If 2012 is the year you decided to join Twitter or perhaps you’ve decided you’re not getting as much out of it as you’d like, then look no further, as the Buddha is here to help you find your tweet, I mean feet. (sorry, terribly bad joke) We’ve just produced our latest FREE download, ‘10 Twitter Tips To Get You Started‘ on our home page, which details some simple pointers on how to get the most of out of this popular social media network. So why not take a look, if you have any further questions, get in touch with us as we’d be more than happy to help! Click here to download a copy.

1. Tell the world you’re now on Twitter!

That doesn’t mean telling just your mates and your postman. Update your Facebook profile and Fan Page if you have one, put links on your website and blog. Ensure there are multiple ways for people to find and follow you.

2. Choose the right name.

Make sure you pick a name that looks official and allows you to be found easily. If you want industry people to take you seriously then @brianloveskittens might not be the best choice. If you can use your full name – great! Remember, people like follow individuals and brands they want to be associated with and recognise.

3. Follow people.

No physical stalking please. Just find people who interest you online and follow them on Twitter. Take the time to see who they follow, as it will help you discover a group of people with similar interests to yourself.

4. Interact with people.

Twitter is a conversation, if you don’t respond to people’s mentions or respond to their tweets, it will become a very unrewarding experience. Just talking about yourself is as much fun as standing on a street corner, holding a billboard that reads, “I’m REALLY interesting, honest.”

5. Tweet, tweet, tweet.

Be an active member of the Twitterverse in order to make an impression, so make sure you post regularly. People like to follow individuals who are informative, useful or simply funny. Try not to be mundane or irritating, as you will end up being perceived as spam (as in the unwanted messages, not the processed ham).

6. Retweet.

Read a tweet you liked? Spread the word and pass it onto your followers. Social media is all about sharing and it will help you gain more followers and give your followers an idea what interests you in the process.

7. Timing is everything.

Rush hour (8-9am and 6-7pm) and lunch time (1-2pm) are the most popular time for people to check Twitter, so why not eat your breakfast or sandwich and make sure your tweets are seen then and join in with people’s conversations.

8. Be nice.

Do favours for people, retweet their posts, respond to questions, offer advice and people will consider you as a valuable person to follow. It’s a great way to become popular, that and perhaps offering free cake.

9. Use the #hashtag.

Hashtags are simple way of ensuring your tweets reach a wider audience by inserting a ‘#’ in front of popular keywords or phrases people might be searching for, i.e. a favourite TV show, popular event or person, a political issue or if you want to be witty a saying, e.g. #thoughtsduringterriblesex

10. Follow Friday.

Twitter’s oldest tradition after the ‘Fail Whale’ (the image that pops up on error page when the Twitter server is over capacity). Every Friday, nominate the people you love to follow by tweeting their username handle e.g. @richardlecocq and include #ff hashtag.