Before we get started, let me just say one thing. I’m not here to tell you how to use Twitter. There are countless ways you can use Twitter for business purposes, and there is no such thing as a single “right way” to Tweet.

However, if you’re using Twitter for any sort of brand building purposes, there is a simple rule I think is very helpful to follow. I call it the “Who cares?” test.

Before you send out a Tweet, look at its content and ask yourself “Who cares?” Will your followers actually be interested in the Tweet? Is it something that’s useful, entertaining, or valuable to them in some form or fashion?

If the answer is “no,” then why would you Tweet it? I’m not saying that every Tweet you send out should be some earth changing Tweet that gets 1,000 RTs. But I am saying that if you make a habit of Tweeting things that your followers don’t care about, they will start to either ignore or unfollow you.

How can you tell if your Tweets pass the “Who cares?” test? Here are some easy questions to ask yourself before you submit the Tweet:

• Will any of my followers be likely to either RT or reply to this?
• Does the information in this Tweet have any relevance or usefulness to my followers?
• (Be objective) If someone else Tweeted the same thing, would I pay attention to it?

If you’re using Twitter to build your brand, you want to make sure that you’re truly worth following. I’m not saying you have to spend hours crafting your Tweets, but you do need to have an editorial eye when it comes to Tweeting. You don’t want to give people any reason to ignore you.

Look at your Tweets. Do they pass the “Who cares?” test?

It seems like any time we talk about Twitter, we focus on the reasons to use it. Conversations are always about the benefits, never about potential drawbacks or reasons not to use Twitter. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m definitely a firm believer that Twitter can be a powerful tool for increasing brand awareness, driving web traffic, generating leads, building trust with consumers and more, but I don’t think Twitter is right for every business.
Here are 3 reasons NOT to use Twitter for your business.

1. Your target audience doesn’t Tweet—While Twitter attracts a diverse crowd, the average user is somewhere in his early to mid 30s. Older users have been slow to adopt Twitter, instead preferring LinkedIn and even Facebook. What does this mean for you? It means there’s a chance your target audience doesn’t really use Twitter.

It’s time to dig up that business plan you stuffed away in some filing cabinet to look at the info about your target demographic. How old are they? How often do they use the internet and social networking? Are they using smart phones to stay mobile?

And if for some reason you don’t know who your target audience is (shame on you), check out this post for tips on identifying your target market.

2. You don’t have time to Tweet—You might already have quite a bit on your plate as it is. Tweeting takes time. It’s not just dropping an update here or there. Being successful with Twitter requires finding the time to interact with your followers and to respond to @replies and direct messages. Engagement is the key.

So, before you sign up on Twitter, you need to ask yourself:

• Do I really have time to Tweet?
• How much time can I realistically devote to Tweeting each day?
• Should someone else handle the company Twitter account?

On that note, check out these tips for increasing your social media productivity.

3. You don’t have a plan or goals—If you’re using Twitter for marketing purposes, you need to have a plan and clearly defined goals. This means figuring out:
• What do I want to accomplish with Twitter?
• How will I measure my results?
• How long will I give myself to reach certain benchmarks and goals?

If you don’t have any goals, then there might not be any point into creating a Twitter account for your business. You’ll just be blindly Tweeting away without a purpose.

There’s a great post on Mashable about creating a social media plan that I highly recommend checking out.

What are some other reasons businesses shouldn’t use Twitter?

Are you following too many people on Twitter? If you answered “yes”, go ahead and jump down to the second half of this article. If you said “I don’t know”, I can help you answer that question. Here are 5 common signs you’re following too many people on Twitter.

1. You can’t keep up with your Twitter feed—If you’re getting dozens of Tweets every minute, there’s just no way you can keep up with all of them. It’d be a full-time job. As a result, you end up missing out on the important Tweets you really care about. If you’re unable to keep up with the people you’re following, it’s time to trim down the list.
2. You only really pay attention to Tweets from a select group of people—Do you find yourself looking past a lot of Tweets just to find certain followers you’re really interested in? That’s a telling sign that you aren’t really interested in what most of your followers have to say. So, why are you even following them?
3. You haven’t interacted with most of the people you’re following—Isn’t the whole point of Twitter to interact with one another? If you have a bunch of people you’re following that you’ve never once interacted with, that probably means you aren’t interested in what they have to say (and vice versa), so you probably don’t have any real reason to follow them.
4. There are several people you’re following that you know nothing about—I’m following quite a few people, but I can go through that list and tell you something about each one of them. Can you do the same?
5. You follow back everyone who follows you—Just because someone is interested in what you have to say doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be interested in what they have to say. So, don’t automatically follow back everyone who follows you.

