The dos and don't for Twitter whether you're an individual or in business

1. The do and don’t guide Ian Green, GREEN Communications, May 2010 Twitter For Business

2. DO understand what other businesses are doing on Twitter and what people are saying about you and your business and organisation…

3. DO use Twitter search engines for keyword searches around brands, products and topics of interest to you and your audiences

4. Twitter Best Practice DO follow Twitters with similar interests to establish a brand presence within the conversation

5. DO use Twitter to start a conversation

6. DO be dedicated to Twitter. Having more than one employee on Twitter will ensure an ongoing company presence

7. DO ask questions and get useful feedback from your followers

8. Twitter Best Practice DO engage consumers in co-creation and get constructive insights for future company developments or publications

9. DO follow the Blogger Code of Ethics within all things social media. Which means…

11. DO spread the word about Tweets in your email signature, send out your Twitter URL, to co-workers, peers and even customers

12. AND DON’T EVER DO THIS

13. Twitter Best Practice DON’T use Twitter to push ads or brand messaging. Don’t just Tweet. Listen and follow others to join in or start a conversation

14. DON’T use Twitter to tell your everyday tasks, make sure your Tweets are resourceful, entertaining or valuable to your followers

15. DON’T be boring!

16. DON’T panic if you’re ‘Twitter-Jacked’, instead contact the Twitters and find out their reasoning before taking action - they could turn out to be your biggest fans…

17. DON’T REPEAT - don’t Tweet anything about clients, friends, etc. that you would not want them to see - this is a good way to burn your reputation and lose customers

18. Happy Tweeting