First impressions are crucial!

When you follow someone, they will usually get an email telling them so, and many times, they will click the link in that email that goes to your profile and make a split-second decision about whether or not you’re interesting enough to follow.

That’s it: your one chance.

If your profile isn’t up to snuff, it’s unlikely they’ll ever return to it (unless they see someone else mention you). So you don’t want to waste this opportunity by showing off an empty profile.

What to put in your profile

To update your profile, log into Twitter and go to the “Settings” link:

You only have so much room in your bio section. It contains (limited) space for:

• Your name
• Your URL
• Your one-line bio
• Your location

Let’s go through them one at at time.

Your name

Just like when you chose your Twitter username, you might need to give this a little thought.

If you’ve settled on a personal account, it’s easy: just use your name (preferably your full name, because this makes it easier for people to find and recognize you).

If you’re promoting your blog’s brand, I still recommend using your name, but possibly also adding your blog name. For instance, for my DesignEnabler account, I’m using “Sarah, DesignEnabler” rather than “Sarah Lewis” or “DesignEnabler”. I’m doing that because people relate better to a person than to a brand.

Feel free to play with this one—there’s no penalty for changing it later.

Your URL

This is the easiest of the bunch because it’s just your blog’s address. The only thing to watch out for here is that you include the full address, meaning the http:// part as well as the domain name.

If you’re unsure, the easiest way to do this is to load your blog, select the address from the address bar, copy it, and paste it in the Twitter settings. Then just save and test it by clicking on it from your profile. If it goes to your blog, you got it right! (But testing is always a good idea—even experienced folks mess this up sometimes!)

Your one-line bio

Arguably the hardest one to get right (but don’t stress about it, because you can always change it!). You get 160 characters to make a compelling case for yourself.

Since you’ve already figured out who your Ideal Reader is, you’re definitely ahead of the average new Twitterer. You just need to decide (based on what you know about them) whether you want to make it funny, factual, or some combination.

You definitely want this section to communicate something about what a would-be follower can expect from you. If you tend to be humorous, use a little humor to give them a sense of what you’re like. You can also make this a “just the facts” overview that tells where you’re coming from and what you are interested in.

Above all, don’t be afraid to try something and then change it later if it’s not working for you!

Your location

You can make this a humorous abstraction if you like, or help people find you by keeping it simple and predictable. I’ve found that local people are more likely to follow me if I put in my actual city, state, and country, so that’s what I tend to do.

Your photo

You definitely want to have a memorable picture, since it’s used on many parts of the Twitter site, often without your name.

Just like the question of names and usernames, you’ll need to decide whether you want a personal photo or a logo for your image. The same questions apply, so hopefully it will be an easy decision.

One popular trend is to use an avatar created by an avatar-making service. If that fits with your brand, you can customize it to make it look like you (or anyone else, if another image better suits your brand!).

In any case, the most important thing with your image is that it’s recognizable (even at small sizes) and that you don’t change it all the time, so that people can get used to it and identify it with you.

Your design

In addition to your profile details and photo, you also have the option to use a profile background design of your choice. This is a good move, as it keeps you from looking just like everyone else.

You can use one of Twitter’s themes (in the “Design” section of the main “Settings” link), you can have a custom background created, you can use a free background, or you can create your own.

If you’re not immediately going to see a payoff from your Twittering, I’d recommend one of the last two options; they’re free, and you can always get a custom background created later.

What next?

Once you’ve lovingly crafted your Twitter profile, the next step is to post some updates. There will be lessons appearing in your tasklist on the topic, but if you’re eager to get started, you can browse through the “Twitter” section of this site’s “Learn More” area.

The main thing to remember is that your tweets should add value for your Ideal Reader. Do that, and you’ll find success on Twitter.

Note that the process varies by host and email set-up. If you need step-by-step instructions for another arrangement than the one shown in the video, leave a comment with specifics (your host and your email service/software) and I’ll see if I can create video variations.

