I came up with this idea a few years ago while shopping at Sam’s Club.

A lot of the stores my kids frequent would sell them little bags of chips, pop (soda), nuts, lollipops, etc. for prices that were way more than I could buy them for myself. I decided to open Mom’s Snack Shack.

I bought several of the items that my children liked to snack on. Little bags of popcorn, chips, candy bars, fruit roll ups, gum, nuts, juice packs, popsicles, etc. Then I set up shop. I took the amount it cost me to buy the items, and tacked on 10% for my time. Now, the kids would use their allowance money to buy stuff from my store. Every couple of weeks, I would take the money and go back and get the same items. They weren’t allowed unlimited access to the store, there is only so much junk I allow them Basically we we
to eat. You could run it like a canteen at camp if you’d like, where the store is only open on certain days, which would help with the problem of one child having too many snacks.

Some of the kids got in on the act by buying cans of pop, keeping them cold in the refrigerator with a sign that said, “50 cents.”

Recycling the snack money continued to replenish the supply. I gave the kids an allowance, which also went back into our own coffers. Another great benefit was that the kids wanted to earn money so they could buy themselves a snack. Therefore, I was able to get some of those undesirable jobs done and didn’t have to pay someone else to do them, I could just pay my own kids.

Occasionally I would open the store as a “Good Kids Store” to bless the kids that day with a free treat. It was funny to hear my kids say to me, “Mom, since we’re having pizza tonight, could we have a free pop?”
Another benefit of this store is that my children have learned the value of food that comes from the store. (Yes, I would take them shopping to pick out some of the items) I have never known my kids to take anything from another child without offering to pay for it. Even if there is something in the refrigerator that they think belongs to everyone, they will also ask if it’s okay to have it, or if it will cost them money.

If you find your kids are spending their allowance money on snacks somewhere else, that you could probably buy at Wal Mart or Sam’s Club cheaper, I would recommend you set up your own Snack Shack.

This was the first video I saw about Twitter.

I wish I could tell you I had developed a structured plan, but I didn’t, because I didn’t know what I was doing myself. I just knew that I wanted to be the best twitterer there was. I used to chat in chat rooms, I surely could do Twitter! I kept having to reword my first posts because I continuously exceeded the 140 word limit. My first couple of days on twitter, I watched the action. I searched my e-mail contacts list to see who else might be on Twitter. I followed them..they followed me. How fun is this! I sat back to watch the action. For several minutes I watched a blank screen. I got bored and decided to explore. Hey, I can be creative and create a profile. Cool! So I did that.

It’s a really good idea to create a profile. Your one line bio should scream – “follow me, I’m interesting!” Or, maybe you should just put in the things that interest you. You can tweak it later, but definitely put something in there. Now, add a nice picture. It helps other people connect with you. After completing my profile, I went to the main screen and clicked on Everyone.

Oh…wow! That’s where all the action was. I read some posts and clicked on some names. When I found someone interesting I followed them. When you click on their profile, you can read their tweets. This will give you a good idea if you would like to read what they write.

One thing about Twitter is for it to be successful for you, you don’t want to block people from following you. That just doesn’t really make sense.

Start posting witty tidbits and relevant content. Don’t SPAM people..you’re here to make connections ie relationships. There are a lot of phenomenal people on Twitter. If you read the tweets, you will learn a lot. I typically will have at least thirty windows open during a twitter session. After adding a few followers, I began going to sites recommended by people. When someone would say they need a comment about something, I would volunteer to answer. I began replying to posts as if I were a friend. Hey, we are!

Don’t be shy! Now, post relevant content, ask questions, do surveys, request information, compliment people, and then start following the people who are following the people you like the best.
For more info go to these sites:

Why Do I Twitter?
This is @Barefoot_exec You WILL want to follow her!

And now, for some Comedy Relief

If you have written a post or video about twitter, add your comment with the url. One last thought for the twitter newbie – It can be rather overwhelming, and I felt like a complete clod for awhile. I’ve always liked being the smart girl, and when I joined Twitter, I felt like I didn’t know anything. You will catch on. And be sure to follow me @tadahmom

Check out the blog post I wrote after just a few days on Twitter.
I Love Twitter And my twitwall What You Can Expect From Me on Twitter There is so much more….explore and enjoy…and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Here are some more great reads about Twitter:
I Just Don’t Get Twitter by @JoelRunner
Reviews and Twitter Aps
I use tweetlater.com , but manually send a prescripted tweet. I simply forward the e-mail address, and it automatically sends a direct message to the person following me. This makes it so that I have to look at each profile. Sure, it’s time consuming, but this is about relationships..and you can’t have relationships if you don’t know a little about someone. If you are following me, you would have received this.
You may find a lot of people don’t “get” Twitter. For me, it’s like attending a networking group that’s available all day and all night long.

