Who are you following? A brief primer

November 16, 4:03 PMInternet Business ExaminerEric Elkins

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I could write Examiner pieces about Twitter ad nauseum. In fact, many people these days are tweeting about Twitter. There are many, many resources where you can learn about Twitter tools, Twitter philosophy, or even Twitter cruelty.

I'm kind of sick of it, actually. Or maybe I'm just exhausted, trying to keep up with all of my friends, updating regularly, engaging in conversations, and hashtagging everything.

But that's not the point of this piece.

Even if you have no intention of sharing the minutiae of your existence, following people on Twitter is a very effective way of knowing what's going on in the world. Especially your world.

If you're a thought leader in your industry (or aspire to be one), if you own or run a business — or if you're very, very lonely — following conversations on Twitter can provide you with lots of insight, and even some laughs.

I recommend searching Twitter for keywords that are relevant to you, finding out who's saying what, and following the tweeps who you find engaging. You might be drawn into the conversation yourself. Twellow is an interesting way to find folks.

So here are just a few hints as you get started.

1. Don't be offended if someone doesn't follow you back. In the old days of Twitter (aka last year), it was customary to courtesy follow anyone who'd begun following your tweets. And, certainly, it doesn't hurt to do so. But you're under no obligation to follow a follower, and, until the people you're following get an idea of your Twitter personality, they may decline to follow back. I was wondering how many times I could squeeze the word "follow" into this paragraph.

2. Know the difference between a direct message, an @reply, and a retweet:

• A direct message goes directly to the person you're addressing. It is not public. You can't send a direct message to someone who's not following you. It's kind of like sending and IM or a text message to a friend. To send a direct message, type the letter 'd' plus the Twitter handle of the person you're addressing, then write your message:

D @RobMcNealy Where's my Otterbox, already?

• An @reply is a public message addressed to one or more Twitterers. It's an alternative to the direct message, but everyone can see it. This is a great way to engage in public discussion via Twitter. All you do is use the Twitter handle in your message, preceded by the @sign, like this:

@dalbee I can't get your mother to stop calling me. From Jail. Please go bail her out.

• A retweet is kind of like an email forward. You are furthering the message that someone else sent. "RT" is shorthand for retweet. Make sure you keep the original tweep's handle in the message:

RT @aaswartz: New Blogpost: The Power of Twitter and Sylmar Wild Fire News http://tinyurl.com/6au6z5

3. Shorten any URLs you use. Use a service like TinyURL, for instance, in order to fit more content into your 140 character message.

4. Find yourself a good Twitter client. You can always update and stuff from the website, but it's easier and more fun to track your friends via something like Twhirl or TweetDeck.

5. Don't be afraid. Have some fun. Start a conversation, ask a question, tell a joke. Find your voice in Twitter, find some interesting conversations, and you will soon be as addicted as the rest of us. (Feel free to follow me, if you can put up with it, @datingdad).

If you really want to know what people are saying about your business, or maybe even about you, track Twitter.