I’m using Twitter, now what?

A lot of people are hopping on the Twitter bandwagon.  Some are setting up accounts and just letting them sit.  If you, or someone you know is doing this, it’s time for an intervention.  I believe Twitter is the most useful tool online right now.  It has simply made my life better not only because of the great people I’ve met and collaborated with, but it has also presented so many opportunities as well.  Twitter has changed the way we do business and has leveled the platform.  I mean, what other space can you mix and mingle with celebrities and have direct contact with Rubbermaid, Martha Stewart and Oprah?

So if you are on Twitter and are guilty of letting your account sit, here are a couple tips to get you going.

1. Make time to update. I don’t have a set twitter schedule, but I try to hop on atleast once a day.  It’s important to keep in touch with your contacts and keep the conversation going.
2. Make updating easy. Write about what is going on in your life.  {No, I don’t mean what you had for lunch– unless it’s interesting}.  Write about what you are experiencing.  Have you read a good book recently?  What made it so good?  Have you discovered a great news article?  Share it.  Have something funny to say?  Have at it.  Don’t think too hard about updating, just do it.
3. Use an application like Hootsuite or Seesmic to make twitter easier to navigate.  Here’s a couple tips on making twitter work for you and making it less of a time suck and using it productively.
4. Watch what others do. Are you still unsure how to use twitter?  See how other people are using it.  And you’ll soon be well on your way to making great contacts and opening doors.

For other articles to get you going on Twitter, go here.

What tips do you have for using Twitter?  How do you make your updates useful and interesting?