Comments
15 Responses to “Twitter Newbie? How I Got 1000 Followers in Two Weeks!”
1. David on December 2nd, 2008 8:01 p+6
Cool post! You could also leave comments in blogs and include your twitter url – just like I’m doing right now. Could get you some additional followers.
2. Penney Douglas on December 2nd, 2008 8:12 p+6
I wrote a post that includes what I think of Twitter. It’s at http://homeschoolblogger.com/penneyfromheaven/623276/
It has been pretty exciting, but I’m still figuring it out. I participated in the Take Root and Write Tweet Up. That was fun. I won some books! I’ve been winning lots of giveaways. It has been a kiss from the Lord to win. It’s a new season in my life. I never used to win anything.
I have a question. How do you do tiny url’s? I know I need to use them, but I don’t know how.
Thanks,
Penney
3. Terri on December 2nd, 2008 10:08 p+6
To make a tiny url, I go to http://www.tinyurl.com and put in the long url. It’s that easy!
4. Patty @littlebytesnews on December 2nd, 2008 11:02 p+6
Great job! Looks like you learned fast and followed the right people. I was ready to give up twitter when I first started using it but now am addicted to sharing and receiving information and connecting with like-minded twitter tweeps.(people) ? Thanks for following me on twitter!
5. Darlene on December 2nd, 2008 1:28 p+6
Here is my article for Twitter newbies: http://tinyurl.com/5p2mkh
It’s geared towards my niche – birth professionals – but really applies to anyone. Enjoy!
6. Shannon Smith on December 2nd, 2008 10:08 p+6
OMG I’m LMAO. That last video was GREAT!!!
7. @kender1 on December 8th, 2008 6:35 p+6
I am thinking when I get to 100 followers I will run an experiment and set all device notifications “ON” for 24 hours to see how many I get….
8. roguepuppet on December 11th, 2008 10:45 p+6
@kender1 omg. please have an unlimited texting plan when you do this
heading over to check out your twitterstream….
9. Want to crowdsource answers on twitter? You’ve gotta be famous first… « heleana quartey on December 16th, 2008 1:52 p+6
[...] see this rule on this post and also here: on Twitter you have to give and give and give before you get. Giving (in the form of replies, [...]
10. Stuart Fleming on December 21st, 2008 2:47 p+6
Great to see you being so generous with your support of ‘newbie’ Tweeters, Terri. Thanks!
And full marks for The Twitter Song above – just awesome.
You mentioned using TinyURL… another suggestion is Tweetburner, which allows you to track the times your shortened link is clicked through.
All the best for a stunning ‘09 on-line!
Stuart Fleming
The guy who stops parents and teens from fighting about money

http://StuartFlemingBlog.com

11. Twitter on December 22nd, 2008 6:57 p+6
[...] http://terricamp.com/twitter-newbie-how-i-got-1000-followers-in-two-weeks/ [...]
12. Fort Worth Realtor and Mom is One of Fort Worth’s Top “Tweets” | Fort Worth Renaissance on January 11th, 2009 4:28 p+6
[...] me, I send them a nice message and a link to my twitwall. I also include a link to my blog post, How I Got 1000 Followers on Twitter in Two Weeks. I still feel like a newbie as I’ve only been twittering since mid November. I now have over [...]
13. @liamvickery on January 12th, 2009 10:09 p+6
Hey there @tadahmom. Thankyou for this article, I only joined late november myself, and have made some awesome friends in twitterville already, yourself included! Keep up the great posts
14. Pat Anderson on January 13th, 2009 6:37 p+6
Hi Terri! First you changed my homeschool experience (in 2001) and now, how fortunate I am to have found you on Twitter. You will change my Twitter experience as well, as I learn even more from you. I’m so blessed to have been directed to you!
15. AverageGal on January 14th, 2009 5:30 p+6
Congrats for not being intimidated by all of the social media hype! There’s something to be said for exploring outside of your “comfort zone”! Thanks for sharing these tips with all of us, and I’ll be linking back to your post for my AverageGal Weekly Wrap Up!

I had to repost this because of a server issue. If you would like to add additional comments, I would love to have them!

Update: I now have well over 3200 followers and Twitter has seriously changed my life! And I don’t mean because it takes some of my time. The connections I’ve made, the inspiration I’ve been given, and being able to help others, have been phenomenal!