Become a Twitter Power User to Enhance Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Become a Twitter Power User to Enhance Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career With the many benefits of Twitter, it’s no wonder so many people are using it as part of their personal branding strategy. Not only can you market yourself and your expertise, but also you can connect with others you may have never had an opportunity to meet to in real life. Although you probably already have an account (if you don’t, sign up for one at www.twitter.com), are you considered a “power user?” And, how do you do this? Share relevant information You should already have a good grasp on your personal brand before you try to become a power user on Twitter. This means your complete bio and profile information should be filled out with your full name, website and experience/interests/expertise in your bio. When it comes to tweeting, the best advice to grow your following is to give, give, give to your followers. Share articles, advice, and information of value to your audience and you will reap the benefits from helping others. Be yourself Twitter is great for business and professional purposes â€" but it’s also known for being a relaxed, social atmosphere. Share some personal aspects of your life. Engage in conversation with others about your interests. Ask questions you may have that others can help you with. Talk about a funny thing that happened to you during your day â€" overall, come off as a real person! Grow your network Use sites such as TweepML.org to find lists of people who you’d like to get to know or follow. Check out who your followers suggest on Follow Fridays (#ff). Look at your friend’s lists of users to find new people to connect with. Search for keywords related to your expertise or interests. Find Twitter chats that you can engage in and share your expertise with those people. Participate Contribute to the community of Twitter by participating in Twitter chats, answering questions and taking polls, and creating your own content. Retweet other’s links and advice that are relevant to your followers. Start a hashtag or a Twitter chat if you have something that’s not being covered currently. Use Twitter to promote others blogs or content just as much (if not more) than your own. Check out different Twitter resources, applications, and sites to enhance your presence: Stats: TweetStats Location: TwitterLocal Organization: TweetDeck Pictures: Twitpic For more advice on becoming a power user, read 47 Twitter Power Users Secrets here. What other advice would you add? Author: Heather R. Huhman is a career expert and founder president of Come Recommended, a career and workplace education and consulting firm specializing in young professionals. She is also the author of #ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle (2010), national entry-level careers columnist for Examiner.com and blogs about career advice at HeatherHuhman.com. Follow her on Twitter at @heatherhuhman.