Along with Facebook and Google+, Twitter forms the “Big 3” of social media networks. Thus, Twitter marketing becomes a powerful tool for businesses and websites of all shapes and sizes – from the multi-national online retailer to the niche blog. It is certainly a must have for leveraging an online presence, visitors, brand recognition, and/or sales.

Taking advantage of Twitter requires some knowledge of best practices. Of course, knowing what not to do will help you determine a sound Twitter marketing strategy.

The following mistakes will kill your efforts : (1)

• You Don’t Have a Content Strategy
  Ignoring engaging content that can impact Twitter tops the list for Cournoyer. By placing great content on a blog and leveraging it with Twitter, companies can position themselves as a “thought leader in your field.” It’s a great way to drive visitors to your site.

• You Tweet Too Often or Not Enough
  Find that right balance with tweets. While some mention twice a day as that “sweet spot,” Cournoyer likes the five to 10 tweets per day mark.

• Your Tweets Are Too “Me-Focused”
  Talking about yourself too much will get you tuned out. Consider the 4-1-1 principle, which uses one tweet for your own content, another tweet that’s purely promotional, and four that share content from others around the Internet.

• You Lack Staff Involvement
  Encourage your staff to, at the very least, share content and promote the brand with Twitter and other social networks. You can get your staff involved more with Twitter, putting a face to the business and improving the idea of positioning the company as thought leaders.