10 Things You Really Need To Know: Twitter Edition.

1. Your First Tweet:

     One of the first things people often worry about when starting a twitter account, whether it is a personal or a business account, is what their opening message will be. Honestly though unless you have bought followers or have been lurking and following for a while (see below) you should realise that really very few people will be listening. If you have something snappy to say go for it otherwise why not simply introduce yourself or say hello to the world that is Twitter.

2. Lurking is not a sin:

     No matter how or what you do on Twitter it is often best to watch and listen before you speak. Spend a little time seeing how others do it and getting a feeling for the kind of things you like to see and the kind of things you don't . Remember when marketing, or even when just looking to be social, you are looking to attract like minded people. Even once you've dipped your toes in the murky depths don't feel beholden to answer every tweet or comment on every passing piece of news. There is simply too much going on and making a few well considered and well aimed comments is usually far more rewarding than blasting and trolling your way to a bigger audience.

3. If you like it Retweet it:

     As they say sharing is caring and on Twitter a retweet can be a golden gift. Many feel that retweeting things especially when tweeting for business is akin to giving the competition a hand up but if the content or the message is good it can gain you just as much as the OP (original poster). Retweeting also goes a long way to building  a lasting and profitable relationship whether with followers or with competitors. Remember Twitter loves Karma and if you scratch someone's back they may very well scratch yours. Remember with such a huge audience visibility is key.

4. Following people doesn't make you a stalker:

     Really the whole point of Twitter, and one of it's major plusses when used for business, is that it allows people to listen to what they like to hear. This goes for you as much as anyone else and even if you don't know who someone is if you like what they say or they inspire you don't hesitate to follow them. Besides following someone is something of a compliment and if you think about it you want people, even people you don't know, following you don't you? The same goes for everyone being followed isn't creepy it just means you are doing it right.

5. Follows are just an introduction:

     When you follow someone you are telling them you like what they have to say or you are interested in their take on the world. What it doesn't mean though is that you are suddenly BFFs. Think about the fact that most people on Twitter are following and are followed by thousands if not tens or hundreds of thousands of people. Following someone gives you access to their tweets and being followed means someone is keeping an ear out for you but that's it. Don't go hunting your followers and hounding them and don't be expecting special treatment or recognition from someone else just because you followed them.

6. Your followers want to hear you:

     Having said all of the above most of your followers, if you have gathered them in the right ways, do want to hear what you are saying and do want to get involved. Keep them interested and keep them on the hook. The best way to do this is by providing them with great content, something to get involved with you about and above all keep it real. Good followers, the ones you really want, followed you because they feel the way you do about key topics so be honest and be yourself. Never go out of your way to avoid contentious subjects but at the same time don't go out of your way to be "edgy" or extremist either.

7. People will judge you but don't let it worry you:

     Just like in real life people are going to pass judgment on you. Whether they dislike something you said or disagree with a cause you have championed they can and often will start an argument or make a comment about you. If you are being true to yourself and to your followers though this really shouldn't stress you out too much. As they say any publicity is good publicity and you'd be surprised how willing like minded souls are to come to your rescue. besides the fact that it makes for great visibility when it happens it opens the door to great discussions and helps people to really get to know what you stand for.

8. You can't please all the people all the time:

     Following on from the above point people are going to unfollow you. It is going to happen. Sometimes they forget why they followed you, sometimes they dislike something you say and sometimes they just feel like it. Don't stress though unfollows are a natural part of Twitter and you will always find you gain more followers than unfollowers if you keep going and keep providing people with a reason to listen.

9. Share the success of others:

     Giving someone a pat on the back by telling them (and all your own followers) that you like what they did or what they said goes a ong way to making your account "real". A whole lot of people simply spam their own ideas and business material or retweet everything, but making personal, thoughtful and helpful comments single you out as a real person with real views and that makes you much, much more approachable.

10. Bring it to Twitter:

     Adding to that again, if you see something you like elsewhere on the internet bring it back to Twitter to share and don't forget to thank the author if you can find their account. Things that make for great sharing on Twitter are videos, blogs and great webpages. Gathering all of these resources on your own Twitter feed is a great way to engage whoever created them as well as a way to provide value to your own followers too.

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