[donsnfury]

Twitter is a fantastic social networking tool that can explode your business but you need to follow a few guidelines so you don't waste valuable time. That being said, Twitter can be a little overwhelming and confusing to someone who is just starting with it and you don't want to go in circles wasting time.

So here are the 5 basic tips for you if you are just starting out with Twitter.....

1. Figure out what you want from Twitter. Do not want it for personal reasons (such as keeping in touch with friends and family)? Do you want it to help increase traffic to your blog? Do you want to find local customers? Getting your purpose straight will help you focus.

2. Start following people. (All this means is that you sign up to receive their messages and you can message them back.) If you follow them, they will most likely follow you. Thank people when they follow you.

You can use the search feature (www.search.twitter.com) and find the people you want - just put in the search terms you are looking for. If you want to find dog owners in Chico, go for it. If you want to find local people to network with, that's fine, too. Just search.

3. Be interactive and send messages out to people. Make sure you ask and answer questions and give value to the community. You don't have to say anything profound - just relevant.

4. Start "tweeting" right away. The best way to get followers is to say something - your tweets will come up in searches, so make sure you say things that reflect you well. Say things that are relevant and not just sending out sales pitches. Don't be afraid to give a word of encouragement or a suggestion to someone.

5. Do not send "spam" messages! If all you do is send out tweets that scream, "Buy from me! Buy from me!" you will quickly lose followers. Just don't do it!