How to Use Twitter to Promote Your Website

Twitter is a micro-blog social website where users can enter up to 140 character posts or "tweets" to let others know what the user is doing "right now". It is great for posting status updates, conversing with others and just saying what is on your mind. If you have a website, you can use this service to your advantage by letting others know what is going on with the site such as news updates, current promotions, deals, as well as what the site has to offer. Include information describing what your site is about and what you offer. Never just assume that because you have a website, that people will find it and visit.

There are many tools available to users to who are on the go and want to update their status. Web-enabled cell phones and mobile internet devices can use specialized programs to access the account on the go.

1. Sign up at Twitter.com (http://www.twitter.com). Once your account is created, you can customize your profile, picture, background and other bits of information you would like others to know about yourself. Be sure to include a like to your website in your profile.

2. Click in the status field and enter up to 140 characters to let your followers know what is new on your site. If you have a promotion on your site, describe it briefly, and then enter the link to your site. The link will be shortened using a built-in program that simplifies your links.

3. Search for other Twitter users. Users can "follow" another user's tweets by clicking on the "Follow" button. Just as you follow another user, other users can "follow" you. You will see how many followers you have and who you are following either by viewing individual profile icons on your page, or by clicking the links in the top right of your own page. You may also choose to unfollow a user or block users from following you.

4. Add a link to your website telling your users that you are on Twitter and that they can follow you if they use the service as well. Twitter provides widgets that you can customize and add to your site.

5. Follow other users who share your interests. This is a great way to build your own clientele list, as users who follow another user who is following you may see your tweets and decide to follow you and subsequently visit your site.

6. Do not SPAM your followers or they will quickly unfollow you. Only post relevant tweets about your site. Do not send a tweet every few hours talking about your site. Update your status when you have something new to share or need to generate an interest.

7. Look into other sites that link with Twitter. Include mobile applications so you can tweet on the go as well as other third party websites that include stats and information not found on the Twitter website. Socialtoo.com will inform you how many followers and unfollowers you have each day. Firefox has an add-on that will let you tweet from your browser.