There is definitely a right and a wrong way to use Twitter to help build exposure and brand with your marketplace…unfortunately there is way more WRONG uses than their are RIGHT usage examples.

When you get started on Twitter, you will notice there is so much noise and what I call “shouting” going on, where people and businesses alike are trying to push information on you.

Even so-called social media and marketing geniuses are guilty of this major offense.

In the early days, people get away with annoying things, but as platforms mature, people will simply tune you out – remember email when you used to actually read each one?

So there are BIG changes coming where search tools get better at filtering out noise, users get less tolerant of low quality content and the platforms penalize offenders which means the winners will be those who learn how to add value and use social networking platforms like Twitter as they are meant to be used.

Instead of pushing information blindly into the Twittershphere, shouting hoping that someone listens, try using these techniques to build loyal, responsive, meaningful followers:

1. Tweet frequently – at least once a day, you must be and appear to be committed to your community
2. Interact with the community (in the beginning this means finding discussions and getting involved where later you can do more conversing with your followers) .  This also means ask questions, learn to spawn participation and jump in.
3. Know what your followers interests are and stick close to those interests.  Be relevant, be interesting and be on target
4. Cross-market – use other platforms in concert with Twitter such as seminars, YouTube videos, articles and press releases, your blogs, etc… they should all work together instead of being isolated silo’s

We have had terrific results on Twitter and have helped others do the same…if you are interested in marketing, self-publishing and/or social networking, then we would love to see you on Twitter!