Twitter has two main components. Just like other social networking sites, you can add “followers” and follow other people as well. They’ll receive your updates and you’ll receive theirs. However, your messages are limited to 140 characters, which is why some people call it a “micro-blogging” tool. You have to keep your messages brief and to the point.

I would like to share with you some practical ways to create an instant flow of new traffic to your blog or website as well as how to add brand new subscribers to your mailing list.

Here are some tips to begin receiving active traffic from Twitter…..

1. Establish your Twitter brand: Even though you want to be personable on Twitter, you still want to portray your status as an “authority” in your area of expertise. So, don’t use Twitter as an hourly diary of your life as some do. Mix your posts or “tweets” up with industry-relevant links in addition to your personal activities and opinions. And by all means get a custom graphic background designed that is nice looking and includes the web address of your website and blog.

2. Begin to follow people: All this means is that you sign up to receive their messages. If you follow them, they will most likely follow you. This is the most prevalent strategy being used to acquire followers. Be sure to thank people when they follow you either by @ reply or direct message.

You can use the search feature in Twitter (search.twitter.com) or you can search Google.com (keywords site:twitter.com) and find the people you want to follow – just put in the search terms you are looking for. If you want to find authors in Australia, go for it. If you want to find local people to network with, that’s fine, too. Just search.

Important note: When filling out your bio in your Twitter profile, be sure to include several relevant keywords so you can be found when people search for folks to follow.

3. Be interactive and social with replies. Make sure you ask and answer questions and give value to the community. You don’t have to say anything profound – just relevant. Post a reply. When you type in a regular message, people may reply to your post. You’ll see your user name with the symbol @ before it when someone replies to your message. You can respond to other people the same way. You simply type @ and then their user name directly after that (no spaces) and then your reply.

4. Ask questions and surveys: You can increase your relationship with your followers by asking questions. Ask people for advice, what they think of the latest news story or their opinion on a topic. Survey your followers regarding a hot topic or if they think your latest blog post is accurate.

5. Utilize direct messages: If you want to send a private message to someone that no one else can see, you can send a direct message. You’ll also receive messages from others and be notified via e-mail when someone direct messages you. Use a service like Tweetlater.com or Socialtoo.com to automatically thank new followers with a direct message. Don’t forget to include a link to your website or blog in the note.

6. Take advantage of retweets: A retweet is when a Twitter user copies a twitter message from another Twitter user in their network and shares it with their network, thereby mentioning the author of the original Twitter message (example – Retweet: @originalposter The 15 Best Tips http://tinyurl.com/56f – great tips). Retweets that contain value can impress your followers, help establish your brand, and build a relationship with the original poster.

7. Start “tweeting” right away. The best way to get followers is to say something – your tweets will come up in searches, so make sure you say things that reflect you well. Say things that are relevant and not just sending out sales pitches. Don’t be afraid to give a word of encouragement or a suggestion to someone. Remember to place keywords in your messages.

8. Build your list. When you place a link in a message, make sure your websites and blogs feature free offers. Obviously, you’ll make them subscribe to your mailing list in order to receive the offer. However, don’t send them to a squeeze page designed only to harvest email addresses. Send them to pages that contain valuable, interesting content.

9. Send links as a natural part of the conversation. If you chat with people, eventually they will ask what you do (or you can drop subtle hints) – then you can mention it. Again, only send them content links.

Use links properly. Don’t send a direct link to your product. Send a link to your blog or a general informational website. Don’t be so blatant about trying to get a sale.

For example, if a Twitter entrepreneur complains about not doing well with social networking, don’t send her a link to your ebook on Facebook; instead, send a link to your blog post that discusses social networking ideas (that can include your link to the ebook). You will get a much more favorable reception.

10. Getting traffic to your blog posts: With a simple post to Twitter, you can have lots of readers come to your blog. Even though blog feeds do the same thing, you can often find new readers on Twitter or remind current readers to re-visit your blog or a specific article.

11. Be useful and helpful. Not every tweet has to be about “you”. Take time to tweet about others and be a helpful part of the community.

12. Listen to your followers. Try to help them out. You can get great feedback using tweets. You can get ideas for info products and affiliate products from the feedback you receive from your followers.

13. Don’t send message spam: Let me repeat: Do NOT send spammy messages! If all you do is send out tweets that scream, “Buy from me! Buy from me!” you will quickly lose followers. Just don’t do it!

14. Final tips: Don’t post the same link more than once. If people are really interested in your blog and your links, they’ll visit it the first time you post it. You don’t need to post your link multiple times. Don’t tweet about every single thing you do. (Like “going to the store” – do people really care?) Don’t send direct affiliate links. Don’t toot your own horn all of the time. Let people hear from you, but don’t be too chatty.

Please don’t get discouraged. Learning Twitter is just like anything else – it takes time. Soon you will be twittering and tweeting with the best of them. Just jump in, take action and enjoy the traffic.

...Please Tweet This Post & Also Follow Us On Twitter.com 

Of all the successful blogs on the Internet, hundreds more have failed. Running a blog is like running a business website. Unless you are willing to put the time in and treat it seriously, you won’t be blogging long.

That is not to say that the failed bloggers weren’t serious about blogging. Mostly, new bloggers aren’t prepared for the work that goes into creating a successful blog. Just building the blog doesn’t mean that people will necessary come to you. You pursue the audience and give them a reason to see what you have to say.

1. Fresh Content – no one wants to visit a blog day after day and see the same posts. Update your blog content at least twice a week. This will be easier if you write several posts ahead of time and upload them at the appropriate times.

2. Article Marketing – the niche you’ve chosen for your blog is one that interests you. If it is interesting you will spend more time doing it. Create content not only for your blog but also to be submitted to article directories. Use the resource box to advertise your blog so people can find you.

3. Social Networking – these sites are everywhere. Join Facebook, MySpace, Squidoo, Twitter or a dozen others and make connections. You can join groups of likeminded people who are also bloggers or entrepreneurs.

4. Viral Marketing – this is where you spread the word about your blog. Talk to friends, family and even strangers. Give out business cards that have your blog address on them.

5. Use RSS Feeds – RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication.” Readers can subscribe to your feed and get email updates when new content is posted. It is an easy way for them to keep up with your blog without spending all day online.

6. Submit Blog to Search Engines – doing this allows your blog to be ranked. Google and Yahoo! are two of the most popular search engines you want to crawl your blog pages. It doesn’t guarantee top ranking, though. You’ll have to do a little more work for that.

7. Joining Forums – as a blogger you are a budding entrepreneur. Right now you are marketing yourself to find traffic and then profit. Become a member of business forums, work at home forums and others to meet new people and share ideas. You can add a link to your blog in the signature line so others can find you.

8. Visit other blogs – show your appreciation to those who visit you by also posting comments on their blogs. It is a kindness that shows others you are not just out to advertise your blog alone. Add links to your blog in your comments.

9. SEO Marketing – whatever you write, use relevant keywords. Keyword density between three and ten percent is good for getting higher page rankings in search engines. Base your keywords on a research you do to find the most popular words used in search engines for your niche.

10. Social Bookmarking – submitting posts to social bookmarking sites allows others who are members of those sites to track you back to your blog.

Using any of these ideas will start the blog traffic moving in your direction. It takes time through internet and social marketing, but you will build the readership you want.

...Please Tweet This Post & Also Follow Us On Twitter.com 

...Please Tweet This Post & Also Follow Us On Twitter.com