Personal or blog-centric?

The first question you have to answer is whether you want to build your personal brand or the brand of your blog.

I’d recommend going with personal if:

• You are a consultant and your blog exists solely to promote your expertise
• You anticipate only ever having one blog
• You have a distinctive name or moniker (or can come up with one)

On the other hand, you might want to focus around your blog if:

• You have (or can easily imagine having) more than one blog with different Ideal Readers
• Your primary goal for your blog is something other than promoting your expertise (for instance, maybe you’re trying to sell a product or just share stories)

If you’d like feedback on which way to go, share your details in the comments and we’ll weigh in!

Be memorable

Regardless of whether you’re promoting a single blog or your personal brand, it’s a good idea to make your username as memorable and descriptive as possible. If you happen to have a memorable name already (either personally or for your blog), you can use that. Otherwise, you might need to brainstorm a little.

Ideally, your username should communicate at a glance that you’re relevant to your Ideal Reader. Remember, they may just see it fly by in someone else’s tweet, and it could be completely out of context, so the goal is that it would catch their eye and pique their interest enough to click on it and see what else you have to say.

When people come across your profile (however they find you), your username is one of the primary clues they have about whether you’re interesting to them. A descriptive username instantly tells the visitor what you’re about. It helps them know what to expect and can make the difference between “reading on” and “moving on.”

For instance, consider these usernames. They’re all tax professionals who are using Twitter:

• taxgirl
• HRBlock
• philiphodgen
• musiclee
• TaxGeek
• davidatschmoozi

I can’t say for sure who each of their Ideal Readers are (or even that they’re all blogging… but presumably they’re on Twitter to attract some kind of attention). But if you were interested in learning more about taxes or getting a tax professional, which of those usernames would catch your eye?

For me, it would be taxgirl, TaxGeek, and HRBlock—the first two because of the word “tax,” and the last one because it’s a well-known brand name that I associate with tax preparation.

A few notes on usernames

First, Twitter differentiates between your name and your username.

Your username is shown at the top of your profile, front and center, and is also what people use when they respond to you directly in a tweet. It’s also part of your profile URL, as described at the top.

Your name, on the other hand, is shown on the right-hand side of your profile, along with your location, web address, and bio, among other details. It’s completely separate from your username, and can be changed easily with no consequences.

Speaking of changes and consequences, Twitter allows you to change your username, too. However, I don’t recommend changing your username unless you have an extremely good reason.

Why not? Because people get used to seeing your username, and when you change it, they might not realize it’s you. Additionally, all links to your old username will break, effectively cutting off people who come across them.

If you’ve just started your Twitter account, and you’ve realized based on this lesson that you could have a much better username, you can get away with changing yours if you don’t have many followers yet (say, less than 100). You’re better off doing it now than regretting not doing it down the road when you have 1000 followers and are basically locked in.

Find an available username

Once you’ve done a little brainstorming, go to Twitter and start the sign-up process. They have a handy instant-feedback form that will tell you quickly if the name you put in is available, or if someone’s already using it.

Use uppercase and lowercase to separate words when possible (for instance, TaxGeek is slightly more readable than taxgeek, and both are shorter and look nicer than tax_geek or tax-geek). Easy-to-spell is also a bonus.

If a version is taken that’s very close to what you want, consider going with something else—if your username is too close to another one, people will probably end up guessing and getting the wrong one by accident.

If you get stuck, leave a comment telling us about your blog and your Ideal Reader, and we’ll try to help out.

If you’ve considered Twitter before and that’s your reaction, suspend your skepticism for a little while—Twitter will help you get more traffic to your blog if you do it right, and you’ll probably enjoy the process.

What is Twitter?

Twitter is what’s known as a micro-blogging service. As you can guess from the name, it has some aspects in common with “regular” blogging, but it’s also a bit different. It also has a lot in common with instant messaging.

