Use Twitter to Find Work, Make Contacts and Develop Your Reputation: 12 Twitter Tips

Twitter can be a useful source of work, providing you use it wisely. Keep in mind that Twitter is a social network. You may find work through Twitter, but only if you can make friends first!

Twitter is not a job board, or your personal marketing platform. Spam Twitter at your peril!

The following tips should give you a good start with Twitter:

#1: Complete Your Profile

Who are you? Because your Twitter stream will reveal little of coherence to the casual observer, it's crucial that your profile is full and informative. Reveal your profession, your passion, you!

#2: Link to Your Website

Give curious profile viewers somewhere to go. If you don't have a website that you can link to, offer your LinkedIn profile, or something that reveals more about you, and (ideally) an easy way to contact you.

#3: Point People Towards Your Twitter Profile

If you have a website or a blog, mention that you're on Twitter. Publicise your Twitter profile on business cards, email signatures and CVs. This will help you find followers.

#4: Be Warm, Friendly and Professional

Every message you post to Twitter (these messages are also known as 'tweets') is permanent. You cannot retract your tweets. So make sure you believe, and are proud of, every post.

If you can't decide what's acceptable, ask yourself how you would feel if you were sat beside a potential employer, reading your Twitter stream. Would you be confident in that situation?

#5: Don't Moan, be Negative or Boast about Slacking

As above, consider the effect of your words on potential employers. Even swearing or bad spelling may dissuade people from employing you. Try to remove obstacles to employment - don't create them.

#6: Use Twitter to Converse

Twitter isn't just a method for broadcasting your news. Try replying to other users. This will encourage those users to respond to your tweets, which may put your name in front of their followers.

#7: Ask Questions

People like to be helpful, so if you have a tricky question or a challenging conundrum, put it to your Twitter followers.

#8: Answer Questions and Be Helpful

If you can be helpful to someone on Twitter, do. Because Twitter's conversations are public, people will see you being helpful. Good karma is easy to accumulate and it goes a long way.

#9: Re-Tweet Interesting or Useful Tweets

Passing on things that your followers find useful is another good way to be helpful and develop a reputation as an involved freelancer. If your followers re-tweet your messages then you can potentially reach thousands of related professionals.

#10: Share Interesting Discoveries

Don't hang on to the good stuff. Tell your network about the interesting things you discover.

#11: Use Twitter in Novel Ways

The cleverest way to use Twitter is in ways that nobody has thought of yet. Twitter is versatile, so feel free to bend it to fit your purpose.

#12: Be Real: Use Your Name as Your Twitter ID

Funny nicknames are great for friends and family, but they potentially distance you from serious employers. Nicknames can obscure the person behind the ID - and freelancers generally need to be known as human beings.

Twittering Your Own Way

There isn't really a right way to use Twitter. Everyone finds success in different ways. Observe what works for you and focus on your strengths. Have you got any other Twitter tips to share with us?

Leif Kendall is a freelance copywriter, "micro-storyteller", proud dad and avid Twitterer.
29th January 2009

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Image: Twitter me this 119/365 by SashaW