To "Tweet" or not to "Tweet" that is the question...

No, really it isn't (having tried to post this story for ages the question maybe ought to be "why is Blogger so ....?" ;-)).

Done well, Twitter can help your marketing efforts. Even though recent research has shown that there is a 60% drop-off rate within the first month, there is still a huge - and engaged - audience waiting to be tapped into. If you're still wondering whether Twitter is for you, I would recommend you read Syed Balkhi's excellent piece on why you should join and his follow-up to those who are already using it: 25 Tips to Increase Your Influence and Gain Followers on Twitter.

One of the key lessons from all of this, in my humble opinion, is really the key point that it's not about quantity, but quality. If you're selling a product or service, it's more important to have actual customers and/or prospects following you than it is to have loads of disinterested "followers" who think Twitter is the new MySpace and want to follow EVERYBODY. Look instead at how you can engage with your audience by adding value in your tweets, answer key questions and concerns and look at how you can build a loyal fan base who will give you good "word of mouth" to relevant others.

Happy tweeting - or should that be twittering...?