The basic idea of Twitter is that you create an account, log in, and answer the question, “What are you doing?” People who are interested in your answer to that question can “follow” you and receive your answer every time you post one.

This short video (less than two-and-a-half minutes) explains the concept a little further.

While the video emphasizes the value to friends and family members, Twitter is useful for creating and maintaining relationships with just about anyone… including your Ideal Reader!

What’s the point?

Twitter is kind of like blogging in that it’s just a tool to communicate.

It used to be when the topic of blogging came up, many people would say, “Blogging? Isn’t that just like keeping a diary? Isn’t that for 14-year-old girls?” Now enough people have read blogs that most of them understand that there are different kinds of blogs, including business blogs.

In the same way, you can fill your Twitter account with updates (called tweets) about your cat, what you ate for dinner, etc. or you can use it as another medium that offers value to your Ideal Reader and attracts them to your blog.

How Twitter can help your blog

If you’re looking for an easy, relatively low-effort way to find and connect with your Ideal Reader, Twitter fits the bill. It offers several unique features that make it worth using.

• It’s spam-protected and customizable. Because you choose the people you’ll follow, there’s essentially no spam. People can’t just send you messages out of the blue. You can also opt to see every tweet from some people (if your significant other is on Twitter, for instance!) while relying on serendipity to determine what other tweets you see.
  
• It’s not demanding. Every tweet is limited to 140 characters (a sentence or two, max). That makes it quick to read, and there’s also no expectation that you’ll read every tweet. Most Twitterers dip into the “stream” of tweets and read a few here or there; it’s not another obligation (like email) where someone will be offended if you don’t respond.
• It’s low-commitment. If you start following someone, and then realize after a few tweets that you’re really not interested in what they’re saying, you can un-follow them anonymously. When you follow someone, they get an email telling them so. When you un-follow someone, Twitter doesn’t mention it. That makes it risk-free to “try out” connections.

Beyond those “standard benefits,” Twitter is especially useful for bloggers:

• You can find the right people easily. Because Twitter is arranged as a network, with relationships between people, it’s easy to find those who are interested in what you have to say, and to essentially “jump in” to an existing group of people.
• Consider it an introduction service. People who might never find your blog otherwise will discover you through your Twitter conversations, and when they arrive at your blog, they’ll already expect to be interested.
• Tweets make excellent blogfodder. Whether you use Twitter to monitor your industry or conduct informal surveys (or both), it can help you out when you have blogger’s block.
• You can promote individual blog posts to a wider audience. It won’t work for every post you write, but when you’ve published an exceptional post, you can mention it in a tweet and you’ll get a traffic boost. If it’s really good content, you’ll probably even find that it gets re-tweeted, meaning that someone following you tells all the people following them about your post.

Getting started with Twitter

In the next few lessons, we’ll talk about how to choose a good Twitter username, set up a compelling profile that will drive clicks to your blog, and find people to follow without alienating them.

There will also be ongoing lessons/tasks that help you get (and stay) active on Twitter.

Right now, you can mark this task complete, and you’ll get the next lesson.

Think about it: do most people prefer essay questions or multiple-choice quizzes? A multiple-choice question is the ultimate easy question. Answering it requires almost no thought, so people will often reply to you very quickly.

You don’t have to go as easy as multiple-choice (though you can); just think of a question that’s interesting to your ideal reader (or use this to do quick research for a post you’re writing!) and throw it out there.

Here are some examples of easy questions.

Which web host do you use? Are you satisfied with its service? keshav

Just signed up on Zip.ca (Just like Netflix). Which movies do I add to my list? FGagnon

Bloggers: what’s the biggest blogging challenge you run into on a regular basis? Time? Coming up with new ideas? Technology? Something else? bookchiq

The problem is that visitors will rarely tell you if there’s something about your blog that they find difficult—they just won’t come back.

