What is Twitter? Twitter is what you make of it.

I believe it is all of these and more.

I often say that Twitter is what you make of it.

In a previous post 10 Tips For Managing Twitter As Your Usage Increases on the blog of MrTweet, I listed 10 tips from the Twitter Pros Playbook that can help you better serve your customers, 140 characters at a time. Here are eight more tips to add to that list.

1. Use the SMS (short message service or text messages) to your mobile device sparingly.
You can still receive the full benefit of Twitter without using the SMS feature. I set my Twitter preferences for SMS for direct messages and check the device update box for a few friends and family members. When I follow someone, I rarely turn the device update button on, located under the follow button. I primarily use a third party mobile Twitter client for my mobile device.

2. Turn the “Protect My Updates” Twitter settings off.
If your goal is to gain quality followers, build relationships or communicate with customers, checking the “protect my updates box” defeats your purpose. It creates frustration from people trying to follow you and decreases your opportunity to gain new followers. If you feel the need to approve everyone who follows you because you are afraid you might receive spam or have stalkers, Twitter may not be the best tool for you. Twitter’s beauty rests in its open public nature.

3. Your Twitter bio is your elevator pitch.
Twitter allows you 160 characters to show case who you or your organization are in the bio section. Treat your Twitter bio as an elevator pitch, a concise, carefully planned, and well-chosen description about you or your organization. Think about the key words and search terms you want associated with your Twitter account. You don’t have to use full sentences. Phrases and lists are fine. Most people read your bio when they are deciding if they want to follow you. Be transparent and authentic with your bio description.

4. Your Twitter profile and background is your brand. Customize it.
Just as your Twitter bio is your elevator pitch, your Twitter profile and background is your brand. Think about it as your Web 2.0 business card. Consider branding it just as you would your blog or your Website. Twitter provides 12 profile templates in the design tab of your account settings. You have the ability to customize these backgrounds by making changes to changing the colors of the background, text, links, sidebar, and sidebar border. You can also tile an image or create a custom background. If you’re familiar with Photoshop, Templetatus provides a tutorial to give your profile a personal touch. There are many applications that provide free and low cost twitter profiles including Twitbacks, Free Twitter Designer, Twitter Gallery, Twitter Images and Twitter Patterns.

5. To maximize the opportunity for a RT, limit your tweet to 120 characters.
If you are tweeting information of value, people may want to retweet (RT) it to their network. Sending a tweet in under 120 characters creates the opportunity that your tweet may go viral. Tweeting with 120 characters allows 20 characters for the retweeter. Example: RT @JeffHurt

6. Twitter search is your friend.
Real time, real world and unparalleled at taking the pulse of the Web from moment to moment, Twitter search is your friend. Use the advanced features to narrow your search and find real time information recommended by others.

7. Review your new followers on a regular basis.
I try to look at my new followers daily. When I find followers that are trying to sell tips to gain a number of new followers in a specific amount of time, those who want to teach me how to make money on Twitter , and those that are porn sites or spammers, I block them. I do not automatically follow everyone that follows me and I choose to follow people that interest me or share information that I find valuable.

8. Report Twitter spammers with a direct message to Spam.
Follow @spam, they’ll follow you back. You can report Twitter spam by sending a direct message with the suspicious spammer’s name. Example: “d spam @getmoreTwitterFollowers.” Don’t RT the message to @spam or you might accidentally be suspended along with spam.

Note about Twitter spam: People seem to forget that Twitter is still young as an Internet application and is continuing to grow, mature and improve. Since Twitter has an open source API, I see the Twittersphere as a large community of like-minded individuals. Open source applications depend upon their users to help them improve and police the use of the software. We will continue to see spammers and hackers find new ways to try to get us to purchase their products or fall into their traps. Do your part to let Twitter know of spammers.

Bonus reminder: Have fun!

And remember, as I said at the beginning of this post, “Twitter is what you make of it.”