I've been using Twitter rather regularly for the past year as @schutzsmith and we've recently setup an account for DSGN + DVLP as @dsgndvlp. Being a regular twit (is that really how you'd say it!?), I've grown to learn some essential habits, rules, and 3rd party apps that make for a smooth and never dull experience. Throw in a dash of online visibility with a hint of guerrilla style marketing and you can quickly see how Twitter has the potential for a brand to identify with its customers on their level, not above it. We hope it helps you understand a little bit more about what this Twitter thing is all about.

1. Be nice, no one likes an asshole. If that is your shtick as a brand then that makes sense, but just being angry across the Twitterverse is like the same guy that gives you the finger when you drive the speed limit. And participating in asshole mobbing isn't any better.


2. Find people to Follow. When starting out to use Twitter it can be very difficult to find people and brands that you'd want to follow. If you're looking for folks in your neighborhood to follow then Twitter Local is a great deal of help. You could also let a service like Who Should I Follow to give you some suggestions of good folks based on your existing Twitter friends. If you're still having trouble then you could do a large search on Twitter itself or on the Twit Directory.


3. Use a third party app. Logging into Twitter using your web browser everytime you want to update your status can be a nuisance. Using a 3rd party app will let you update your Twitter feed from the comfort of your desktop. Our preferred apps are Twitterific and Snitter but you can find a much larger list at the Twitter and at the Twitter Fan Wiki.


4. Tweet from anywhere. Making it easy to Tweet when you want is in my opinion the major catalyst that will make Twitter widely adopted amongst the masses. Take advantage of that extra money you've been paying your cell phone provider each month and Tweet from your phone while you're heading into work or waiting for the train by sending an SMS to 40404 (in the US) or use the great website Hahlo or even Mobile Twitter. If you are a programmer/codehead and don't feel like opening the browser to Tweet throughout the day, then you can take advantage of a handy add-on to Tweet from Textmate. You can also Tweet right from Firefox - for all those Firefox nuts.


5. Fill out your profile. A complete profile will do wonders for your Online Visibility on Twitter. Make sure to provide a URL for your website, a good brief bio that articulates what you're all about, and spruce up the page with a background image that makes sense. Need inspiration? Here are some great examples.


6. Follow your followers, as they have followed you. Building relationships seems to be at the core of what Twitter is all about. Essentially you're giving out information so others can identify with you/your brand. So if that is the case, then it is only common sense that following your followers is the right and polite thing to do. If you aren't afraid to get your hands dirty with some code then you could use this script to automate the process or if coding scares the bejesus out of you, then you could always just ask the folks at Twitter to turn it on for ya! There is a web application that will help you automate the process! I'd also suggest checking out the Blacklist to be weary of those that really aren't in it for the relationships. Lastly, don't worry about following too many people because you could always take a break from them if you need to!


7. Fav what you like. Twitter has a favorites button for you to click so you can keep an archive of Tweets you liked. Use it to your advantage and fav posts that you really like then share those in an RSS feed on your site. Its also great to take a gander once and a while at what Tweets other folks are faving.


8. Don't post about your food, unless you're eating something that is very rare or if it pertains to your online persona, otherwise just don't do it, its tacky. If you've been Tweeting your food because you're trying to keep a food diary then check out Tweet What You Eat - the beauty of it is you can direct message the service without clogging up your regular Twitter feed.


9. Create a Marketing or PR campaign with Twitter. There are several services popping up lately that help you promote feeds from other websites as well as add the capability to tag your posts. Hash Tags have become a popular method of tagging Twitter posts. It has become so useful that reporters are now tuning into this capability to find people to interview for articles and to get the scoop on developing stories. Poynter did a great story on this and CNET did an excellent story on why journos need to get with the program and start using Twitter. I've used it specifically to get examples and quotes for a few of my articles on Dynamic Graphics Magazine. Designers and photographers should take a look at Auto Postr, it posts a Tweet for every image you upload to Flickr - extremely helpful when wanting to let people know about updates to your creative portfolio. One more handy feature that we've recently found is Tweet Ahead which lets you become a Buckaroo Bonzai and Tweet from the future - could be quite useful for dated press releases and product releases.


