Over the past couple of days you may have been shocked to find that you had lost tens, if not hundreds of your followers. At first glance that can be a bit disconcerting. Did i say something that people didn’t like? Was I being too controversial? Do I smell?

Not to worry, it seems that Twitter is in the minddle of doing some housecleaning, and has removed hundreds of spam accounts. Sure it stinks to lose all those followers, but you don’t really want them following you anyway, do you?

From timscullin.com

Seems Twitter has run a spam purge.

What’s that?

You know how sometimes while searching through twitter accounts you’ll see “This Twitter account has been suspended due to strange activity”. It’s actually just a nice way of saying “This is a suspected spammer”, not “They were saying some weird stuff and we got worried”.

The typical process is for the account to be suspended without question for 7 days. After that the account holder can email twitter support and have their account unsuspended if they agree to follow the twitter rules. However if the account holder doesn’t email the account remains suspended. After a while these need to be deleted. This follower drop seems to be Twitter purging these inactive ”strange” accounts.

So yes you may have lost a few followers, but don’t fret. Asides from making your follower ratio look better they weren’t doing much. At least now you wont be spammed by them should the holder decide to revive their suspended accounts.

Each week, I’ll try to interview one of the biggies on Twitter … the Twitter Elite. This week’s interview is with @wbaustin or Bill Austin:

Name Bill Austin
Location Phoenix, Arizona
Web http://www.azhttp.com/
Bio Bill Austin Ramblings and News from Phoenix Arizona. SEO SEM Internet Marketing Social Media Advertising Public Relations Strategy Search Engine Optimization.

When this interview was posted, @wbaustin had over 89,000 followers.

How long have you been on Twitter?

A little bit over two years. I joined on March 1, 2007, the day that Robert Scoble told a crowd in Arizona that Twitter was the next big thing.

Article and picture here:
http://quotes.wordpress.com/2007/03/02/robert-scoble/

How did you find out about it?

Robert Scoble told the “Revolution in Marketing Conference” in Phoenix Arizona that Twitter was the next big thing.

What Twitter client do you use? And why do you like it?

I use the web client and http://search.twitter.com/ most of the time but I have installed tweet deck on a couple of our computers and use it from time to time.

I am less productive in Tweet Deck than most people appear to be and way less productive than in the web interface but that could just be me. I’m the guy who was still using command line DOS and UNIX for everything when Windows 95 was released.

What do you use Twitter for mostly?

I tweet about news, quotes, jokes, recipes, politics, startups, clients, other work related things and my non-profit activities. I use the search function to keep up on what is happening and what is hot. I use DM a lot when it is working to conduct private conversations with individuals and use Skype and the telephone for that when DM is broken (The better part of each day.)

What do you attribute to your large number of followers?

I used to run some of the largest topical mailing lists in the world. Out of the 2,000,000 e-mail addresses on those lists, I have invited a small percentage to join twitter and have followed those who are already using twitter. I may never get around to cleaning up those lists, uploading and inviting all of those people but if they really want to follow me, they are welcome to do so. I believe that people continue to follow me because of the diversity of what I tweet. There is something for everyone and although they could do without the Swine Flu Jokes, they want to be sure to catch the next Slow Cooker Recipe or the next event announcement happening in their neighborhood. Once or twice per week, someone will send me a note about the volume and that they have to stop following me but the majority seem to be fine with what I am doing.

What tip(s) would you give others for Twitter success?

Get on Twitter. Get your profile filled out and personalized. Engage other people in conversations that are helpful and interesting TO THEM.

Would you ever pay for additional services from Twitter? If so, what services?

I might or might not, depending on the value of those services to me. I have not yet found a compelling reason to pay for LinkedIn. The upgraded or additional services would need to have a high perceived and actual value.

In 140 characters or less, what has Twitter meant for you personally?

Twitter is the second most fun thing you can do with your clothes on. @evliving says dancing is the most fun you can have with clothes on.

Thank you, @wbaustin! You can follow @wbaustin at:
http://www.twitter.com/wbaustin

Please tell him @TweeterTips sent you!

