X-Equals – image, workflow, technology, business

Back in April of this year I created a Twitter account – but it didn’t come easily!

I had sat on the sidelines for a long time wondering what kind of real substance could come out of a service that only allows 140 characters per post. I even perused the Twitter FAQ more than few times still unsure what the heck it was – it’s just not an obvious sell for many who initially join in, or are considering.

Well … it’s only been 7 months or so and I must admit I am more than sold on Twitter’s ability to provide some key uses for me as a photographer and Lightroom geek:

1. market my work and blog
2. keep current on Lightroom tips and techniques
3. poll other Twitter users for advice
4. get great business news
5. gain insights on new hardware and software
6. learn how to build and maintain my blog

It’s strange to believe that all of this is possible with Twitter … but it most certainly is – and it doesn’t require a lot of additional effort which I think is the big misconception preventing many others from joining in on the conversation.

As a business owner myself, I don’t have time to waste on yet ANOTHER social platform … yet Twitter has been the easiest to integrate into my information flow and with less cognitive friction than most tools I use to make it through my day.

Aside from signing up for a Twitter account, which is the first step in all of this, here are some of the tools and tips I have used over the last 7 months to tame Twitter and make it a valuable photographer-centric content delivery system.

Twitter Best Practices

There are lots of resources out there that will help you become adept at using Twitter. I tend to focus on just a few because I am constrained by time.

TwiTip

Darren Rowse is the mastermind behind all things blogging and Twitter related so I tend to use his TwiTip site quite a bit as well as Pro Blogger.

You can also follow Darren on Twitter.

Online Resources for Getting Started

Here is a good list of articles and tools to get you going on the path to Twitter-dom.

• Twitterfeed - publish your blog directly to your feed
• TwiTip – if you only want to read one site, read this one
• The Misunderstood Uses of Twitter and Facebook: Are You a Friend, Follower or a Fool?
• 4 Constant Twitter Mistakes You Should Avoid
• 8 Ways that Twitter Can Grow Your Freelance Business
• TheLightroomLab – a must-follow for a solid Lightroom-centric Twitter feed

That does it for this round … get onboard, and when you do … look us up on Twitter under: xequals

|Brandon Oelling
x=photography+consulting – technology. leadership. commitment.

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