Over at Blog for Profit we have a new post called, Twitter — Rules of Engagement. Below is just a sample of what is in the post.
Other key rules of engagement you should strive to follow.
Add something to the conversation. Don’t tweet just for the thrill of posting something. Giving is better than receiving. Don’t start out expecting to receive right away. Be willing to give before you receive. Network with the “thought leaders” and “opinion shapers” within your niche or industry. In twitter terms, follow them and watch what they are doing and reading. Don’t be afraid to join in on a conversation. If you have something to add, say it. Don’t over do it on tweeting on a particular topic. If you have a lot to say, do a blog post and use twitter to pint to the post. Do share with your followers what you are reading and include a link to the article or blog post. Do use tinyURL or is.gd when you post a link Do continue a conversation with someone “off twitter” by email or other communication methods. Don’t post about what you had for lunch or the fact your toddler pooped in the potty. Don’t feel like you have to follow everyone who follows you and don’t follow everyone, you only have so much time. (I generally don’t follow someone unless they provide a link to their own blog. And I don’t follow someone that has a large number of those they are following compared to the number of followers.) Do use the block feature in twitter. That is your right as a tweeter.
Take a look at the entire POST and either leave your comments here or at Blog for Profit.
Other post we have done on twitter include:
While I agree, in general, with your rules of engagement, I disagree slightly with your advice about not posting about “what you had for lunch or the fact your toddler pooped in the potty.”
I see twitter as less “formal” than a blog, and following someone more of an opportunity to really get to know the person. “Personal” posts can foster more meaningful relationships, even between business colleagues.
For example, I have been following Pam Slim’s Escape from Cubicle Nation (http://EscapeFromCubicleNation.com) blog for some time, and have communicated with her via e-mail a few times. When I recently joined Twitter, she’s one of the first people I followed. She tweeted about how things were going with her new babysitter; as a working mother, this is a topic that is important to me, and that I have experience with. While I don’t think this topic would necessarily have been appropriate for her blog (and may not have supported a full-blown post in any event), I think it’s perfectly appropriate for twitter.
As another example, I have been tweeting a bit about my weekend mushroom hunting walks. Some of my followers have direct-messaged me to follow up on those tweets. I think these kinds of posts enable others to see me as a more well-rounded person than they might perceive if all of my posts were strictly business-related.