Each week, I’ll try to interview one of the biggies on Twitter … the Twitter Elite. This week’s interview is with @nansen or Nansen Malin:

Name: Nansen Malin
Location: Seaview WA
Web: http://www.seaviewwa.com/
Bio: Passionate about politics, technology, beach life, salmon &creating change.  Alinsky grad who does conservative politics. Mom of 4.  Member WA GOP State Exec Board.

At the time of this interview @nansen had over 86,000 followers.

How long have you been on Twitter?

@nansen: Since April 14, 2008.

How did you find out about it?

@nansen: Social Networking blog sites.

What Twitter client do you use? And why do you like it?

@nansen: I LOVE TweetDeck and for iphone I use Twittelator Pro. I love TweetDeck because:
1. Ease of reply and direct message.
2. Ease of inserting hashtags, shortening a tweet, twitpic, and link insert.
3. The search columns… up to 10 of them… very very helpful.

What do you use Twitter for mostly?

@nansen: Conversations, grassroots political activism and even recipes!

What do you attribute to your large number of followers?

@nansen: I have a good profile page, a unique photo (yes that is my hair color) and I help new twitter people. Word spreads. I am honored to be recommended as a good person to follow. I follow people back too!

What tip(s) would you give others for Twitter success?

@nansen: Keep it real. Twitter is about relationships and conversations. Don’t lecture, ask questions and follow hashtags for like-minded people, special interest groups and topics of interest.

Would you ever pay for additional services from Twitter? If so, what services?

@nansen: I would. I value the platform and would like to be able to support their efforts. I would like some help with bugs, spam, and tech glitches too.

In 140 characters or less, what has Twitter meant for you personally?

@nansen:twttr is source of friends,conversations,information,grassrootspolitics,&action.Twttr has expanded my influence &taught me valuable lessons

Thank you, @nansen! You can follow @nansen at:
http://www.twitter.com/nansen

Please tell her @TweeterTips sent you!

Since it’s launch Twitter.com has been a free service, something that users can enjoy free of charge, without a ton of advertising or other commercial clutter in it’s interface.  With Twitter’s growing popularity all knew that they would have to make money at some point.  Nothing’s free forever!

This past week Twitter has made it’s first foray into becoming a commercial venture, making its first real money – courtesy of Microsoft.  Microsoft is sponsoring a new stand alone twitter site where they’ll be featuring only executives who twitter.  It’s called Exectweet.com

Exec Tweets about page has this to say:

ExecTweets is a resource to help you find and follow the top business executives on Twitter. Created by Federated Media, in partnership with Microsoft, ExecTweets is a platform that aggregates the tweets of top business execs and empowers the community to surface the most insightful, business-related tweets.

Exec Tweet looks nice on the surface, and incorporates the Microsoft branding efforts without being too in your face. While it looks nice, I’m not sure how successful it will be because people who might be interested in reading the tweets of executives who use twitter, probably are already following them anyway, using a nice filtering tool like Tweet Deck.  What this page adds the the equation I’m not quite sure.

What’s Next?

While this may be the first foray into Twitter’s money making ventures, it certainly won’t be the last.  What’s up next?   My guess?  Ads underneath your profile information on your homepage. Like where the blurb for “tweetie” appears below:

Other Monetization Ideas:

• Fill empty characters in tweets with text ads.
• Sponsored search results.
• Regular CPM and CPA advertising.
• Premium accounts for business partners.

What other ways do you think Twitter will use to try and monetize their service?  Let us know in the comments!

When you start using Twitter you may not always have an idea about what types of things people are looking for in a good twitter user.  How can you add value to the twitterspace?

If you’re not careful you can find yourself being unfollowed by other users.  Here are 10 things you can avoid doing to ensure that people don’t stop following you.

10 Things That Will Get You Unfollowed On Twitter

1. Constantly twittering about mundane things:  Things like – “my coffee is hot” or “just got on the bus” are not really that interesting to anyone else.
2. Never twittering at all:  You set up an account, post one tweet about how you’re trying twitter, and then disappear.  Quick unfollow.
3. Using your twitter account only to spam people with announcements of your newest blog post: Your twitter account doesn’t seem to have a real person, just occasional updates from a twitter bot.
   
