It’s hard to believe that Twitter was started in 2006! It has become a part of life for many of us. Whether you are a veteran tweeter or you are just getting started, here are a few Do’s and Don’ts to keep in mind.

DO:

• Create a handle that uses your name. Help people find you easily and build name recognition across platforms.
• Be yourself. Don’t pretend to be someone you aren’t. Honesty always shines through and supports your brand.
• Show your personality.  People want to surround themselves with ‘real’ people who are smart, fun and real.
• Build a following. There are many ways to build a following, but an easy place to start is by following people.
• Be conversational. Acknowledge tweets sent to you and thank people when they retweet (RT) you.
• Complete your profile. Include a picture, put meaningful information about yourself and select a location.
• Share information. Don’t hesitate to post original content, pose questions and respond to other people’s tweets.
• Retweet any content that you find interesting, validates your point of view or could be helpful to other people.
• Offer “shout outs” to your followers or other interesting people you know.

 DON’T

• Don’t get caught in the time-suck. Be mindful of how much time you are spending on Twitter and make it productive.
• Don’t hide your tweets from people or keep your profile private.  Remember, Twitter is built for open sharing.
• Don’t pretend to be something or someone you aren’t. It is best to be transparent and honest.
• Don’t retweet (RT) links that you haven’t read through. You need to be careful to know what you are tweeting because ultimately everything you post reflects upon you.
• Don’t follow everyone. Do make a habit of following people you think are interesting and offer value.
• Don’t be crass, use bad language or talk poorly about someone.  This is a very public forum.  Keep it clean!
• Don’t blatantly sell your services through every tweet.  Twitter is meant as an informational stream for building relationships.  By selling your goods at every tweet, you will turn people off.
• Don’t tweet about nothing. Sharing helpful information will build your reputation as a thought leader.

Twitter can be a very powerful tool for building relationships, confirming business contacts, supporting a brand and sharing information. If you take the time to use Twitter well, the benefits will be well worth it.