Diane Gottsman | Leading Etiquette Expert | Modern Manners Authority

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You Are Who You Tweet: Twitter Tips and Etiquette, Part One

07 Oct 2011 By: Diane Gottsman

I had plans to blog about Facebook etiquette today, but sometimes life throws you a curve ball. In a not so “mannerly” way, my Twitter account was hacked yesterday. Thus the change in plans and the reason for today’s blog post. I will share some Twitter Tips and Etiquette  to remind you that you are who you Tweet.

My Twitter tips and etiquette will be posted in three parts over the coming weeks:


You Are Who You Tweet
You Are What You Tweet
Twitter Etiquette Tips

 

You are Who You Tweet

Just as you are judged by the company you keep in your daily life, the virtual company you keep online is also a reflection of you. Here are a few Twitter etiquette tips to keep in mind as you’re forming relationships on Twitter.

Twitter Tip #1: Log in to your Twitter account today and change your password to something that includes both upper and lowercase letters, numbers AND symbols. It’s not quite as easy to remember, but you’ll have a bit more assurance that you’ll be protected from your own account being hacked.

Twitter Tip #2: A picture is worth a thousand words. A profile picture, that is. Provocative poses or other photos that are in poor taste may indicate the kind of tweets this person has to share with you. A friendly and professional-looking photo may be a good indication of positive tweets, but don’t stop there.

Twitter Tip #3:  A bio speaks volumes. You’d be surprised how much a person may reveal about himself/herself in just a few short bio sentences. Take the time to read his/her bio. Are there any red flags?

Twitter Tip #4 What message are his/her tweets sending? Do a quick scan of his/her tweets. Are they profanity-laden or hostile in tone? Use your good judgment.

Twitter Tip #5 Be courteous. Remember to thank your Twitter friends whenever they mention you in a tweet or retweet something you’ve said.

Twitter Tip #6 Create lists to keep up with your Twitter friends. You’ll notice that as your follower/following lists grow, it can become difficult to keep up with your tweet stream. Creating lists (house & home, dining, fashion, etc.) will help you keep up Twitter friends, since you can jump from one list to another.

Be sure to visit next week, when I’ll be sharing part two of the Twitter series, You Are What You Tweet. Until then, happy tweeting! @DianeGottsman

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Diane Gottsman

Diane Gottsman is a national etiquette expert and modern manners professional, sought out industry leader, television personality, accomplished speaker, Huffington Post blogger, author, and the owner of The Protocol School of Texas, a company specializing in executive leadership and etiquette training. Diane is routinely quoted in national and international media including The New York Times, The BBC, CNN, Bloomberg Business Week, Kiplinger, Huffington Post Canada, U.S. News and World Report, and Forbes. She is the resident etiquette expert for two popular morning talk shows, SA Living and Good Day Austin. She has been seen on The TODAY Show, HLN Headline News, WGN Chicago, and CBS Sunday Morning. Her clients range from university students to Fortune 500 companies and her workshops cover topics ranging from tattoos in the workplace to technology at the dinner table and the proper use of social media.