In case you are one of the people who haven't taken the plunge into the Twitterverse yet, a definition may be in order. In simple terms, Twitter users have 140 characters to answer the question, "What's happening?"

This social site is still going strong and is officially defined as a social networking and micro-blogging service. You can think of Twitter updates as mini blog posts written in 140 characters or less.

Twitter is a little different from any other form of social media, but at its heart it is essentially a communication tool.  When people first begin using it, it can seem a bit confusing.  You may wonder, how can I really type anything of substance in 140 characters or less—and how can I make the most of it once I've signed up?

I personally built a large part of my own business through Twitter and many of my clients and students also report great success with this social media site, so what exactly is it that we are doing to bring about such stellar results?

Upon really giving it some thought, I came up with six important steps you can follow to get the most out of your time on Twitter.

1. Set Yourself Up for Success. When you create your Twitter profile at twitter.com, be sure to use a real photo of yourself and list your location and website URL.  For your Twitter bio, you don't get much room, so be sure to include a succinct description of what it is you do. Tip: Include keywords in your bio that reflect how you want to be found in a search.

2. Understand Twitter Lingo. Twitter has spawned a whole new world of vocabulary–some clever, some silly.  There are some basics you should be aware of, as you'll surely come across them being used sooner or later.  Brush up on the meanings of terms like "re-tweet," "direct message," "hashtag" and more. Tip: Check out the "Twittonary."

3. Build Your "Tribe."  The more people you follow on Twitter, the more followers you'll gain and the richer your experience will be.  Use directories like Twellow.com and Wefollow.com and Twitter's own "find people" function to get started.  Look for people who fall into your ideal target market by searching by keyword and/or location.  Tip: Search everything on Twitter in real-time by using search.twitter.com.

4. Build Those Relationships.  This is where the rubber hits the road.  I always say that Twitter works if you work it. First, understand why you are there and what your goals are, engage in 2-way conversation (instead of just broadcasting and promoting your own stuff all the time), continually follow good people and use Twitter consistently—once every two to three weeks does not a consistent user make!  If you have made the decision to use Twitter as a marketing tool, then really use it.  Tip: Find key people to build relationships with by using Listorious to search Twitter lists by category.

5. Generate Valuable Tweets.  Getting stuck on what to tweet about is a common stumbling block.  Be sure to share links and resources that reinforce your expertise, ask and answer questions, re-tweet and acknowledge others and show some of your personality.  Tip: Use tools like stufftotweet.com and the twitthis button to make finding and spreading content super simple.

6. Manage Your Time and Your Strategy.  Use a productivity tool like Hootsuite, a desktop client like Seesmic or Tweetdeck, and utilize Twitter lists and a Facebook application such as Selective Tweets to automate, delegate and save you valuable time.  Tip: Check out this post on social media productivity tools to get you up to speed.

The biggest Twitter takeaways?

•    Understand why you are there and what you are trying to achieve;
•    Spend a good a good amount of time interacting and engaging with others;
•    Mind your manners: for every 1 promotional tweet, do roughly 10 non-promotional tweets;
•    Share valuable content—yours and others';
•    Take advantage of the many tools and applications that can boost your productivity.

Follow my advice, and in no time, you'll be tweeting like a pro.

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About the Author:
Christine Gallagher, MLS, MSIS, founder of CommunicateValue.com, teaches small business owners and professionals how to conquer the overwhelming aspects of online and social media marketing to increase business and maximize profits. For FREE tips on how to build profitable relationships, leverage technology and create your own successful online business, visit http://CommunicateValue.com
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In the evolving internet, there is an abundance of tools to help internet marketing companies expand, reach new people and places. Twitter is one of these tools. Used properly, it can help many internet marketing companies grow in size and exposure– and moreover, it's very easy and free!

If you aren't particularly familiar with Twitter, here's a quick run-down: It's a text-based social interface site that allows users to write short, 140-character messages (nicknamed "tweets") that are visible to everyone on the site. You extend your viewer base with a simple button labeled "follow" and there is no specific number indicated to how many people you follow. If they want to watch your tweets, it's very simple for them to follow you in return.

But before you jump right in and start, there are a few things you need to know to optimize your Twitter usage. Internet Marketing with Twitter is not about simply pushing your product. If all you do on Twitter is push link after link to just your website or product, you often won't gather the interest necessary to make this a lucrative venture.

So, on that note, I'll start with this: instead of pushing only your website and product tweet about things related to it as well. For example, let's say that you have a business selling electronics. Instead of merely pushing your online site, do also share news and innovations in the field. There is a good reason for this. People will often think you're just spamming them if what you do is send link after link to your page, and you don't want that. But by sharing related news as well, you not only look legitimate, but garner interest.

Another thing to think about when considering Twitter as an internet marketing tool is what you intend to actually say on it. As mentioned above, product links, related news, and innovations are a good start, but if you use those alone, it's often not enough. More ideas on things to tweet about might be special events or sales, daily offers, and employment opportunities. You can also use it to send short memos and notices to your employees if they don't work in the same office as you. The possibilities are vast in this sense.

A third thing you need to know is that in addition to Twitter itself, there are various programs you can use to take further advantage. One program, called NearbyTweets allows you to search for local Twitter users based on interest, and even arrange meet-ups if you desire. Another program is TwitterAnalyzer and it is essentially a tracker. It analyzes your Twitter account based on a number of factors, and tells you how much reputation your profile has, and how watched/followed it is.

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About the Author:
Nermin Hadzikadunic writes about internet marketing and social media for FindMaster.com. You can find out more about how social media is being incorporated into search engine optimization by visiting www.Findmaster.com
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