OK, I admit it. I’ve been out of the loop. At least so far as Twitter is concerned. I just didn’t get it – why on earth would I, or anyone, want to zip out little snippets of ‘what I’m doing right now’ to the world, and who would care to read my snippets?

There are varying opinions on the value of Twitter, but I’ve decided to try it out for myself. Some folks feel it’s a complete waste of time, others believe it to be an invaluable marketing tool.

So I’m just a small tweet getting my webbed feet wet, but I’ve set aside my assumptions and judgments and joined a couple of hours ago.

As simple as the format is, there’s a lot to figure out – strategically, what is the best way to use this tool? How can I use it with integrity? Will it benefit my business? These are all questions I have, and will keep you posted on my Twittering experience.

What is Twitter?

Let’s back up a moment and start with a brief description about what Twitter is all about. In brief, Twitter is a social network that enables people all over the world to communicate with each other quickly and easily via short messages known as ‘tweets’.

In reality, it’s a very complex social network – more like a network of networks, fluid and ever-changing. The networks are created when new members initially connect with other members by choosing to ‘follow’ them. The member being ‘followed’ may choose to follow you back, or not. Thus, your little part of the network is composed of people whom you are following and who are following you. So following someone is rather like ‘friending’ someone in a forum or social community.

How Can I Benefit from Twitter?

That’s the structure of how things work. But the real question is, why would we want to follow another Tweeter? Ideally, the idea is to follow those with whom we’d like to share information with, and/or learn from. In a somewhat microcosmic parallel to the ‘real world’, it can take a bit of time and effort to discover those with whom we want to establish our Twitter networks. Not unlike our seeking meaningful friendships in our life, the hope is that in our Twitter network, we are able to share something of value.

Two Biggest Twitter Mistakes

And not unlike the ‘real world’, there are some whose primary motivation is to use Twitter in self-promotional, spammy ways. Those folks stand to be banned for abusing the intent of the community. Yet it can be a bit of a fine line, because many – or dare I say most – members of Twitter use it for marketing purposes.

The flip side of that coin is that, while you want to avoid being blatantly promotional, you also don’t want to be mundane. No one is going to be interested in what you had for lunch or when you’re going to bed. Our tweets should add value to the community.

In a nutshell. that summarizes the two biggest mistakes you can make on Twitter – being overly promotional, or banal and mundane. Twitter can be an invaluable tool if used properly. But we make it ‘invaluable’ by adding value.

Look for more posts on Twitter in the coming weeks, as I develop a usage guide for you based upon my own experiences and ongoing results.

Already Twittering? You can join my network here: http://twitter.com/KatBartone