to visual images. Don’t use a canned icon and try to use images of people or things that relate to your site instead of just a logo. You can rotate images to see what works best.
WIB: Do you recommend using hash tags?
MH: Hash tags can help you promote your Tweets. There are some that are really popular, like #ff (follow Friday). You can use hash tags to become part of a conversation. To find what hash tags people are already using you can use Twitter’s “Search” feature and enter # and a keyword.
Keep your hash tags short and when you create a new hash tag tell other people to use those tags to help connect your Tweets and theirs to a conversation.
Anytime you use a # (pound sign) the word that follows it becomes a hash tag and creates a link to follow automatically.
WIB: I have noticed I send WIB's newsletters out on certain days more people read them then if I send them on other days. Are there optimal times to Twitter?
MH: Yes. For maximum exposure I have found it is best to send your most important Tweets during the middle of the week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Wednesday around 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time works well because people on the West coast are returning from lunch and tend to check email. And people on the East coast [three hours ahead] are starting to check accounts before they head home from work.
Try to Tweet at least once daily. If you cannot, at least check your Twitter account and see what is being posted by others.
WIB: Are there any “Twitter etiquette” tips newcomers to Twitter should know about?
MH: Repeating Tweets too frequently can be annoying. You want to keep your account balanced. A good rule of thumb is to wait 10-15 Tweets before repeating a message.
Direct message people when appropriate so your message is private otherwise everyone following you will see the Tweet. If your account is public, even people who are not following you will be able to see the message. Remember you have to be following someone to direct message them.
Retweet posts that are important, take time to read what your followers are Tweeting about when you can.
Don’t just push information on people – follow others to build better communications and participate in conversations rather than running them.
More From Manny Hernandez
- Twitter Tips and Best Practices – Part 1: How to Follow People on Twitter to Build Your Business Network
- Twitter Tips and Best Practices – Part 3: Getting the Most Out of Twitter
About Manny Hernandez: Mr. Hernandez is widely recognized expert in social media and community building. A successful entrepreneur, he is the founder of estudiabetes.com and tudiabetes.com, and co-founder and president of a global nonprofit, Diabetes Hands Foundation.
Mr. Hernandez is the author of "Ning for Dummies" and contributing author of a soon-to-be-released book on Twitter called, "Twitter for Dummies."
You can follow Manny on Twitter at twitter.com/askmanny or visit his bilingual blog to get more tips on social media and online community building strategies.
