What is Twitter?
A free micro-blog service that allows users to “tweet” (send messages) up to 140 characters long.

• Put some thought into your username

Remember that your username will be visible to everyone who visits your Twitter page, therefore it makes sense to choose something that will draw people into listening to what you have to say.

“FuzzyBunny2009″ might be ok for a personal account, but if you will be tweeting for business, make sure your username is an extension of your brand and not something that will damage it.

• Optimise your bio to get ‘em hooked…

Twitter allows 160 characters for you to tell people what you stand for in the Bio section of your page (which is a great place to have some keywords!). Hubspot’s Inbound Internet Marketing Blog has a very interesting article (read it here) that says that having a Bio can get you 8 times as many followers as those with no details displayed. 8 times! Imagine what would happen to your bottom line if even a small percentage of those Twitter followers become customers… Don’t forget to include a link to your website!

• Get your brand out there!

Upload your business logo. It is also possible to customise the background of your Twitter page, so get your graphic designer (or email Defuzz Internet Marketing, who’ll help out for the ridiculously low price of $75) to whip up something professional that is tied into your current marketing campaign.

• Try to tweet regularly

This doesn’t mean you have to tweet 24/7, but try to do it at the very least, every second day. If people see your profile was last updated 2 weeks ago, they might not follow you. There are many programs (a good one is Hootsuite) out there that allow you to schedule tweets – perfect for writing a week’s worth of tweets in advance if you don’t have the time to log in every day.

• Follow people with similar interests

Use a directory such as Twellow to find other Twitter users who are interested in the same sorts of things as you. A great idea is to follow other businesses in your field (although not your direct competitors – at least, not from your business account!). The beauty of this is that is can open dialogue with current – or new! – suppliers, and maybe even to potential customers.

• Interact and engage with your community

That’s what social media is all about! Provide real value to your followers: share interesting tips, give relevant information about your area of expertise. If you read something interesting on the web, share the link. Participate in conversations… do NOT get on there to simply sell – you will be ignored if you do!

• Keep your follow list clean

Unfortunately, the spammers out there have also discvovered Twitter. Make sure you periodically jump into your Twitter followers list and block the people who are *ahem* flaunting their wares, have questionable profile pictures, or spamming you with the same message over and over. Remember that these people can indirectly reflect on your business, without you even realising it.

• Do NOT spam!

This seems like a no-brainer, but simpy jumping on Twitter and posting continuous “sales” messages is going to undo all your hard marketing work – both online AND offline.

There are many other tips out there – simply do a Google search to find them – that can help you maximise the return you get from Twitter. I think the biggest hint I could give anyone is to be yourself, be honest and above all have fun!

Are there any tips you can suggest for people starting out with Twitter?