4. @reply to every twitter you see, but without adding any real value:  You constantly twitter replying to every twitterstream you find, adding no real substance to any of the conversations you’re joining.  You’re tweeting just to hear yourself tweet!
5. Sending a robot greeting to all new followers: Is it just me that finds it annoying when i start following someone, and I get an automatic direct message telling me about a great new service, or how I should check out someone’s site?  I prefer a personal touch, or none at all!
6. Having no avatar and little profile information: Your account doesn’t look like you’re in it for the long haul. You just signed up, did a few tweets, and that’s it. You have no profile information, no avatar, no custom background.  You’re tweeting on borrowed time.
7. Being offensive or rude: If you constantly swear, or are offensive in your tweets, I’ll unfollow you ASAP.  I don’t have time for that kind of negativity.
8. Your profile calls you a social media expert, but your tweets don’t back it up:  You talk about how you’re an SEO or social media expert, but your tweets make you sound like you’re a bit slow.
9. You constantly talk about how you don’t get “this twitter thing”: We don’t care that you don’t understand twitter! Just start using it, read a tutorial or two, and get going!
10. You only have one tweet, and it is asking me if I want to learn how to make $15,000/month using google!:  You sign up for twitter from your internet cafe in Nigeria and talk about how you can help me earn $15,000/month or more in this secret scheme!  Unfollow!

Those are a few of my pet peeves, and reasons why I will unfollow someone on Twitter.

How Do I Know When I’ve Been Unfollowed?

Want to figure out why people are unfollowing you? Was it something you said?  Sign up for a service like Qwitter.  Qwitter will email you after someone unfollows you along with telling you what you twittered right before they quit.  Maybe you said something offensive, or just tweeted “going home from work” for the 10th straight time.  It will help you to figure out where you’re going wrong and change your tweeting habits so that more people will want to follow you!

What are some reasons you unfollow people?  What makes someone a good twitter user, and makes you want to follow them?

When you talk to people who aren’t familiar with Twitter they often think that Twitter is just for people who like wasting time chatting away with their online buddies.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  More and more people are using Twitter creatively, for things like finding a job.

Twitter Job Hunt

Before I signed up for Twitter I was skeptical that it had any other uses besides wasting time as well. But since I joined I realized that it’s so much more. It’s a way to share information, to connect and to network. Essentially it helps you to become a part of the larger world around you. And since one of the biggest things you need to do when looking for a job is networking, Twitter can be effective at helping you to make the connections you need when trying to find a job.

So what are some things you need to remember when you’re looking for a job through Twitter?

• Try to use your real name: On the account that you’re using for job hunting, try to have your account name be your real name.  Like @johndoe or @jdoe.  It will help you to connect with potential employers better than something like @CrazyMotha.
• Keep it professional: Try to keep your tweets on the job hunting account professional.  No one wants to hire someone who regularly uses profane or inappropriate language.  Also try to make sure you’re using correct English.
• Write and update your profile:  When you’re setting up an account, make sure to fill out the bio information and let potential employers know a little about yourself.   Try to write it so as to create common ground with your employers – express an interest in your field in the bio.
• Link to your professional or personal blog:  Link to your blog so that the potential employer can find out more about you than you can tell in a short bio or in a 140 character tweet.  Remember to link to the blog only if it is something you would want them to see.
• Put up a custom twitter background: Use a custom twitter background to give more information about yourself that you might not be able to fit onto your bio.  Include information like other social media profiles (linked-in for example), email address and other contact info as well as photos.
• Start twittering professionally BEFORE you  need a job:    Don’t setup an account on Twitter, Linked-in and other services only after you need a job.  Plan ahead for the future, and start using the services now.  It will help you build a following and seem less desperate down the road if you actually do need to find a job.

Some concrete ways you can use Twitter as a job searching tool:

• Sign up for updates for job alert twitter accounts:  There are a  ton of  Twitter accounts out there that you can start following that will announce open positions in certain niches.  For example, this twitter account for @GetTeaAssisJobs announces openings for teaching assistants.   Another example – @journalismjobs posts job openings for journalists.  Find one for your profession and start following!
• Start twittering about your field, display your expertise:  Use your account to tweet about your field, and display your knowledge or expertise through your twitterstream.  Others will begin to recognize that you are an expert in your field.   Have an opinion about important topics, and let people know about it.
• Search out and network with other Twitter users in your field: Whatever field you’re currently working in, there are probably hundreds of other users in your field using Twitter.  Search out and follow other the big names and recruiters in  your field.   Chat with them, talk about your field, and ask about job openings they might know about.
• Be helpful and responsive in your tweets:  When using twitter be sure to respond to @replies and be helpful to other Twitter users.  Everyone loves a helpful tweeter!
• Announce that you’re looking for a job!:  If you’re actively looking for a job, announce it on your twitter stream.   Someone following you may know of an opening, and can direct you to the right person to talk to. If you never tweet that you’re looking, they may not know!

