Top Twitter Tips

1. Tweet useful content and links.

• Always keep your audience in mind.
• A tweet without a link is like a day without chocolate: edible but a little less tasty.

2. Engage your audience

• Direct message people who retweet you, to say thanks
• Respond to questions/comments directed @you
• Participate in the Twitter community, for example: #FF, #charitytuesday, #musicmonday

3. Don't tweet too much. Or too little.

• Tweet as often as is sufficient and necessary.
• Naturally this will change depending on what is happening externally (eg, a Haiti earthquake; you’re in the G8 Bloggers Tent, etc).
• Your twitter feed needs to be fed, but don't you don’t want to spam your audience. Overall, just be mindful of your audience.

4. Use #hash-tags.

• Hash tags allow your content to get found, and to appear in searches. Use them!
• Agree with your friends, colleagues, partners, allies to use the same hash tag.
• If you get enough people using your tag, it can appear in the 'trending topics' on everyone's Twitter page. That’s cool.

5. Who you follow reflects who you are.

• Some people like to follow lots of people.
• Others find they want to follow key people in their field – as this tends to give you a better, more reliable source of good content to retweet (RT).
• So it’s up to you, what your Twitter Strategy is. Either way, remember that all the updates from the Tweeters you follow will appear on your 'home' page.

6. Promote your twitter account.

• Add it to your email signature. Easy.
• Get others to promote it. Can take more effort :)

7. Track your links.

• Link your account to a popular link-shortener (eg, http://bit.ly, http://ow.ly).

8. Use Tweetdeck (or similar software).

Helps you to keep an eye on the Twittersphere. HootSuite is another good one.

• what people are saying about you
• what the people you are following are saying (in case you want 2 RT 1 of their tweets)
• who is retweeting your tweets.

9. Allow for retweets.
Keep enough characters free at the end so if someone RTs your tweet, they don't have to edit it.
For example:

Haiti: A Once in a Century Chance for Change. Beyond reconstruction: re-envisioning Haiti w/equity, oppty http://bit.ly/bSNVRe

when retweeted, becomes:

RT @Oxfam Haiti: A Once in a Century Chance for Change. Beyond reconstruction: re-envisioning Haiti w/equity, oppty http://bit.ly/bSNVRe

thereby using an additional 10 characters.

As with many things social media related, Mashable is a great Twitter resource.

If you're new to Twitter, a good place to start is here:

• http://mashable.com/2009/05/31/twitter-tutorials-youtube/
  

More really useful Twitter tips here:

• http://www.problogger.net/archives/2008/05/08/5-tips-to-grow-your-twitter-presence/
  
• http://mashable.com/2009/04/16/retweet-guide/
• http://mashable.com/2009/06/25/twitter-seo-tips/

If you're an old hat at Twitter, dive deeper:

• http://mashable.com/2010/01/12/zen-social-media/

And if you have the time for more analysis:

• http://twitalyzer.com

What's your favorite Twitter tool?