Possible problems

What kinds of things could be wrong with your blog? This is not a complete list, of course, but some things I often see that make blogs difficult to use:

• Fonts that are too small for the average middle-aged reader
• Weird bugs in certain browsers (not the one you use, of course!)
• Color combinations that are difficult to read
• Images that get run over by your text
• Links that aren’t obviously links

The difficulty is that most of these items will be difficult for you to spot on your own—some because you’re used to the way things are and kind of “blind” to how others might see it, and some because your computer set-up isn’t the same as all of your visitors.

Leverage your contacts

The cheapest way to find obvious problems is to ask your contacts to criticize your blog.

This can be a little ego-bruising (because they probably won’t limit criticism to the layout!) and it might be more or less effective depending on who you ask (your mom may have a hard time being objective), but it’s a quick and easy way to get some feedback.

Who you ask is up to you. If you are already using a tool like Twitter, you can post a message there asking for feedback. You can email your friends and family, and ideally, some folks who are your ideal readers.

How you ask is also important. It’s best to be specific about what kind of feedback you want.

You can say something as simple as, “I’m wondering what your first impression is, and if you can tell what my expertise is. Also, if you have any difficulty reading anything or something doesn’t work like it should, please let me know so I can fix it.”

This helps your helpers know what to look for, and makes it more likely they’ll respond. With a vague request, most people feel a little “out of their element” and might opt to not respond at all rather than potentially feel dumb.

Get a real user’s input

Your contacts will probably help a good deal, but there’s nothing like a fresh pair of objective eyes to help clarify any issues.

You can create a survey using a tool like SurveyGizmo, but honestly, most of your visitors will completely ignore it. The ones who actually take it are more likely to be web-savvy than your average visitor, so the results might overlook problems that the less-experienced folks struggle with.

I’ve received very good feedback using the services of UserTesting.com. It’s not free (right now, it’s $19 per “test”), but for the money you get a video with a real person talking you through their actions as they explore your blog. You can choose the experience level of your tester(s), and you wouldn’t believe the “aha” moments you can have while watching someone struggle with something you thought was obvious.

Again, it’s not free, so you might want to start with your contacts, make whatever improvements you can, and then “graduate” to user tests. It’s up to you, but anything you can do to make your blog easier to use will result in more readers over time.

If you don’t already have a Google Account, you should get one—it will come in very handy for future tasks (like using Google Analytics to track your blog visitors).

It’s easy to forget that you didn’t always know the things you know now. Fortunately for you, this knowledge can help you write popular blog posts.

Instructional posts are basically your standard “how-to” posts. It can be as simple as thinking of something you know that your ideal reader would like to know, and writing a post that explains it. The result is a post that’s helpful to both your existing readers, and to people who will search for the answer in the future.

Using good formatting helps make your instructional post readable. Consider making lists and using bold formatting to draw attention to the most important parts, and help readers quickly assess the content.

Some examples of instructional posts (from a wide variety of topics!):

1. How-To: Prevent Greasy Bangs
2. How to Extract Quotes from the News
3. Citizenship 101: How to Contact Your Representatives in Congress

In blogging, like any other aspect of life, trying to please everyone usually results in pleasing no one. Not only will keeping your ideal reader in mind help you avoid straying too far from your goals, it also makes the actual process of writing easier.

Consider how much more quickly words flow when you’re writing an email to a friend versus creating a formal business presentation. When you have a specific recipient in mind, you have a much easier time communicating your ideas.

Picking just one “ideal reader” is easier said than done, though!

Ask any business who their target customer is and you’re likely to get a general category in response: small-to-medium-sized businesses; people who want to improve their health; growing companies who need accounting support but can’t afford an accounting employee. You’ll often encounter that truly optimistic soul who says, “Everyone needs my product!”

Along the same lines, if you ask most bloggers who their ideal reader is, you’ll hear more broad terms: people who want to lose weight; progressive liberals; frugal moms.