A Twitter Job Search Success Story

I was reading some other blogs in order to find some Twitter  job hunt success stories.  Here is an example of one of those:

A couple months ago, I was laid off as part of the economic crisis.

Imagine my excitement.

After the initial shock wore off, I wrote in my Facebook status and tweeted that I was looking for a job in web product management. Within minutes, many people from my network contacted me and asked me for my resume.

A couple hours later, I received a reply from someone who was following me.  I wasn’t following her. I had never met her before. I had never spoken to her before. I’m pretty sure I had never seen her name before. Nonetheless, this absolutely perfect stranger who didn’t know me from a hole in the wall told me that another Twitter user was looking for a product manager and had me contact him. I sent him a tweet, and he asked me to email him my resume.

He is now my boss.

The end.

So there  you go, finding a job through Twitter can really work.  Just make sure that you start your account now, start tweeting and follow the tips on this post.  Hopefully you won’t need to find a new job, but if you do, you’ll be ready to use Twitter to your advantage in your next job search.

Other Links:

• Twitter Yourself A Job
• How Twitter Found Me A Job
• How To Use Twitter To Find Your Next Job

This is a guest post by Phil over at PTMoney.com.  He’s got a great blog and tons of great insights, so check it out and subscribe via RSS!  Oh, and of course, he’s on twitter too!

I’m by no means a Twitter power user, nor do I know how to use all the cool Twitter tools. But I’ve been using it long enough to learn that whether you’re a blogger or a business, you can’t afford not to be using it. Here are 10 good reasons you should be on Twitter:

1. It’s Still New - I know Twitter has been around since August 2006, but it’s still relatively new from an “outside the web” standpoint. Likely not for long though. So get in while it’s still on the cutting edge.

2. It’s Free to Sign Up and Ad Free – All it costs to sign up for twitter is an email address. Currently there are no ads on Twitter either. Can’t beat free and ad-free.

3. You Can Still Get Your Name – There’s only one @ptmoney on Twitter, and I have it. Have you secured your brand name yet? Better hurry.

4. It Will Increase Your Brand – Twitter is just one more place you can get your brand in front of a huge audience. President Obama used Twitter heavily during his campaign in 2008 to get his “brand” message out. You can do the same.

5. It’s Fun – Once you get into Twitter and learn what it’s all about, you’ll start having fun with it. It can be quite addicting as well.

6. You Can Meet Friends, Clients, Partners - Twitter is like a big social gathering where everyone has a voice and everyone can be heard. If you use Twitter, you will meet as many friends, prospective clients, and business partners. You just have to know how to find them. Subscribe to TweeterTips and you’ll learn all you need to know.

7. Keep an Eye On Your Competitors – Even if you aren’t interested in getting on Twitter to push out content or promote, you should still sign up so you can follow your competition and see what they are up to on a real-time basis.

8. It’s a Unique Outlet – I’m first and foremost a blogger and most of my content is shared on my blog. But I use twitter to share quick tips and deals I find interesting or relevant that I would never make into a full blog post. Twitter can be used to share your content that currently doesn’t have a home.

9. It’s More than “What Are You Doing?” – Twitter is so much more than simply sharing the boring details of your life. With Twitter you can link it from your blog and share links back to your posts, ask questions and get answers, share or pass along (re-tweet) interesting information, break a story, solve a customer issue, or tell someone ‘thanks’ publicly. The uses are endless. How will you use those 140 characters?

10. It Will Bring You Traffic, Leads, Sales, Etc. - Your Twitter profile can hold one active URL link where people can find more information about you, your blog, your business, or whatever. You can also place url links inside the individual tweets.

So now you have 10 good reasons to head over to Twitter and sign up.