CREATING YOUR TWITTER ACCOUNT

Here is a step-by-step guide to creating your very own Twitter account: First of all, load up the Twitter website in your browser by going to http://www.Twitter.comClick on the “Join For Free” link to get started. I do suggest using your real name on Twitter if you are comfortable with doing that, or another name that represents your brand, website or blog so that people can easily identify who you are when they are scouting for new friends to follow.Once you have created your account you will be able to log into your user center immediately.

The first thing you should do is create your Twitter profile, which is visible by anyone who follows you, as well as the general public who locate you via the search box. To begin, click on the “Settings” link in the navigation bar on the top right corner of your Twitter account.On the profile page you see various options including “Account, Password, Devices, Notices, Picture and Design”.

To begin, click on the Account tab, which might have loaded on default when you clicked on settings a moment ago. If this is the case, once you see the account profile page you should take a few minutes go o over the various options and fill out your account information.This includes:Name: Once again, I suggest entering in your real name so that people can easily recognize who you are.Username: Whatever you choose here will become part of your unique Twitter link that directs people to your front page so they can choose to follow you or read your current updates. Example: http://www.Twitter.com/YOUR-USERNAMESince your username is part of your twitter link, choose carefully!Email Address: Enter in a valid email address. This will not be visible to your followers, however whenever Twitter receives a message for you via their online private message form, or if they have news and special announcements to make, these notices will be sent to this email address.Time Zone: Select the time zone applicable to your location. This is important if you want to read notices according to your actual time.More Info URL: This link will appear on your profile page so be sure to choose a valid URL that will direct people to your website or blog. In addition, this area provides a “do follow” link, meaning that it will count as a quality back-link to your website and help with Search Engine Optimization.Online Bio: Write a few lines that describe who you are and what you do. Your bio page is limited to only 160 characters, so be sure to be as direct as you can, describing your skills, your occupation or your website.Location: You can choose to leave this blank or enter in your country or city. Language: Choose your preferred language. Twitter offers the ability to translate the entire website in either English or Japanese at this time.The last option on the account page is whether or not you wish to protect your updates. If you select to keep your updates private, only people that you have manually approved will be able to follow your updates, and your posts will not appear in the public timeline, which is a general page showing recent twitter updates.If you plan to use Twitter to promote your websites, blog and general activity, you will want to leave this box un-checked.

The next tab on the top is marked “Password”. If you ever wish to update your password for security purposes, this Is where you would do it. For now, let’s click on “Devices” to customize that area of your Twitter account.Twitter MobileTwitter offers the ability to receive updates via your cell phone or through Instant Messenger such as gTalk. If you want to try this out, you will need to enter in your mobile telephone number into the first option box and save it to your account.You can use Twitter mobile regardless where you live, but you need to ensure that you add your country code with your direct number. Since each phone number has a specific country code depending where you are located, you will need to locate it prior to entering it into your account area.You can visit the following site for help locating your country code:http://www.consumer.att.com/global/english/country_codes.html

Once you have entered in your mobile number, you will need to confirm it before you can receive mobile updates. The verification code will be sent to your phone number, and you will need to enter it into the site before your phone is activated and permitted to receive these updates. This is done to ensure that you are the actual owner of the telephone number you enter into the system.You should also check with your service provider to determine what charges will be applied, if any, to your account for sending or receiving Twitter updates.
Tweet Via Instant MessageYou can also choose to receive messages via Instant messenger, although at this time Twitter only offers this option to users of Gtalk (Googles’ Instant Messenger System), Live Journal and Jabber.If you wish to add your Instant messenger to the list, you can do this from the “Devices” section of your Twitter account. For GTalk, you simply enter in your GTalk username.

Once you do this, a special code will appear on your twitter account page. You will need to log into your Gtalk account to verify this before you can receive tweets this way.

To sign up for Gtalk, visit: http://www.Google.com/talk
The download software for Gtalk is currently only available to PC users, however Mac subscribers can use the online chat gadget via the web based application, although the features are a bit limited.GTalk is also fully integrated with your gMail account, which means that whenever you log into your email account you can see who is online as well as instant message these users.The other two options for Instant Messaging via Twitter is via Live Journal and Jabber, both available below:http://www.LiveJournal.comhttp://www.Jabber.com

MORE INFORMATON AT: www.tweethandbook.com