Whether you love it or hate it, Twitter is definitely here to stay.  With over 200 million active users (and up to 500 million total accounts), learning to navigate this face-paced social media tool has become a near-necessity for most businesses, non-profits, and bloggers.  As with all social media, there are those who use it well and those who, well, don’t.  Here are few tips we have found recently to help you use Twitter effectively.

Twitter DOs

• Make sure your password is strong. Mashable offers a great post to remind us how important it is NOT to share your Twitter username or password with any other sites.
• Understand how to use Twitter to build your brand.  Focus, consistency, and resonance are the three keys emphasized in this article on Social Media Today.
• Know how to use Amazon Affiliate links on Twitter.  If you’re an Amazon Affiliate, you need to read this post from Blogging with Amy with simple tips for incorporating affiliate links into both Twitter and Facebook updates.
• Consider how Vine can be a positive addition to your Twitter strategy.  Social Media Examiner offers 16 ways businesses are using Vine.

Twitter DON’Ts

• Be a bad crisis tweeter.  Excellent guidelines for tweeting in a crisis from Heather at Social Media Today.
• Be a twit, twerp, twidiot, or otherwise annoying tweeter.  Love this post with 9 types of tweeters you definitely don’t want to be!

What is your best Twitter tip?

Since we’re on the topic, have you connected with Design by Insight on Twitter?  We share three or four articles on social media, blogging, self-publishing, and writing daily.  Join us there too!

Google Analytics. I have to admit, I find this all a bit overwhelming. But I realize how important SEO {search engine optimization} is and, to that end, Google Analytics is an important component of my growth plan.

Here are a few of the articles I have been reading to help me understand the functions of Google Analytics and how they can help me.

Start here with this easy-to-understand post about the data available through Analytics from Web Developer Juice.  I love that they begin by explaining what Google Analytics is—”a free application that tracks traffic patterns on your website, giving you fresh insight into how visitors use it. This invaluable information on the behavior of your visitors can help you to understand their experience, letting you know what’s working, and more importantly, what’s not.”  That certainly helps me see the value in learning more!

Next, how about a very simple explanation of the basic information bloggers can gain from Google Analytics from BloggerSentral.  I appreciate the simple definitions of vistors, bounce rate, visit value, and traffic.  This article will definitely help you begin to grasp what all those numbers and graphs on your GA homepage mean and why the data is useful.

LOVE this interactive guide to understanding Google Analytics from Designer Blogs.  Seriously, this answered most of my questions and helped me understand the process. Definitely bookmark this guide.

And as you gain a little knowledge, you might find you have more questions.  If so, Understanding Google Analytics is a great and easily searchable site to find specific information about the various components of and uses for data on GA.

If you prefer to watch and learn, check out this video from Lady Luck Media:  Beginner’s Guide to Google Analytics.  It’s about 18 minutes and is packed with simple information.

How do you use Google Analytics?