Twitter is the place to be online at the moment. Many business owners know that they should be on Twitter, but sadly, very few use it correctly. They are either not using it at all or if they are using it, they are disappointed with their results.

Here are some Twitter basics:

Twitter is a simple microblogging platform. Each post or “tweet” has to be 140 characters or less. Instead of friends, Twitter has whats called “followers.” You follow someone and they can follow you. Unlike Facebook or My Space, the “friends” don’t have to be mutual. You can follow someone without getting followed back and vice versa.

Twitter has its own set of abbreviations. If you are replying to someone else’s tweet publicly, you will use @theirusername. This is very similar to the “reply all” feature that your email program has. Yes, the person you are replying to will see it, but so will all your other followers. If you want to reply privately, use the direct message feature instead.

Twitter also has something called “retweets”. This is like when you forward an interesting email to your friends. These tweets will say RT@orginalusername in the beginning of the tweet.

Now that you have a basic understanding of Twitter, here are some ideas of things you should and shouldn’t be tweeting.

A lot of people like to post simple little things like “I’m at the store”. That sort of thing is a real waste of time as a business owner. Don’t do it. Show value or keep quiet.

You should also avoid putting blatant pitches in your tweets. Your specials and coupons  are ok, especially if you decide to make the special exclusive to your followers.

The real secret to Twitter is adding true value without sales pitches. This is where most business owners fail on social media. Add in tips related to your industry. If you can make people say, “wow, this person has great tips” you are on the right track.

This is easier than you think because there are several tools that you can use to automate this process. I will be going over the best ones soon. Stay tuned!