How To Trim Down Your List

So, you’re following too many people. Good news: Trimming down your list is pretty easy. Just follow these simple tips.

• Stop automatically following someone back because they follow you—The first thing you need to do is to make sure you don’t worsen the problem. Immediately stop following people back just because they follow you. Only follow someone if you have a good reason for doing so.
• Get rid of the people who you never interact with—Those people you never talk to or even pay attention to? Cut them. They serve no purpose.
• Unfollow the constant self-promoter—If you’re following someone who only Tweets links back to their blog or sales pages, ditch them. They aren’t adding any value to your Twitter experience.
• Cut inactive users—Sure, they aren’t clogging up your timeline, but there’s no point in following people who never Tweet. I’ve been told that MyCleenr is a great tool for identifying inactive users you’re following, but I’ve never personally used it. Can anyone verify if this tool is truly useful?

How do you keep from following to many people on Twitter? What criteria do you use to decide if you’re going to follow someone? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment.

I have seen an increase in sites using floating footer toolbars. I decided to do some homework and figure out how I could add a floating footer toolbar to some of my sites too. A floating footer toolbar is a program with a user interface that allows visitors to bookmark, save, or share information discovered on your site. One of the best floating footer toolbars I have found is Wibiya.

Using Wibiya you can boost your blog or website by adding rich and interactive features. It works on all the popular blogging platforms and also includes a universal javascript code that will work on any type of website. Using the toolbar can help you create a grow a community of returning readers or visitors.

Wibiya gives owners the option of creating a community using FaceBook Connect. It can also help you increase page views. You can gain traffic from FaceBook through your members news feeds and engage readers and raise pageviews with applications such as post navigator and blog search. Wibiya also has their own traffic growth and analytic tools so that you can track your traffic growth.

Communicating with readers and visitors is simple. With Wibiya, readers and visitors can share content using Twitter. Tweets can also be shared among other readers and visitors in real time. Short messages can be sent to members alerting them of new contents or posts on your blog or website. FaceBook fan pages can be created and members can join and communicate via a direct channel connection.

In Wibiya, these features are called applications and you’re able to custom build your toolbar to fit the needs of your blog or site. Available applications are simply dragged, dropped and installed onto your toolbar.

The available applications are:

• Blog Search, which can help you increase pageviews and reader engagement.
• Translations, which provides for easy content translation into one of twenty available languages.
• Post Navigator, which offers readers and site visitors easy navigation tools.
• Live Notifications, which broadcast alerts, messages, news, and more to all your visitors.
• Twitter Gadget, which will show your visitors live notifications of your latest twitter messages.
• Community (via Facebook), which gives you your own blog community with facebook connect, and allows users to join your community through their facebook account.
• Sharing Tool, which enables your visitors to share, save and distribute to your content through the AddToAny application.
• Register to RSS Feed, which gives your visitors the ability to subscribe to your blog through an RSS reader.

All in all, if you’re looking to add a floating footer toolbar to your blog or website, I recommend using Wibiya. At the time of writing this post, the toolbar is available via invite only; however, I received an invite less than 24 hours after registering. To get your Wibiya toolbar, simply register on Wibiya.com for an invite and wait for it to arrive in email.

So you would like to know how to learn more about Twitter? Technically speaking, Twitter is a free micro blogging service or social network that allows users to post short messages across their network of followers to read. As boring as this description may seem, Twitter has been fast to grow, attracting even famous people such as the President of The United States. Twitter is ranked as one of the 50 most popular websites online. So isn’t time that you stop fooling around and learn more about the site, and most importantly, what you can get out of it?

Fortunately, for you, and others who want to make the best of Twitter, there is a blog I just stumbled on while doing some article research that can help you learn everything about Twitter. The blog, ironically, is called TwitterFools.com. I found them the other day while searching the WordPress Plugins Directory. I happen to come across a newly released plugin created by the TwitterFools.com staff called, TwitterFools WordPress Trending Topics Plugin. Now, this plugin is pretty cool. What is does is displays Twitter’s most trending topics on your sidebar and allows your readers easy access to view these topics from your blog. Thus, making your blog more useful than your competitors.

