Email & Coffee

I liken Facebook to a great house party: you invite friends and associates, play games, watch videos, share photos, listen to music and chat into the early hours of the morning.

But when it comes to Twitter, the art of tweeting may prove a challenge. If there is a party, it can be anywhere. For every tweet, there's a retweet or reply. And for all the hashmarks and unique usernames, there's but a few words and a tiny URL.

If Facebook is your gabby cousin, Twitter is the strong and somewhat silent type. But, don't be fooled. When all is said and done, Twitter is networking gold.

Behind every successful business venture lies a focused mission statement. While it's standard to root objectives within the content of an About Us/Mission web page, tweeting opinions, news and factoids, events, deals, tips, updates and so much more continues to serve your goals and substantiate connections with customers on various personal levels.

It may be surprising how 140 characters can well deliver brand enthusiasm. However, Twitter's strength lies in its ability to list short stories that tell the big picture.

Small businesses considering a Twitter launch or strategy will benefit through a little research. What types of conversations help demonstrate your brand and provide points of connection? Building that consistent message will retain customers and invite prospective followers of like-mind.

You are what you tweet, and this is a good thing!