| You may see the tiny buttons bearing images of | | | | tool naturally. Post at will as you normally would with |
| chubby blue birds. Follow me on Twitter, everybody | | | | a blog. Talk about your products, your services, |
| implores. Receive multiple updates a day from | | | | other aspects of your life and business without |
| favorite sites and bloggers in 140-character (or | | | | hard-selling, and you may find people will discover you |
| shorter) increments, maybe check out a link or two | | | | on their own. Likewise, be choosy with whom you |
| to a viral video or breaking news. These days just | | | | follow. Don't feel obliged to follow an account for |
| about everybody is using Twitter to relay information | | | | mutual benefit. |
| for one purpose or another - celebrities, news and | | | | How Many to Follow |
| media, and even the Oval Office. With so many | | | | This question ties in with the previous one. If you |
| options on this social network, not to mention the | | | | feel it necessary to follow a mass number of people |
| activity you contribute, you may wonder exactly | | | | to gain readership, bear in mind that the more people |
| who is worth following, and why. | | | | you add to your roster, the more diluted your feed |
| Whom to Follow | | | | becomes. If there is a core group of Twitter |
| First things first, consider why you have signed up | | | | accounts you enjoy reading on a daily basis, their |
| for Twitter in the first place? What is your intent? Is | | | | messages could get lost in a sea of unrelated posts |
| it a means of reading news, communicating with | | | | that are there only because you want readers of |
| friends, with potential customers and clients, or a | | | | your own. In theory, it isn't a healthy way to maintain |
| combination of all these things? If you have specific | | | | your social profile - the more you approach Twitter |
| interests, like publishing or sports, you may be inclined | | | | from a natural viewpoint, the better you will be able |
| to subscribe to the feeds of regional or national | | | | to enjoy your experience. |
| media outlets. If you search diligently enough, you'll | | | | Why Follow |
| find there are specialized Twitter profiles for a | | | | Why do you read certain blogs, certain Web sites? |
| variety of topics - stocks quotes, wine collecting, dog | | | | You enjoy the content, of course. So should this |
| breeding...anything at all. | | | | principle apply to Twitter. You don't have to feel |
| Bearing this in mind, if your plan is to follow hundreds | | | | pressured to follow a particular celebrity because he |
| on hundreds of users with the hopes they will | | | | she is THE person on Twitter to read - follow users |
| reciprocate, you may be in for a shock. Twitter | | | | who provide the insight and information you want. |
| etiquette doesn't necessarily dictate that one must | | | | While Twitter is a valuable tool in self-promotion and |
| oblige a new follower by returning the favor, so the | | | | social media optimization, it doesn't have to be work. |
| next time you open your reader to find a glut of | | | | Enjoy yourself, and the "tweets" of users you want |
| messages that don't necessarily interest you, you'll | | | | to read. |
| realize others may have felt the same way about | | | | In short, follow only whom you wish to follow, post |
| your posts. | | | | what's on your mind, interact, and grow your |
| To build a Twitter feed and eventually a readership | | | | readership from there. |
| of your own, it's best to approach the micro-blogging | | | | |
