The Redhead Riter - Witty, Intelligent & Addictive: blogging tips

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At the beginning of using anything new, no one is good at it and everyone makes mistakes. Maybe I can help you avoid tweeting boring things on Twitter that also make you look like a beginner. Plus, I want to share some fun stuff with you.

On June 1, 2009 my blog post started with: "Late last night (I can't say what time or my family will think I've lost my mind), I finely started a Twitter account."

By October 19, 2009 I had 915 followers even though I mainly tweeted contests and giveaways that I entered. Actually, I was a very boring and ignorant Twitterer when I first started tweeting.

I don't have my first tweet, but I've been able to find some of my oldest tweets and I have been rolling my eyes at myself. Obviously, I didn't know how to tweet!

There is a point to showing you this, so try to bear with me.

The first is a comment I made on a blog...

I didn't tweet much in the beginning. I mostly just had tweets for giveaway entries and I actually did win quite a bit of stuff. Most of the things I won I gave to my daughter either to use or to put in her hope chest for her future.

https://twitter.com/#!/TheRedheadRiter/status/15655165089

https://twitter.com/#!/TheRedheadRiter/status/2660119365
https://twitter.com/#!/TheRedheadRiter/status/2746623856
https://twitter.com/#!/TheRedheadRiter/status/2834616418

Could these three tweets be much more boring?

https://twitter.com/#!/TheRedheadRiter/status/2834469757
http://twitter.com/TheRedheadRiter/status/2909985021
https://twitter.com/#!/theredheadriter/status/3573253075

https://twitter.com/#!/TheRedheadRiter/status/4768296990

https://twitter.com/#!/TheRedheadRiter/status/6136992588
https://twitter.com/#!/TheRedheadRiter/status/6137008333

https://twitter.com/#!/TheRedheadRiter/status/6293622040
https://twitter.com/#!/TheRedheadRiter/status/6338501258

https://twitter.com/#!/TheRedheadRiter/status/6387719639

https://twitter.com/#!/TheRedheadRiter/status/6403352496
https://twitter.com/#!/TheRedheadRiter/status/6490403191

https://twitter.com/#!/TheRedheadRiter/status/13666347091234816
https://twitter.com/#!/TheRedheadRiter/status/6604766315

I didn't win any of those giveaways, but they were teaching me a little bit about Twitter. As time passed, I learned how to create more interesting tweets and I also started using Hootsuite so that I could program tweets as well.

Eventually I found the TweetGrader site. It has all the Twitter users ranked so that you know where you fall in the millions of people that tweet. Right now my "grade" as a Twitter user is that I rank at 24,813 out of 9,938,660 users.

Not bad!

The site also ranks users by location. My location is Richmond, Virginia, USA. My first goal was to actually get on the top 100 and then my goal was to be above NBC12. It took a long time before I moved past the television station, but I was totally pumped when I did.

My next goal was to get past the playboy bunnies for obvious reasons followed by the GOP Leader. Who wouldn't want to pass a politician!

So now I am number 13 and my next goal is to be number 2. I don't win anything. My name isn't written across the sky. It's just something to keep me motivated and it means that my social media influence is growing.

http://tweet.grader.com/location/?Location=Richmond%2C+VA%2C+United+States

On February 18, 2012, I tweeted my 66,000th tweet. That is a mind boggling number of tweets even to me because I am a rather quiet person most of the time. That many tweets makes me sound like a yapaholic! Without even planning it, this was my 66,000th tweet...

Yep! It was the Twitter art I had created that says, "REDHEAD" in big letters and then in letters that are in small circles it says,"THE REDHEAD RITER". I immediately grabbed a copy of the screen because I couldn't believe that was my 66,000th tweet!

If you want to see it actually on Twitter, here is the link to my 66,000th tweet:

►► https://twitter.com/#!/TheRedheadRiter/status/171087475446530048 #sweet

Twitter is a totally different experience for me now and my tweets are actually more like conversations. I've also developed relationships/friendships with many people while learning Twitter etiquette.

To show you that I'm more interesting on Twitter than I was in 2009, this is how my tweets look now...

I tweet ascii pictures...

I sing songs and tweet the real artist's video...

I share interesting information...

I create my own quotes...

I thank people who send things to me...

I thank people for retweeting my posts and I use my Twitter man, Humphrey, to spice up my tweets...

I tweet merchandise that I like...

I retweet other people's blog posts...

I tweet famous people's quotes...

I have learned short abbreviations to thank people...

