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Recently several people I know have started using Twitter for their business. It is important to understand the nature of Twitter and the self-regulation that occurs among Twitter users. It’s kinda like burping in public or sneezing. There are certain protocols you use, and for the most part most people abide by them. In meetings, seminars and conferences on social media that I have attended and from reading the Tweets of those I follow I quickly came up with a few rules for my business friends to follow. Of course there will be more at our social media seminar on June 10, and July 11. Here are some simple guidelines:

1. For your commercial Twitter account, don’t be too crass with direct pitches for your business in your tweets. People will turn you off.

2. Be personal. Even thought it is about your company, personify your tweets. Make sure your tweets have a personal “voice”.

3. Promote your clients and the work you did for them, and not yourself directly; It’s obvious who did the work; Promote your clients and other offerings, not just the work you did for them. Consider a client a week, and promote them in your tweets.

4. Tweet about your professional area or promote some allied vendor you work with. Also promote things you are interested in and has something associated with your business.

All this will provide you credibility with your followers. The lack of direct selling is why Twitter works well for most people. Twitter is about being in a community. A community of people who like each other and want to help each other. Having direct “advertising” pitches in your face doesn’t work too well in Twitter. Other places are more acceptable (FB fan pages).

If there are other tips, comment here.