Associated Content Twitter Guide: AC Profiles to Follow

One of the first steps to becoming a successful contributor on Associated Content is the proper application of Social Networking. Sites such as Myspace and Facebook allow AC writers to reach an audience which is limited to their friend's list and anyone whom they share the content with from there. Twitter, on the other hand, has limitless potential for getting your articles exposure in the way of "retweets."

Anyone who is following you on Twitter has the option of retweeting your posts-think of them like status updates-to each and every one of their followers. The benefit of this is a massive increase in the amount of Twitter users who view your link or URL; if any of those second-hand followers also retweet your original post, the snowball effect just continues to garner you more page views and exposure.

Associated Content has numerous profiles on Twitter, which are also invaluable for keeping up-to-date with AC news, fellow contributor milestones, AC article trends, in addition to potentially increasing your article's views. When I first started to utilize Twitter's brand of Social Networking, I was overwhelmed at the task of finding AC profiles-to this date, I haven't found a handy guide of who-is-who, and which profiles are officially authorized or maintained by the AC staff.

At the bottom of your article, AC has provided a handy "share" toolbar. The first icon, the aqua T, is Twitter; clicking this button opens another window, complete with a shortened URL to your article. Twitter, like most websites, has a cap on the length of posts-140 characters, to be exact. This makes the built-in URL shortening incredibly convenient, although sites such as TinyURL allow for a similar effect.

One method for potentially nabbing a retweet by an official AC profile is to "reply" or "reply at" them. For example, here was one of my tweets (Twitter's slang for updates) which I was privileged to receive a retweet of: "@EntertainmentAC LOST Series Finale Marks "The End" of More Than Just the Show @ http://look.ac/cSBOib #LOST"

My tweet included the "reply at" @EntertainmentAC, which notifies the people who maintain that AC profile that I have posted an article link relevant to the Arts & Entertainment category; most of the AC Twitter profiles are connected to a specific AC category or theme, so please keep that in mind when tweeting at them specifically. The tweet also included my article title and link, which was provided by the quick share featured offered by AC which I described above. Finally, I added the "trend" #LOST to hopefully snag the attention of anyone searching for that trend at the time.

Words or phrases with a # symbol are Twitter "trends." Think of them as popular search keywords or phrases, and try to include one or two of them in your tweets when possible; these provide a quick and easy way for non-Followers to stumble upon your relevant link. In addition, trends such as #FollowFriday (or #FF) are a way for Twitter users to jump on the same bandwagon and go looking for other users who want more Followers. Two trends to keep in mind are #AC and #ACArticles, both often used by AC Contributors.

I have been fortunate enough to gain over 5,000 page views on numerous occasions thanks in part to the generous retweeting by various AC Twitter profiles. It is a fantastic and highly encouraging feature unlike any other writing company I have encountered to date.

Here is a list of some of the current AC-oriented Twitter profiles; please keep in mind that while it is unlikely these will change, it is possible, and more AC profiles may be added over time. Twitter offers a "Find People" search, and entering "Associated Content" or even "AC" (which will result in many unrelated results) will help ensure you find the Associated Content Twitter profile(s) you seek.

Please keep in mind that some of these may not be officially authorized by Associated Content, as I have found no way to confirm such through either the Associated Content website or the Twitter profiles, but I recommend them none-the-less due to their high volume of activity and retweet potential:

1.) @ACNews and @ACNewsFeed - I highly recommend following both of these AC Profiles, as I have seen more retweets and unsolicited article postings from them than any other AC profile. In addition, @ACNews recently hosted a Friday night Scavenger Hunt, with the five winners receiving $10 articles.

2.) @EntertainmentAC, @AC_Movies, and @AC_Video_Games - A wonderful trio for anyone who writes in the Arts & Entertainment list of topics, which include books, music, and humor, or the Video Games and Television individual categories.

3.) @AC_Lifestyle and the sub-categories @AC_Weddings, @AC_GreenLiving, @AC_Parenting - While the Lifestyle category on Associated Content includes the topics of Weddings, Green, and Parenting, each of these highly popular categories as a unique Twitter profile. The main profile, @AC_Lifestyle, often features retweets of articles from any topic within the category, especially Shopping & Fashion articles.

4.) @AC_Technology, @AC_Travel, @AC_Business, @AC_Home_Improvement, @BestofACHealth and @AC_Sports - Six individual AC categories which have their own AC Twitter profiles, even if topics within the categories have an additional profile worth following (such as @AC_Video_Games).

Sources:

Twitter, "Official Website"