10. Put a feed on your website. Twitter doesn't live in a vacuum so why not use it to your advantage and show your website visitors that they can get up-to-the-minute info on you/your products. Wordpress has several plug-ins to help you get Tweets on your blog, but the best one I've found is Alex King's Twitter Tools. You can also use Twitter to update your Facebook status. While you're at it, you might as well also just Tweet right to your lifestream on Tumblr by using Tweet Shots. Lastly, if your website runs off of the Drupal CMS then you should definitey checkout the Twitter project which lets you post from Drupal to Twitter, as well as put your Twitter feed on your website.


11. Automagically link to your blog posts. An invaluable plug-in for Wordpress is the aforementioned Twitter Tools by Alex King. Besides getting a Twitter feed on your blog it can also post a link to your most recent blog post on Twitter whenever you publish. Its a terrific little feature and one that I've seen help drive traffic to this very website.


12. Keep the discussion going. Part of the sensation behind Twitter is the ongoing discussions that can take place. Some great rules to enact for yourself are answering Direct Messages that are sent to you in a timely manner and making sure to respond to Replies that are given to you. Generally, giving a reply to someone should always be in the form of @theusersname.


13. Get a hold of your stats. Its not an exact science yet, but there are a few services looking at giving us Twits an easy way to understand our stats and how they compare to other users. Given the nature and power of analytics for websites, I only see these services becoming even more valuable to us as we, as marketers, try to figure out what makes one Twit more successful over another.


14. Check out what folks are saying about you/your brand. Twitter is like any other social network in the sense that, if people are happy or pissed off with you, they'll generally share it with all of their friends. The main tool I use to see what is being said about my clients is Tweet Volume, its straight forward, fast and gives me great insight right away on what issues are arising. Some great alternatives are Tweet Beep, Summize, and Twist. Also, instead of having to check these sites all the time, you could just sign up for Twitter Alerts or Tweet Beep and get an email everytime your keywords show up on Twitter.


15. Reserve your name now. Even if you don't think you'll start becoming a regular Twit right away, its definitely a good idea to reserve your name. Right now Twitter feels like the early days of AOL Instant Messenger where everyone was trying to get the best name they could only to find out that they would have to be daniel30294. We're already seeing some squatting happening and I would never suggest you reserve a name that isn't affiliated to you in some way, but I'd definitely suggest sitting on a name for your company or maybe your side business before it gets snatched up.


16. Do some snooping. It may seem unethical, but we all have a voyeuristic nature to us - its only human! To apease this, one suggestion is to setup a rather generic and anonymous account that has no similarities to you at all. The pure use of it is to follow Twits that you don't want to know your identity. I have not engaged in this practice, but I could see how it could be valuable from a business stand point. To embellish on this, there are already some services popping up that alude to this trend in anonymity and snooping such as Overheard It and Secret Tweet. Use with caution and obviously don't ever do this to engage in any illegal activity - its not cool to be a big poo-poo head!


17. Passively watch Tweets throughout the day - Rather than get overwhelmed with the amount of Tweets that come through during a given day, it might be best to have them coming through in the background while you work. Chirp is an excellent screen saver that will show Tweets from your friends or from the main timeline. Twittervision lets you see where Tweets are coming from anywhere in the world. There is also a screensaver for Twittervision available. Lastly, for shits and giggles sometimes it fun to see what the Twitterverse's mood is today.


18. Share what you find on the Web - I'm always wanting to share links I've found throughout my day with my followers so I've found that a tool like Shareaholic works best for me. One thing I've been playing with recently is Twitter Lights that lets you highlight content on a webpage and share it with your followers - rather ingenious! If you wanted Twitter to act more like Pownce and be able to share files then you should give Tweet-r a try. Lastly, I find that at the end of my day its always fun to checkout Twitter Linkr so I can see all of the links that have been passed around that I might be interested in.


19. Use Twitter as a Utility Belt - The biggest issue I usually have on a daily basis is giving myself reminders for ideas and tasks that I've thought of as I am going about my day. The service I have found the most valuable is I Want Sandy but I've also hear good things about Retweet's Timer although I've never used it. For taking quick notes I often enlist the help of Twitter Notes. Some other things I use to help keep me organized and on the ball are: Commuter Feed which gives me updates on how traffic is going on my way to work; Twittercal which helps me keep track of my day; Track This to keep track of the packages I send to clients; and Fuel Frog to help me keep track of my mileage.


20. Keep spreading the love - Our last main point is that Twitter is all about community and sharing, so why not spread the love when someone helps you out or makes you feel great! Specifically, Foamee and Plus Plus Bot are the two I've found to be the most fun. So if you liked this post then I'm expecting to get a Foamee from you! Cheers!