There are many Twitter lessons to be learned and I recently learned from Shel Israel at the Third Tuesday Toronto social media event. It was an interesting session, so interesting that I bought his newest book, Twitterville. I enjoyed the book as it focused on specific situations where people have actually used Twitter which is a refreshing take as often people describe how it could be used. The stories in Twitterville aren’t just focused on how social media experts are using twitter, but on how many different types of people and organizations are using it. Some examples include;

• Dell a large corporation that has used it for sales and improved customer service
• Fundraising by Beth Kanter for causes in Cambodia
• A small café called Groundz in Houston connecting with customers

I have only been using twitter actively for a few months but I am encouraged by my interactions so far. One of the challenges for people that aren’t immersed in social media is how to get started.  Shel has some great steps listed in his book that I have followed as I have started to become more active. Shel’s 8 steps are;

• Show yourself. Put your picture and details into the bio
• Read first. Talk later.
• Post second. Follow later.
• Friends over stars.
• Avoid spammer stats. The worst thing is if you are following 1000+ people and are followed by four people.
• Have favourites.
• Take your time.
• Think neighbourhood. Try and connect to your geographic neighbourhood and your business niche.

Twitterville is an excellent read for people getting started with Twitter.