Twitter is part of the social media phenomenon that took off in the middle of the last decade. This included some apps and websites that managed to gain the interest of a large number of people, initially mostly young people who enjoyed communicating with their friends online.

Things have changed a bit now, and businesses of all sizes and types are beginning to see the value in ‘being online’. What this has meant is that many businesses have rushed to connect and create a presence on a wide range of social media platforms. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. When it doesn’t work, companies regret having accounts on Twitter and Facebook, and tend to blame these platforms for their misfortune.

The truth of the matter is that companies can use platforms like Twitter effectively as long as they keep a few basic principles in mind.

As for getting an account, they are free. But if you plan to run a business, sign up as soon as possible for an account in your business name. There are many thousands of companies around the world, and chances are there is one that shares your company name. And you also don’t want your competitors to go online and register your business name.

So spend some time searching. This is one of the most important aspects of Twitter life, and is ignored by many of the platform’s users. Look up your competitors’ names first and see what they’re tweeting about. Even better, see what people are saying about them. This can help you, in the long run.

Next, look for keywords linked to your business, for example “car rental” if that’s what you do. This will allow you to see how Twitter works and what people are saying when they talk about your business.

Then start tweeting. Tweeting is the act of writing messages on Twitter and sending them to the platform. If people follow you, they will see your message. This is the stumbling block for many small businesses, who get excited at the prospect of having their corporate statements followed.

Many companies rush to twitter with the goal of tweeting as much as possible about their offering. This is the worst thing you could do as a business owner. You might see a lot of ads on Twitter if you go in and look at the general ‘public timeline’, but the vast majority of users recognize selfish spam for what it is and ignore it. The best thing to do when you have a Twitter account that is for your business is to take things as slowly as possible. Tweet several times a day, and whatever you do, don’t talk about your business until you have a few thousand followers. Talk about the weather, music, technology, whatever. Just don’t mention your latest sale discounts.

So here we go. Some basic tips. Go slow, search and watch what happens, and keep your business on the sidelines, at least for the first few weeks.