But what else can you expect to find on TwitterFools.com. Aside from having a super fun and entertaining web design, TwitterFools.com is a very serious blog that doesn’t spend much time fooling around. Instead, they focus on providing readers with useful information. On their blog, you can expect to learn tips and tricks, discover various tools, and even learn how to make money using Twitter. Of course, you can also follow current events and news happening with Twitter. Also if you have ideas of your own and you’d like to share, TwitterFools.com invites you to submit your tips. TwitterFools.com seems to be a very well rounded blog with an excellent community of readers and contributors.

So all in all, if you’re looking for a super nice blog with amazing information and resources about Twitter, I would recommend making TwitterFools.com one of your regular daily reads. Oh and when you subscribe to their newsletter, the staff is going to get you a free copy of their Official TwitterFools Guide. Also, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to follow TwitterFools on Twitter. I’d be kind of silly not to. So take a look at the blog, and then share what you think in the comment below.

Image credit: scottwesterfeld.com

Tell me if this sounds familiar. You have hundreds—maybe even thousands—of followers on Twitter, yet every time you send out a Tweet, you get no response. It’s as if you’re Tweets are on mute. It seems like no one is seeing them; or worse yet, they’re seeing them but they just don’t care about what you’re saying.

So, what gives? What can you do to make people start noticing your Tweets?

Here are some tips to get you noticed on Twitter.

1. Focus on building relationships—I follow quite a large number of people on Twitter, and honestly, I don’t fully pay attention to each and every Tweet that pops up. You know which ones I do pay attention to almost every time? It’s the ones that come from people I know (whether I know them in real-life or just online). See, if you focus on building relationships with your followers, they’ll start to pay more attention to what you have to say. If there isn’t a meaningful connection between you and your followers, you’ll just blend in with all the other Tweets.
2. Connect with like-minded people—Remember earlier when I said it could just be that no one cares about what you’re Tweeting? One cause of this is connecting with the wrong people on Twitter. See, some people approach Twitter with an attitude of the-more-followers-the-better. Depending on your goals, that might be okay. But for me, I’d rather focus on getting quality followers than just quantity. By connecting with people who are truly interested in your niche, your followers will actually pay attention to your Tweets.
3. Tweet regularly—It’s sad, but it’s true: if you don’t Tweet on a daily basis, your followers will forget about you. If you’re absent too often, they might just drop you from their list. That’s why I recommend trying to Tweet at least a few times a day.
4. Tweet relevant content—Of course, Tweeting a few times a day is pointless if you aren’t providing quality content. Remember, Twitter is all about being a part of the conversation. So, to get your Tweets noticed, make sure you’re talking about relevant topics. For instance, if a group of your followers are engaging in a discussion about strategies for marketing a small business, a Tweet about tying your shoes will probably get lost in the shuffle.
5. ReTweet for others and they’ll ReTweet for you—Okay, so this isn’t a hard and fast rule, but there is something to be said for the power of giving. I know when I see someone ReTweet my content regularly, I’m much likelier to help them out in the future.
6. Create an eye-catching avatar—When your dashboard is flooded with Tweets, it can be hard to discern one person from another. That’s why a truly unique avatar is so effective. It cuts through the crowd, making you immediately stand out. Just make sure the avatar you choose makes sense for your brand.
7. Use compelling headlines for links—In a way, getting people to notice your Tweets is no different than any other form of marketing. It all comes down to creating great headlines that beg to be clicked. So, when you’re Tweeting a link out to a blog post, article, video, or picture, make sure you follow these tips for improving your headlines instantly.

What do you do to stand out on Twitter? Share your best tips with me in the replies!

If you’ve been on Twitter for more than 5 minutes, you’ve undoubtedly seen people dropping links in their Tweets. Do you click on them? If not, why don’t you? Better yet, are people clicking on the links you Tweet out?

Here are some tips for getting those links a little more attention.