These categories are a start, but I prefer something I’ve found much more practical in the day-to-day work of blogging: think of one person—your ideal reader, not readers.

A local radio station does this. Their “ideal listener” is a made-up, but extremely detailed, woman named Jane. If you ask any of the station’s employees, they can tell you how old Jane is, how many kids she has, what her hobbies are, and just about anything else that matters to her.

This might seem a little overkill, but imagine how much easier it makes music or programming decisions. Instead of trying to decide if the nebulous “listeners” would like a change, the question is just about one person (a person who is intentionally representative of “the listeners”). It becomes much easier to have a core focus and escape distractions.

When you use this concept as a blogger, your benefits are similar. When you’re evaluating a potential blog post topic, you can ask yourself, “Why would Sam (or Jane, or Harriett) care about this?”

It’s way too easy to justify off-topic posts by reasoning that they’ll be useful to someone. If you have to feel confident that they will be valuable to Sam, the result will be a blog that is a much better resource for the actual people you want as readers.

Having a specific ideal reader in mind also will help you in the writing process. As you get to know your ideal reader, you will start to write directly to that person and anticipate his (or her) questions. You’ll be able to frame your suggestions and observations in a way that resonates, and everyone who reads your blog will benefit from the specificity.

You might think that focusing on one person would exclude others and cut your readership down. I’ve found, though, that people are pretty good at abstracting specific concepts to fit their situations; they also just ignore what doesn’t fit for them.

How many times have you seen a specific resource, like a book written “for dummies”, described as “not just for beginners”? Good information, presented well, will be useful for a broad range of readers, and they can usually tell pretty quickly.

How to identify your ideal reader

Time to dig into the details. Get a notebook and pen, or use your computer and open up a text editor. Let’s go!

Start with generalities:

• Who is your target audience for your product or service? Does it make sense for your ideal reader to be the same?
• Thinking about your business goals for your blog, who is the target audience that is most likely to help you reach those goals? For instance, if one of your big goals is three leads a week, then your ideal reader is someone who is your ideal customer, but has increased motivation to take action now. If a big goal is to increase credibility and become known as an expert, your ideal reader might be a person who’s considered an expert among his or her peers and has a lot of connections and influence.
• What is your reader’s main motivation to visit your blog? In the first example above, the “ideal customer” is motivated to find a solution to a problem that’s currently causing discomfort or pain. On the other hand, the “connected expert” (in the second example) is more likely looking for interesting information that he can pass on to his circle to enhance their opinion of him and cement his good reputation.

Once you have some general ideas about your ideal reader, start to narrow it down and discover a single person that would read your blog. You might be able to use an existing customer or colleague as your model. Feel free to start writing a bit of a narrative rather than just answering each question individually.

• Is your reader male or female? How old?
• Is your reader tech-savvy?
• Where does your reader currently get the information he/she needs? For instance, talking with people, books, magazines, websites, etc.
• Why will this reader care about your blog?
• What’s significant about where your reader works, lives, shops, and or/plays?
• How knowledgeable is your reader about your topic?
• Is your reader reading for personal enrichment or professional development?
• Is your reader’s need for your knowledge urgent or curiosity-driven?

Now get really specific, beyond things that have a direct relationship with your blog. These details will help you think of your ideal reader as a specific, individual person. You might find it helpful to clip a photo from a magazine to represent your ideal reader. Having someone to look at can be surprisingly helpful.

• What is your reader’s name?
• Is your reader married? Are there kids? How many? What ages?
• Ethnicity? Hair and eye color? Height and weight?
• Is your reader’s work fulfilling?
• How is your reader’s free time spent?
• How does your reader dress during the week? On the weekends?

You get the idea. Just write and write until you feel like there’s an actual person. You may come up with a composite of people you’ve met, you might find a complete stranger, or you might discover that your ideal reader is someone you already know. It doesn’t matter, as long as you find someone to write to.