Microblogging services allow users to share short messages called tweets. Twitter is a popular microblogging platform where users can share updates about their lives in 280 characters or less. While simple, microblogging can effectively spread information to a large network. Businesses use Twitter to broadcast news, interact with customers, and build their brand. Experts recommend businesses provide value to followers through useful, helpful tweets while avoiding complaints or spam.

1. Microblogging By Monique Ross

2. Twitter is a Microblog Service It is the simplest form of blog. But in simplicity there is often great power. “ A microblog differs from a traditional blog in that its content is typically much smaller, in both actual size and aggregate file size…microbloggers post about topics ranging from the simple, such as ‘what I'm doing right now,’ to the thematic, such as ‘sports cars.’” --Wikipedia

3. A Few Microblogging Services And, of course…

4. Twittering is an easy method of communication: you can share information with people that you wouldn't normally exchange email or IM messages with, opening up your circle of contacts to an ever-growing community of like-minded people. Twitter has many uses for both personal and business use. It's a great way to keep in touch with your friends and quickly broadcast information about where you are and what you're up to For business, Twitter can be used to broadcast your company's latest news and blog posts, interact with your customers, or to enable easy internal collaboration and group communication.

6. 10% of Twitter users account for 90% of all activity? (Harvard Business School)

7. The more followers you have, the more you tweet? (Sysomos)

8. Brazilians are the second largest population of Twitter users? (Sysomos)

10. International Flavor

11. Check out this interesting article! http://bit.ly/bvnPDV New entry on my blog: http://bit.ly/bvnPDV @JasonFalls do you like @Backupify? I've heard of it but never from someone I trust who uses it. It’s snowing in Austin and raining in New York. Something’s wrong! We just launched a new product! http://bit.ly/bvnPDV Info tweet Retweet Help tweet Six Types of Tweets RT @copyblogger Revised AP style guide http://bit.ly/bvnPDV Postman tweet You tweet Smiley tweet

13. Hiring

14. Traffic building

15. Professional networking

16. Publicity

17. News

18. Feedback

19. Peer relations

20. Competitive tracking

21. Mobile visibility$

22. Don’t… Flame or use abusive language Repeat personal or confidential information Talk about your gambling, drinking or other after-hours exploits Complain about clients or colleagues Repeatedly send the same tweet Twitter is public and searchable. People are listening!

23. Terms to know Tweet: A single Twitter message of 140 characters or less Profile: Your Twitter persona, including contact info and 160-character profile Follower: Unilateral relationship in which a person chooses to receive all your tweets Public Timeline: The globally visible Twitter stream @Reply: Public response to a single user that is directed to a special inbox for that user. Also appears on tweetstreams of that person’s followers Retweet: Twitter message forwarded to another member’s followers

24. Tips from the Experts Be useful. Be helpful. Be an authority Demonstrate you know your market Promote your work thoughtfully Share links and knowledge Alternate between something relevant to your business and something irrelevant. Comments on the tax season can alternate with notes about my passion fruits coming into season. Add “Follow Me on Twitter” to your emails, web site, and other communications Focus on one or two of your followers a day. Spotlight something about them in a tweet. They’ll notice.

26. Find other companies that are similar to yours and follow them. Their customers will start following you.

27. The smart way to market on Twitter: Don’t. Instead, provide value to others.

28. Always be positive. The quickest way to get me to stop listening to you is to constantly complain.

29. When the people you are following put out a tweet for help, answer back. Don’t let the it die in cyberspace.

30. If you ask for a RT (retweet) leave at least 15 characters so people RT’ing your message don’t have to shorten it.Excerpted from “137 Twitter Tips: How Small Businesses Get The Most From Twitter” by Small Business Trends (@smallbiztrends)

31. Advanced Tools Direct Message – Essentially a short, private e-mail (Both parties must be following each other). Hash tag – Text string that categorizes a tweet’s relevance to a theme. Examples: #fail, #tigerwoods, #obama, #macworld. Useful in organizing and trending Auto reply – Controversial practice of sending automated responses to new followers

32. Use Hash Tags To… Find people with similar interests Create conversations around a brand or event Create structured online events Monitor topics of interest Discover new sources and information

33. Word to the Wise Twitter has a very open architecture This is both good and bad A lot of Twitter apps don’t work or deliver questionable results 404 – Caveat Emptor Just don’t expect too much

34. Engage with the Experts 1.7 million followers 1.1 million followers 1.2 million followers 473,000 followers 980,000 followers

36. Comment upon and retweet their messages

37. Include their Twitter name

38. If they follow you, thank them

39. Ask for advice, input

40. It’s occasionally OK to ask for a RT

41. They know they’re important; don’t abuse the relationshipChecking out "Facebook and Health Ads" on @WEGOHealth : http://ning.it/93dQ6z Tweeps: I'm in front of a college journalism class. What shld these students know abt social media. RT @tshuttleworth: This is the golden age of engagement for book publishers. - Arianna Huffington #toccon

43. Ask questions, conduct market research

44. Collect ideas, innovations and feedback from social network

45. Customer service and retention

46. Humanize brand, increase staff retention, build team spirit

47. Expert exchange

48. Publish recent news

49. Advertise events, activities, products and promotions