How to Tweet Like the Pros Even if You're New

We love to Tweet at Framingham Patch.

In fact, since we launched in Dec. 2010, we have tweeted more than 4,750 times.

We have 750 followers on Twitter at https://twitter.com/FraminghamPatch.

I know there are some tweeters in the 'ham, but we also know Tweeting is new to many of you. We’ve put together a list of tips from us and around the web to help you use the social media tool to expand your horizons. 

1. The first step in getting in to twitter is creating a handle (name). When you’re creating a twitter account for yourself you can use parts of you name. For example, if  was looking to get on twitter they could use a name like @Framparksrec or @FraminghamParks. They would want to avoid a name like @FPR because to people who aren't familiar with the town department wouldn't know what the abbreviation means.

2. Once you have a handle picked out the first step is connecting with people. About.com recommends connecting yourself to as many people as possible as soon as you join.

“Search for names you already know. Search on hashtags [more on hashtags later] such as #nonprofit #philanthropy for tweets on those topics. Follow the people and orgs that posted them. Whenever you find a blog or site you like, look for a Twitter button. Follow the people your favorite Twitterer is following, and then follow those who are following them, etc.”

For Framingham you can follow:

• FraminghamPatch (@FraminghamPatch ) 
• Framingham Library (@FramPub)
• State Rep. Chris Walsh (@RepChrisWalsh)
• MetroWest Chamber of Commerce (@MWCoC)
• Whole Foods in Framingham (@wfm_framingham)
• Framingham Education Foundation (@FramEdFound)
• Framingham History Center (@Framinghamhist)

3. The third and most important step is to START TWEETING! You can tweet about whatever you want, as long as you keep the length below 140 characters. For us, it’s all about connecting users with news in Framingham.

Other people use twitter to update about what their doing. On many personal accounts, twitterers will update about the test they just took, the promotion they just got, or the delicious lunch they just had.

4. Once you get tweeting you will notice that many people use hastags in their tweets. A hashtag is just the pound sign (#) followed by a word or phrase. We usually use the #Flyers, #Framingham or #Police. A hashtag allows users to have something searchable. When you tweet with a hashtag it will show up as link to all of the other tweets containing that hashtag.

5. The most important thing about twitter is to make sure your personality comes across; after all, it is a social network. When we tweet we try not to just tell you the headline of a story, we want to tell you why you care. You can use twitter to ask people questions you are curious about, take an informal poll or just tell people something.

If you’re still looking for help ask us any questions in the comments or better yet tweet @ us! Sometimes the best way to figure something out is by trying it first-hand.