I tweet and retweet beautiful photos...

I express myself...

I tweet fun facts...

I thank people for following me and reading my blog...

I advertise blog posts by attaching them to Twitter art pictures...

I participate in Follow Friday #FF where I shout out my friends. Since my list is long, it takes many, many tweets throughout the day...

As you can tell, my Twitter thread is dramatically different than it was when I first started tweeting years ago. Being active on Twitter has given me many opportunities to increase exposure to my blog and to strengthen friendships. It has definitely been worth the time and effort I have put into it.

If you have a blog or a business, you should be on Twitter working it every day. It won't even feel like work. If you're not following me yet, jump on over to Twitter and follow me! I followback! If you are already on Twitter, great! I'll be looking for you, so just give me a holler!

Why Use Google+

In a nutshell, Google+ is about sharing subject specific ideas and content. Google+ doesn't really compete with Twitter or Facebook. Think of it like this:

Twitter provides information in all areas.

Facebook provides a social atmosphere where you are more likely to see photos about graduations, familyl reunions, weddings and vacations.

Google+ is a network designed to help people with like interests connect and share.

Another major difference in Google+ is that you can group people in "circles" instead of having them all put into one category like Facebook Friends or Twitter Followers. When you post content, you can send it to different circles or all the circles and the public timeline. It definitely gives you more control.

How To Set Up A Google+ Account

I can not possibly tell you everything about Google+ in one post, so today I'm going to show you how to set up your own account and give you a few pointers.

First, go to http://www.google.com/ and in the far, top left-hand corner, click YOU+.

If you do not have a Google account, click CREATE AN ACCOUNT.

Fill out the form with all pertinent information.

After you have added all the information, make sure you CLICK both boxes, then click NEXT STEP.

You have now created a Gmail account.

Click CONTINUE TO GOOGLE+.

Now it is time to create an avatar, so click ADD YOUR PHOTO.

You have options to choose from where you get your photo, but I chose to upload one from my computer by clicking SELECT A PHOTO FROM YOUR COMPUTER.

After adding your photo, click UPGRADE.

If you want to import people from your email, you may do so now.

I didn't want to, so I clicked SKIP.

Obviously, Google thought I didn't have enough friends, but I clicked CONTINUE ANYWAY without adding more friends right now.

Google+ was determined that I had friends, but I clicked CONTINUE.

There was one person that BellaTheRedDog wanted to connect with on Google+. To find the person, all you have to do is type their name in the search box and hit the magnifying glass.

Well look who popped up!

Next, determine which circle you would like to put that person.

In this case, BellaTheRedDog chose FAMILY

Another box will pop up and you just need to click OKAY, GOT IT!

The Redhead Riter now appears in the family circle of BellaTheRedDog.

Click CONTINUE.

I didn't want to add any famous people, so I clicked CONTINUE

Google+ still thought BellaTheRedDog was too lonely, but I clicked CONTINUE ANYWAY.

Next, you can add more information to your profile and then click FINISH.

You will be taken to your STREAM which is like your "wall" in Facebook.

In the box that says, "Share what's new..." type something. For this test, I typed "I'm here."

I also want to add a photo.

See the green camera icon?

CLICK the green camera icon.

Another box will appear.

Click ADD PHOTOS

Search through all the photos on your computer. When you find one you want to use, CLICK THE PHOTO and CLICK OPEN.

The photo will now appear in the new post in your stream, but with whom do you want to share it?

Click ADD CIRCLES OR PEOPLE YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH...

Another box will pop up and you may choose the group with whom to share the photo.

After all the people you desire to add have been added, click SHARE.

The update to your stream has been completed!!

Your stream is found on the HOME page.

The PHOTOS will show you photos of your friends and your own pages.

Your PROFILE can be edited and updated at any time quite simply.

The CIRCLES page allows you to DRAG people into circles and keep track of them in different categories. For instance, you could have circles such as: Family, Co-workers, Twitter friends, Clients, Patients, Neighbors, etc....

In the left sidebar, a running tally of who you follow and who follows you will appear.

When you are ready to sign out, click the little tiny avatar picture in the far right, top menu bar. Another box will appear and give you the SIGN OUT option.

That wasn't hard was it?

Well guess what?

You need to be on Google+ so you might as well make the plunge and just do it now while the directions are fresh on your mind. I will also be having a more tutorials to help you learn the nuances of Google+.

I have Google+ already.

See it below?

My name in Google+ is The Redhead Riter...Shocking isn't it? (wink)