If you are using Twitter for business purposes you will need to know how to communicate with people on the Website. Social networking information is available everywhere, but here are a few key things to know about Twitter that will help you use it more effectively from the start:

• Using the DM. DM stands for direct message. Think of this as your inbox or e-mail on Twitter. When you send something this way (or receive it), the content is between you and the person you are communicating with. It is private. A key thing to remember is that you can only send messages to those who are following you.
• Using @username. This is another way to send messages on Twitter, but it is a public one. Simply type the @ symbol and then the person's user name that you want to message and the information you send will appear on their home page. People can also contact you the same way.
• Using the RT. RT stands for retweet and it is a way to share information with others that you picked up on Twitter. Be sure to type RT and then include the person's @username that first posted it before sharing. It's considered polite.

These are some of the main ways that people communicate on Twitter, and it is a good idea to get comfortable with them. Practice a bit and soon they will become a natural part of your social media strategy.

Your Twitter bio is more important than you may think. Many people decide whether or not to follow someone based on the bio they read. According to HubSpot, those with a great bio can get up to 8 times as many followers. If you want to put your best foot forward, be sure to word yours carefully. Consider the following before putting the bio together:

• Remember that you only have 160 characters.
• Think about what you want to communicate to those who find you on Twitter.
• Consider various keywords that you can use to get your message across without being "wordy".
• Think punchy. You don't have to use complete sentences. Web 2.0 social networking has more flexible rules when it comes to this kind of thing.
• Put the most important information first–people may only get through a bit of what you write before they decide if they want to follow you.
• See what other people in your field are doing. There is nothing wrong with basing your bio off of one that you like.
• Remember that you can change it. If you feel like your bio isn't doing the job for you, switch it up.

Your Twitter bio is one of the first things people read about you. Make sure yours is communicating what's most important by taking the time to craft it well.

Managing your Twitter account can be a bit of a challenge–especially if you have only a limited amount of time to devote to social media development. TweetDeck can be a great tool to help you stay on top of what is going on with your online presence, as well as assist you in customizing your Twitter time. Think of it as a "Twitter browser." TweetDeck allows you to save searches, connect with Facebook friends and organize your friends and followers by column. It works with either Windows or Mac, so no matter what platform you are on, you can use it.

TweetDeck is free, which is nice, because you can try it out to see if you like it before using it exclusively. Many people find that it makes their social networking time more efficient. There is also an iPhone application for this site, making it easy to use on the go as well if you have one. There are a number of useful features this Website offers, so if it sounds interesting, take a peek at http://tweetdeck.com/beta/ and decide for yourself if you think it could be useful in managing your social networking time.

A retweet (or RT) is basically a way for you to share information you have gathered from other sources on Twitter and give them credit along the way. This is a common tool used in this social networking space, and it can help call attention to your profile and get you noticed by more followers. Retweeting isn't hard to get the hang of, so it pays to learn how to do it. Here's a quick primer for you:

• Cut and paste the tweet that you want to share into your text box
• Before the post, put the letters RT
• After you put RT, give credit to the original poster by using the @ symbol, plus the user's name (for example: RT @usersname).

That's all there is to it! Retweeting is a great way to share any helpful information that you come across on Twitter. This makes your tweets more valuable than if they were only marketing information. If you can create a nice mix of posts by both promoting yourself and sharing information, you will be using this Website to your best advantage.

Have you heard of "Twibes"? If not, you may want to check the site out. Twibes are designed to help you use Twitter more efficiently. You can search for and join Twibes (groups) that are related to interests you have or oragnizations you belong to. This Website can be a great networking tool for designers and creatives. Being a member of a Twibe can do everything from help you from improve your social media impact to assisting you in a job search. There are categories that you can search to find the most appropriate group to join.

The other thing you can do with Twibes is start a group of your own. There is no cost to form a Twibe, and setting one up is simple. You'll need to think of a name–try to pick something where people will understand what the group is without too much trouble if possible. The nice part about using Twibes is that you can communicate with your own group without putting it out on Twitter. Take a minute to check out this Website and see if it is something you can use to your advantage. You can find it at www.twibes.com.