Twitter by Design

"The qualities that make Twitter seem inane and half-baked are what makes it so powerful" - Jonathan Zittrain, Harvard law professor and Internet expert

If someone asked you to describe to them what Twitter is, what would you say. It's probably one of the most misunderstood mediums of social networking ever invented. Once you learn the ropes, it's easier, but it's a difficult concept to grasp at first.

So how do you learn Twitter by just hanging out and posting. You don't, really. You have to understand some of the basic principles and really know the tools to use to be able to create your Twitter By Design empire.

So lets start by talking about some basic tips on posturing your tweets. Think about someone whose tweets you enjoy reading. What traits are contained in their words. Chances are they will be at least a few of the following:

* Always be friendly and engaging.
* Tweet in real time. Talk about things that are happening now.
* Know your followers. Ask questions. If you ask, they will answer.
* Find your voice. Don't try to be like someone else.
* Go back to when you were small and use that kind of language.
* Never try to impress with big words! (This is so important)
* retweet liberally
* Always be thinking about the needs of your followers
* . Most Importantly, NEVER EVER SPAM

Let's talk about RT's (Retweeting). Are you doing it. If not, maybe it's because you just don't understand how.

Retweeting is simply taking a post that someone else did and "retweeting" it, or broadcasting it, to your followers because you think it has value.

The proper form for a Retweet (RT) is this:

RT @original tweeter: Their original post - some words of wisdom from you about the post

(The extra words aren't necessary, but they add a little extra credibility if there's room).

If you're using the TweetDeck (www.tweetdeck.com) you can just click on the retweet button and add your own little words of wisdom at the end. It puts the whole tweet in proper form at the top for you.

What good is retweeting and what will it do for you and your branding process?

Retweeting content from another poster will help you create a bond with that person, which may ultimately lead them to retweet you, provided you are posting content worth retweeting. (It all comes down to value and content).

Retweeting content to your followers will lead them to good content from other tweeters. This will build your credibility with your followers also.

On that same topic, don't ever feel like sending your followers to another tweeter's site or blog will lose followers for you. You can only hike yourself up a notch in their eyes and position yourself as more of an expert to them.

A word of caution, don't ever retweet content that you don't believe in or find interesting yourself. Like attracts like. You don't want to start putting out content that's not truly "you," simply because you will begin attracting followers that are not on your wavelength. Keep it real and all will be good.

Most important, JUST HAVE FUN! Join the party and have a blast!

Debbie Wood is just an average, ordinary person who is creating an empire using the Power of the Internet, and showing others how to do the same.