I joined Twitter, way back in 2009. Silly me, I thought I was too busy figuring out the growing and giving birth to babies thing to try and figure out Twitter before that.
I got to the party and felt like I was on Mars. It was completely foreign to me. Facebook, I got. Facebook was, you know, a way to check in on old friends, see how fat they got and who was married, having babies and getting divorced.
Take me to an in real life party and I’m the one saying hi and giving kisses. Twitter was foreign to me; 140 characters out into the abyss. I didn’t know anyone. I got to Twitter and I tweeted a couple tweets and it was like throwing a pebble into a cave. I got nothing.
Of course, I had no followers and I followed Oprah. That. Was. It! I know now that I should have been following other moms because we could have all helped one another survive the early years with our sanity somewhat in tact.
- Open a Twitter account. Choose your @name carefully; this is what people of Twitter will know you by. If you have a blog, I suggest using your blog name or pen name. Mine is @TruthfulMommy. Choose a name that makes it easy for your blog followers to find you on Twitter.
- Don’t put your actual address on Twitter. Unless you like to have stalkers and find dead squirrels in your pots; then go for it.
- Upload a photo of yourself. An “EGG” (universal code for I am a serial killer) is unacceptable.
- Say something. Don’t be shy.
- Do NOT constantly tweet at one particular person.
- NEVER use AUTO DMS!
- Use DM if nature of tweet is private. If you have something personal or sensitive to say to someone, DM them. DO NOT tweet it.
- Don’t over tweet your posts or keep saying the same thing over and over again. You will bore people and they will leave.
- Don’t get all crazy if someone doesn’t tweet back. Some people have huge threads and can’t possibly read every tweet and some people walk away from the computer and forget that Twitter is still logged into. I don’t ignore anyone but I do occasionally have to wipe butts, make lunches and kiss booboos; not ever in that order.
- Don’t be a numbers whore. It’s about quality of Twitter relationships not quantity.
- Be yourself and have fun. Don’t be a Twitter snob. If you’re not there to make friends or network, to engage, then you should probably stay away from the Twitter party.
If you do follow me, say hi @TruthfulMommy on Twitter so I know you are there. I’m serious when I say that Twitter can be a mommy’s best friend. Just think how much more fun late night feedings would have been if you could have tweeted with all the other mommies up breastfeeding. It sure would have helped me to stay awake.
Are you on Twitter? If so say hi!
Photo Source: Danilo Ramos
