Do you think that people who are able to successfully expand their network using Twitter share any habits or common traits?

If you had asked me six or seven months ago, “What is the value of Twitter?” I probably would have responded with something to the effect of, “Itís a great way to let people know when you are making coffee or sitting in traffic.”

However, after quite a few months of participating, networking, and most importantly, learning, I am now a firm believer that when used properly Twitter can be an extremely powerful addition to a comprehensive social media strategy.

For the newbie Twitter user it can be difficult to know where to begin or how to constructively increase the number of followers, and as such, I drafted this post with the beginner in mind. People like you and me who are somewhere between ëjust creating a profileí and a couple hundred followers.

Also, if you are like me, I am assuming that you want to be an active participant and wish to grow your network for collaborative or creative opportunities. Specifically, you would like to use Twitter as an online tool to connect with people all over the world.

With the above in mind, and until someone (Google, Chris Brogan, YOU?) creates an algorithm that will quantify “effective Twitter users,” my analysis is based on watching the Tweeting habits of regular users and not only the elite “Twitterati.”

10 Traits of Highly Effective Twitter Users

So, subjective as it may be, my observations over the past couple of months show that there are some common characteristics amongst those who seem to be effective users of this service and they are as follows:

• Be welcoming & friendly – say hello to your new followers or folks that you would like to get to know.

• Engage people – ask questions and respond to queries that interest you.

• Be humorous – funny Tweets really help to break up the timeline.

• Inform – provide useful information and news items.

• Regular time – tweet at a regular time and in a consistent voice.

• Monitor self-promotion – it is fine to promote your projects and work, but nobody likes to be spammed all day .

• Promote others – “retweet” liberally and highlight good work.

• Link in post – link to other Twitter users that you would like to connect with in blog posts.
• Listen – there’s no need to dominate the conversation all the time, so spend some time just reading what others are saying/Tweeting.
• Be human – not always obvious but most important, being a “real” person is probably the most important trait of any effective Twitter user.

How about you? Have you noticed any traits or habits of effective Twitter users? What are they?

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.



10 Traits of Highly Effective Twitter Users

Did you just take the big leap and open your first Twitter account? Is it for work, business, or pleasure?

A few months ago I joined Twitter, primarily as a way to network, but also to help people, and as a way to promote Train for Humanity and my small business.

When you start using Twitter for the first time it can feel a bit overwhelming, almost like entering a really crowded train station during rush hour on a Friday afternoon. There are lots of conversations and commotion going on everywhere, but you are in the station by yourself, an outsider, and certainly not a participant.

Of course, I went through the usual routine that I assume most newbies go through. I started following some names and faces that I recognized from around the web and I also added some of my early adopter, real life (i.e. non-internet) friends.

However, I quickly realized that if I was going to make the most of this new tool then at some point I would need to know who the thought leaders and trust agents were and begin to follow them. Perhaps, even more importantly, I was going to have to engage in tweet conversation with them.

Where do you begin?

Twitter can be an amazing networking tool, nevertheless, the problem most people face when they first sign up is they don’t necessarily know who they should be following or where they should look to find the leaders (Tweaders?).

Additionally, the thought of connecting with the major Twitter players can be semi-intimidating at first, but even to this day, I am consistently amazed at how accessible people on twitter are. (Even those users with over 20,000 followers.)

To help make your transition into Twitter a bit more welcoming, below I have listed ten people that all Twitter beginners should be following.

The individuals on this list have not been statistically quantified as the most influential, however, they all have large followings and the messages that they tweet are typically filled with value.

In no particular order, they are as follows:

1. Guy Kawasaki: @guykawasaki – Twitter Bio Online magazine editor.
2. Jeff Pulver: @jeffpulver – Twitter Bio Technology Anthropologist”; Entrepreneur; Early-Stage Seed Investor; speaker, Living in Social Media.
3. Chris Brogan: @chrisbrogan – Twitter Bio Social media type, but love the emerging enterprise tech space, too.
4. Liz Strauss: @lizstrauss – Twitter Bio Social Web Strategist – I show businesses & universities how to choose and use social media tools to make business growth faster and easier.
5. Jim Long: @newmediajim – Twitter Bio New media soul trapped in an old media body.
6. Brian Solis: @briansolis – Twitter Bio http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Solis
7. Laura Fitton: @Pistachio – Twitter Bio Much excitement and geekiness about where this all leads.
8. Steve Rubel: @steverubel – Twitter Bio (from website) Exploring how emerging technologies are revolutionizing marketing communications.
9. Robert Scoble: @scobleizer – Twitter Bio Tech geek blogger @ http://scobleizer.com.
10. Gary Vaynerchuk: @garyvee – Twitter Bio I do this: http://tv.winelibrary.com and I care about this: The health and happiness of my Family and Friends. Keep it simple!

As an added BONUS, you probably ought to follow