You’ve probably heard of Twitter. This micro-blogging platform exploded onto the scene about a year ago, and has been gaining popularity ever since. To use Twitter, all you have to do is sign in to the Twitter web site, then type a 140-character summary of what you’re doing at the moment. Once you hit enter, Twitter will display the information to whoever happens to be following you.

Why You Should Care

Well, Twitter can be a great marketing tool. For starters, it lets you connect with customers and prospects on a more intimate level. It broadens your reach by making you and your company visible to other Twitter users. It also provides a marketing platform to announce blog posts, podcasts, and other news.

The problem: Twitter is a social network. Therefore, you have to treat Twitter like a social network if you want to make it work for marketing your business. Sounds like common sense, but you’d be surprised by the number of business owners and marketers on Twitter who just don’t get it:

•   They twitter about NOTHING but their business and its offers.

•   They follow thousands of people, then unsubscribe when they don’t receive a “follow back.”

•   They don’t participate in conversations, nor do they start them.

•   They create a Twitter account, then disappear for weeks or even months at a time.

The good news: you don’t need to be a techno-junkie to market on Twitter the right way. You just need to use Twitter as a relationship-building tool.

Getting Your Tweet On

Let people get to know the real you, for starters. Don’t be afraid to Twitter about your daily life: do Mondays drag you down? Let the world know! Excited about the holiday weekend? Spill the details.

Second, converse with other Twitter users once in a while. Reply to their tweets. Ask questions, and answer other people’s questions when asked. Finally, never abandon your Twitter account for more than a few days at a time. If you find you just don’t have the time, you’re better off just deleting the account altogether. Otherwise you risk looking flaky.

Some internet marketers suggest following thousands of people in order to get a large following in return. While I know people who have gotten good results from this Twitter technique, I don’t recommend it.  I’d rather cultivate conversations with select people than try to keep up with 3,500 strangers.

That said, I love creating new Twitter relationships—let’s start one of our own! Tweet KellyWatson and tell me what you think of this post. Got any Twitter marketing tips? What about your Twitter pet peeves? Let me know. Happy Twittering!