8 Secrets To #Twitter Success #sm

1.  Work at it.  The biggest secret to Twitter success (and everything else).

2.  Give it time.  You won't "get" Twitter for a while. Stay at it.  Like riding a bike, you'll know when you've gotten it:  it'll start to be fun.

3.  Work at it.  Hey, wasn't that your first secret?  It was and is.  But, like riding a bike, once you "get" Twitter, you need to practice even more so that you have the confidence to go farther, try a few tricks, go to new places.

4.  Find mentors.  The emphasis is on the plural:  "mentorS".  My Twitter mentors are many.  Who (why)?

Ok, so I'm partial to @Alyssa_Milano  Wait!  As in 'Hollywood actress' Alyssa Milano?  Yep.  It's true.  Why?  Follow her.  Don't be stuffy.  You'll see a real star who bares herself to her friends and strangers alike, sharing what she thinks and always showing great compassion and humor -- and connecting.  Really?  Really.

@ChrisBrogan  He wrote the book on social media - well, one of them:  Trust Agents

@mayhemstudios  He's a social media hotshot, but he has a disarmingly relaxed approach to Twitter, sharing a mix of light-hearted stuff, with serious links.

@SteveRubel  You're not going to get excited following his stream, but you can count on him sharing some solid social media news.

@AskAaronLee  Student/marketer from Malaysia - "No average Joe"

@TweetSmarter  Because if you do, you will.

@AnnTran_  A simple pleasure. 

@markwschaefer  I love when a blogger puts meat into his posts -- real research.  That's the only way Mark tweets and blogs.

@mySOdotcom  We reconnected recently.  Like his candor and friendly approach to Twitter.

@Flipbooks  The energizer bunny of Twitter.  He's all over the place by way of subject, but goes toe to toe with @GuyKawaski (another mentor) in pumping out interesting content.

@jeanlucr  A French version of the energizer bunny.  About half his tweets are in French, the rest in English.  Constantly shares great social media content.

@buzzedition  @iconic88 @adamsconsulting @zaibatsu @LoriMoreno @webaddict  @DrJeffersnBoggs @joycecherrier ... We've all been together now for a while.  Good people.  And they're there especially when you need them. 

@2morrowknight  Get to know him.  A great guy.  His #TwitterPowerhouses series (of which I'm honored be an advisor to) has established him as Twitter's unofficial biographer.

@pramitjnathan and his alter ego @iampramit  Always good content and very decent guy.

@SocialNetDaily  @douglasi  @jeffbullas  Good, steady stream of social media content. 

My mentor picks all over the place.  There are MANY, MANY more....See who I retweet:  you'll find the others.

5.  Be yourself.  Share what you find to be important.  Follow your passion.  If you do, you'll connect and inspire others.  Don't forget:  it'll take a little time.

6.  Listen and learn.  Keep evolving on Twitter.  Listen to yourself and others and change as you learn.

7.  When people ask for help, do your best to help them.  Do this and you'll make some wonderful connections -- friends and business partners.  (Yes, Amy and Anne, this is where I mention ya!)

8.  Find a way to have fun.  Have fun!  Figure out what puts a smile on your face, then do it and share it on Twitter.  You will assuredly offend some (it's just how it works), but, rest assured, you will connect with others.  It's always those we connect with that really matter.

BONUS Tip:  Connect with me on Twitter!  :-)