1. Don’t be a Spammer- Try your best to be altruistic with your links. In other words, make sure they add value to the user experience of those following you. This means every link you drop shouldn’t be back to your website. Sure, you can link to your own content, but do so sparingly lest everyone think you’re a spammer.
2. Don’t Link without a Title- This should be common sense, but based on what I’ve seen, it’s not. Don’t just Tweet out links without including a title or brief description of the link. There is absolutely zero chance of me clicking on a random link.
3. Start a Discussion- One of the best things about Twitter is the ability to engage in live discussions with your friends. So, instead of just dropping a link and running, try to start a conversation around it. Give your opinion on the content you’re linking to; ask your followers for their thoughts; or if it’s controversial, stir up a little excitement. Remember, interactivity is one of the keys to social media success.
4. Look at the Trends- Relevance is another key to being successful on Twitter. That’s why I recommend using Twist or any other tool that allows you to see the latest trends on Twitter. By being in tune with the latest buzz, you can leverage your links at just the right time. Stay with the times; or get left behind.
5. Tweet when People are There- On Twitter, timing is everything. Obviously, you don’t want to Tweet when your followers are sleeping. Of course, you also don’t want your Tweets to get lost in the peak hours shuffle. So, what should you do? The best thing you can do is keep an eye on your Twitter feed to see when there are gaps in the conversation for you to jump in. Obviously, business hours are best because that’s when most people are around. So, keep your eyes peeled for openings, and be ready to take advantage.
6. Help Others Out- It’s a tired but true adage; you have to give if you want to receive. Help others out by retweeting their posts and by linking out to their content. It sounds silly, but people really do take notice and remember when you help them out online. It strengthens your relationship, and it will pay off when they click and retweet your links.
7. Get More Followers- We end this list with the most obvious tip: if you want more clicks on your Tweets, get more followers! It only makes sense that you improve the chances of people clicking on your links with the more followers you have. Read these 8 tips for getting more followers on Twitter.

Now, start Tweeting!

The social media craze is at an all time high, and Twitter is at the forefront of it all. Although most of you reading this probably already have a Twitter account, I thought it’d be a good idea to help newbies get started on this social networking site. Hopefully, after reading this blog you’ll be well on your way to Tweeting to all your friends throughout the world.

What is Twitter?

Before I can help you with getting started on Twitter, it’s probably best to explain what it is. In short, Twitter is a social networking site that allows users to broadcast brief messages (under 140 characters) to all of their followers. The characters limit forces users to get to the point quickly. In short, it’s a great way to get time sensitive information out in an easily digestible format.

Your followers can then respond to your Tweets. One of the great things about Twitter is that responses come very quickly. It’s almost like a mixture of blogging and chatting.

Setting up Your Twitter Account

The first step to setting up your new Twitter account is to visit www.twitter.com. On this homepage, you’ll see a link for getting started and joining the network. Simply click this button, and you’re on your way to becoming a Tweeter.

From there, you fill out a basic form with your username, password, and email address. Consider what you want out of your screen name before you choose it. Is it for your business? Or is your account just for personal functions? Choose a name that best meets your needs.

After completing registration, it’s time to fill in your profile. Like everything on Twitter, brevity is the key. Include a link to your homepage and a short bio about you or your company. Since this is an SEO blog, I recommend placing a relevant keyword or 2 in your bio section. This will help users with similar interests find you.

Finding People to Follow

On Twitter, you “follow” people you’re interested in. I recommend following people who have similar interests. If you go through just blindly adding people, you’ll be forced to browse through a bunch of irrelevant Tweets every time you sign on.

To find people to follow, simply search for what you’re interested in. For instance, let’s suppose you were looking for fellow Houstonians who are into SEO. Search for Houston SEO, and see what users come up. When you find someone who interests you, click the “follow” button to add them as a friend.

Making Your First Tweet

At first, you’re bound to find the 140 character limit to be very restrictive. However, it’s a great way to ensure you’re not using a bunch of filler in your content. It keeps you on point.

I recommend finding good articles that your followers might be interested in reading and linking to them in some of your Tweets. Too many people get caught up in the notion of using Twitter to promote their own content. By linking out to sources other than yourself, you establish yourself as an authority in your industry. It also keeps you from looking like a spammer who is only interested in advertising their products and services.

By now, you have the information you need to get the ball rolling on Twitter. There is a lot more to using this network, but we’ll save that information for future posts. Start Tweeting, and you’ll get a feel for how great this social networking site really is.

Also, feel free to follow me at http://twitter.com/Eric_Brantner