We did a post recently about the basics of twitter and really this is just an extension of that post. Having now used Twitter for some months we thought we would share with you our Twitter Do’s and Dont’s as well as suggestion for some useful applications etc.

DO – Use a Twitter Client

You’ll very quickly realise that using the normal Twitter web interface is quite cumbersome and you’ll find it very difficult to keep up with people you are following. Thankfully there are a number of Twitter client available that really do improve the experience. Our favourite and the one we use is Tweetdeck which does seem very popular. It has many great features and we hope to be bringing you an article soon reviewing some of the best Twitter clients Another popular one is Twhirl and there are also a number of other clients available for things like the Iphone and the Blackberry etc.

DONT – Use Autofollow and Auto DM

People’s opinion vary on these two aspects but for me I think to get the best value out of Twitter you should only be following people who you find interesting to either yourself or your business. I dont buy that it’s a numbers game at all and dont really see why people need to follow 10,000+ people! I have the same opinion of Auto DM (Direct Messaging), I can see why some people set up a nice little welcome DM when you start to follow them but many Twitter users are now abusing the faciltiy to the extent that Auto DM’s now annoy people. Again bear in mind it’s only my opinion

DO – Fill in your Twitter Profile

I actually get quite annoyed when someone follows me and then when I go to check them out on Twitter to see if I want to follow them back their profile is blank! Personally speaking I wont follow anyone where their profile is blank. That profile is a chance to show people what you are all about and what they can get out of following you. Some people even put a link on this page to a whole page on their site that tells people more about their Twitter goals etc.

DONT – Retweet all and sundry!

The retweet in Twitter is used as a way of tweeting other peoples messages whilst still showing who the original message is from. It’s important that you only retweet things that you find interesting and that your followers will find interesting (you can mix it with a bit of humour as well ).

DO – Reciprocate

When people retweet your messages or pay you a compliment it’s always nice to fire off a little thank you. It’s little things like that that can go a long way to establishing relationships. Remember you have the potential of reaching massive amounts of people through the people that follow you. I’ve actually followed people purely as a result of someone else saying they are great people to follow.

Before I finish this post I wanted to also mention Nikki Pilkington’s Tweetmentor. I’ve not been asked to do this but her little course on how to get the best out of Twitter is really very good. You basically get an email every day for 100 days with lots of tips and tricks for Twitter. Please do check it out!

Come and share your Twitter Do’s and Dont’s with us.

Learning the basics of Twitter is critical to any business that wants to tap the power of online social media. In just a very short time, businesses large and small are finding ways to integrate Twitter into their marketing efforts. And when they do, they are finding that they can sell more products and services in ways they never imagined. From building brand awareness to raising funds for non-profits, Twitter has proven to be significant in meeting marketing objectives. That’s what makes learning the basics of Twitter so important.

Twitter Basics

The basics of Twitter begin with its purpose — to post short messages (“tweets” as they are called) of 140 characters or less for anyone and everyone to read. Sounds simple enough. And to most people it probably doesn’t sound particularly useful. But in a very short time, Twitter has become a tool that quickly spreads information around the corner or around the world in an instant, all the while building communities of individuals who share a common interest. As a result, Twitter is able to connect people with one another at deeper, more meaningful levels. This is why Twitter has quickly risen to the top of the heap in online social marketing.

Among the more basic usages of Twitter is to distribute short bursts of information about your business. It could be a brief blurb about a new product, or a link to a longer announcement about a special offer just for Twitter users who follow your company’s tweets. Some have used Twitter to conduct an online contest. There are many possibilities, thanks to Twitter’s tremendous flexibility and seemingly endless supply of people who like following tweets.

It’s all about relevance!

Perhaps the most important thing to remember when applying the basics of Twitter is relevance. Your Twitter program needs to be relevant to followers of your tweets; these are your customers or potential customers. Remember that they don’t want to be sold something. They want to engage in a conversation. This is critical. If you try too hard to do nothing but sell with your tweets you can quickly turn people off and they will stop following your Twitter posts. But if you plan carefully and use Twitter as a communications channel for connecting with customers and giving them the opportunity to be part of the discussion, you will go a long way to winning them over and eventually winning at the cash register.