If you've found this page, you're probably thinking about following me on Twitter. People use Twitter in many different ways - I thought it might be useful to let you know how I use Twitter, so you know what to expect when you Follow Me.
I'll try to be useful, informative and interesting. If you send me a message or ask me a question then I'll respond either publicly (@) or privately (DM - direct message) and I'll happily point you in the right direction if I don't have the answer.
I use Tweetdeck and Twhirl to manage all the tweets I receive every day, otherwise I'd never be able to keep track. The beauty of Tweetdeck is that you can manage the people you follow into groups. Business related, Personal, Network, Personal, topics etc.
I check Twitter two or three times a day if I'm in the office and not at all if I'm out and about but might occasional send a tweet from my mobile if I have something interesting to report.
I use Twitterfeed to feed posts from my blogs as it saves time reposting or duplicating material and I'm all for that. I also use Tweetlater to schedule Tweets in advance if I need to.
Connect with your contacts, connect with your customers and clients. Have different Twitter accounts for different, focused tweets (use Twhirl to manage multiple accounts).
If you decide to follow me, I will always look at your Twitter profile to find out more about you and what you do. So, it helps to have a bio on your profile, your name and a website link. It's a good way of getting additional traffic to your website.
I'll probably send you a direct message, shortly after you start following me. I don't Auto-DM, so if you get a message from me, I've sent it personally, even if it is a brief introductory message and an invite to my free tips and newsletters.
I don't Auto-Follow and I may or may not follow you back. It often depends if I know you, if you know someone I know, if you have a completed Twitter profile, what you do, what your interests are, how many followers you have and the type of updates you've made.
Having thousands of followers or only having one way traffic in your tweets is unlikely to make me want to follow you. However, I have wide and varied interests, so I'll often follow someone unusual or a bit different or just for fun.
Don't take it personally if I don't chose to follow you. I may follow you at a later date, especially if I see your name come up in Tweets or you send me a @reply.
There are several people I recommend you follow if you're new to Twitter.
On the international side there is @ProBlogger @chrisbrogan and @mashable - are just a few of several, prolific online media marketing people. Dozens more I could mention as well as the Celeb Tweeters and other more obscure people who are fun to follow, if you've got the time.
BUT - plan your Twitter Time along with your other marketing/business time, so you don't find your day disappearing in a stream of Twitter chat!
If you'd like to find out more then Follow Me on Twitter and let's start a conversation.
If you'd like to find out more about how you could benefit from working with me - feel free to have a browse around the rest of my site.
