Stop listening to Twitter experts

Just because someone takes a word and throws a “tw” in front of it does NOT make them a Twitter expert. Seriously. There are only two things that you need to get the most out of Twitter: common sense and a personality.

Twitter is basically just a simple form of communication, much like the telephone. Do you need anyone to tell you how to use the phone? Didn’t think so. So why do you need someone to tell you how to use Twitter? You don’t.

Just use some common sense.

Remember that Twitter is a public place. Anyone can see it once you’ve posted it, even if you delete it later. “Anyone” includes your boss, your ex-spouse, your babysitter, your neighbor, your son’s soccer coach, your mother-in-law, your daughter’s boyfriend…not just now but in the future too. So don’t say anything that you don’t want to become public knowledge.

Have a personality.

When I gain a new follower, I do a quick scan of their latest tweets. There are a few things I look for:

Are they updating often, or do their last tweets say things like “Happy Thanksgiving” or “Merry Christmas”?
Are they carrying on conversations, or are their tweets just about the mundane details of their own life?
Are they just here to spam everyone by posting nothing but links to a sales page or blog post?

If you’re not interacting on a consistent basis and contributing to conversations, then your Twitter account is just going to be very dull. Even if your tweets contain inspirational quotes and similar Deep Thoughts, its still just lifeless. When you log in to your Twitter account, think of it as walking into an informal dinner party or some kind of social gathering. You wouldn’t stand there talking to the wall about what you made for dinner every night last week, and you wouldn’t stand on a chair in the middle of the room spouting off scripture or random quotes from the latest Oprah book club selection.

I’m not saying that every tweet has to be an @ reply and that you shouldn’t share an inspiring thought or two. Conversations have to start somewhere, right?

So as long as you’re not totally blowing it like this chick who cost herself a job offer with just one Twitter post, don’t keep wasting your time reading every new blog post or e-book about “How To Use Twitter.” Just be yourself and you’ll be fine.

P.S. There are always exceptions, of course. Those blog posts that tell you how to use new Twitter tools or those Twitter accounts that post things like limited time kickass deals or breaking news can be a good thing.