Welcome to my two-part series entitled “Not Another Twitter Article” where I’ll first catch you up to the Twitter basics on what is Twitter and how to use it; and then in part two I’ll help show you ways it can benefit your business, as well as some popular tools to augment your overall Twitter experience. There’s been many posts written about Twitter over the past year or so, so I’m here to bring you the cream of the crop and make it all ridiculously easy.

When I first heard about Twitter, the only thing I could think was “Oh geez, not another social networking gizmo to keep up with.” You know how it is - there’s always something new, always something to learn and figure out how to integrate into your daily life just for the sakes of keeping up with the times (and with everybody else). So finally I took the plunge to see what all the fuss was about and I was actually quite delighted that I did. Twitter isn’t just “another social networking gizmo”, it’s something all it’s own; and something I’ve come to appreciate when I do my own daily Tweets.

What is Twitter

For starters, let’s be clear on what Twitter isn’t. Twitter isn’t another facebook, it isn’t another MySpace; and it definitely isn’t another Linkedin for that matter.  Twitter is considered a micro-blog. Most of us know what blogs are by now, and if you don’t, think of a blog as a modern-day journal - with the exception of about millions of people that have access to it because it resides on the internet.  

When using Twitter, your posts are allotted up to 140-characters or less. You can follow other people's posts (affectionately referred to as "Tweets") by clicking the “follow” button on their profiles - or they can follow yours.

There are many ways and reasons to use Twitter and many people have found that it is a vibrant, active community where they can connect with like-minded people quickly and efficiently for both business and leisure.

How to use Twitter

1. First, go to http://www.twitter.com/signup and join. Pick a meaningful username and after the super quick sign-up, you’ll be brought to what I like to call the Twittersphere where you will see people from all over the globe tweeting away.


2. Say you’re reading someone’s Tweets and you dig what a particular person is saying. Just click on their name to view their profile and click the “follow” button to start following them. This is similar to adding someone to your friend’s list on other networking portals. Tweets from the person you’re following will now appear in your Twitter, and if that person has the option selected, he or she will also see your Tweets. You of course also have the option to get Tweets from people that are following you.

What not to do on Twitter

There are definitely ways to abuse Twitter and get an instant reputation for being a less-than-useful Twitterer. Here are a few don'ts to keep in mind:

1. Especially when it comes to business use, don't spam. While Twitter doesn't push information out like email, you can still be annoyingly spammy by being too commercial or by having too many auto-posts that lack your human voice. People will un-follow you quickly if they feel you are not really there.


2. Don't be too self-seeking. Yes, you are supposed to be posting your heart-felt Tweets to answer the question "What are you doing?" However, Twitter has evolved beyond this question to include many more facets of dialogue. People are fine with self-promotion but balance it with generous and meaningful Tweets as well.


3. Don't be afraid to put your questions out there via your Tweets, and the more people you have as followers, the more quickly you'll get a response.

Bottom Line: Twitter is a useful communication tool and a deep knowledge base. Knowing how to tap into it strategically can mean the difference between a frivolous and a fruitful Twitter experience.

Stay tuned for Part Two of “Not Another Twitter Article” to find out a few savvy ways Twitter can benefit your business, as well as a couple popular Twitter tools to enhance your Twitter experience.