Twitter to the unknown can seem a little perplexing. With hashtags, abbreviated topics, trends and of course Justin Beiber.  So you’ve set up an account. You managed to whittle down your profile to less than 160 characters, you’ve got the perfect profile picture. You’re ready, braced to enter the world of Twitter and then ….. nothing.  That first Tweet can seem daunting. Do you say ‘Hello world?’ or write down what you had for lunch? Don’t worry, follow these tips and you’ll soon ease into it.

  • Work out what kind on ‘ Tweecher’ you are going to be. Feeling uncomfortable and awkward with all the Tweet and Twitter themed new words. Don’t worry, in a week you’ll be tweeching tweetspirational tweets! Are you interested in #edtech or #elearning, do you have an interest in #edreform or just love good old #edchat? Let people know you’re a teacher and what you love to do. Potential followers don’t want to follow robots.
  • Hash it up! Hashtags are a fantastic way to find out what the global community are saying about a certain topic. Got a great web resource for the classroom? Share it with the world! The hashtags not only let you see what people are saying, but they’re a great way for you to find people to follow. You can easily find inspiring and like-minded people this way.
  • Think of quality not quantity. It’s great to get followers on Twitter, but it’s the quality of your followers that makes the experience worthwhile. Remember, Twitter needn’t be all work and no play. Follow your favourite celebs, sports persons, comedians and if you really want to, follow Kim Kardashian! Remember the people you follow are the tweets that come up in your feed, so if someone is constantly harping on about their neighbours cat or being rude 40 times a day, just unfollow them!
  • If you like to blog, have a Tumblr page, have a fantastic facebook group or use any other social media – we’re loving Pinterest at the moment, then tweet links to it when you post new things. Not only will you direct more traffic your site/page but you’ll be able to go deeper than 140 characters. Watch your online profile grow!
  • Small is the new big. Handbags, cars and phones are all shrinking. 140 characters is where it’s at. If you want to be really clever (and optimisic!) make your tweets 100 characters to let others retweet you!
  • Don’t be too self promotional. Retweet (RT) if you loved something, mention others in your tweets and spark up conversations. Twitter really is fantastic for this! Share links, offer advice, answer questions, ask questions and join in on a debate. Just get stuck in. Think of it as a very r

Twitter is a bit like gardening. Once everything has been planted, you need to stay involved. Tweet at least a couple times a week, and watch your Twitter grow. The more you use it, the more rewarding it will be. Sounds hard work? After a week or so it will become second nature!

Here’s a few people that we really enjoy to follow – we’ve tried to keep this original and promote those who we feel really deserve some recognition! Not all of these have followers in the thousands, but that doesn’t detract away from the quality of their tweets!

@PrimaryBlogger

@Larryferlazzo

@learningfy

@dawnhallybone

@luc_germain

@WeAreTeachers

@digitalmaverick

@hamster_

@robdarrow

@stevedale

@TeachersPetUK

@losethechalk

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