10 steps for putting Twitter to use as a potent PR tool

Guidelines for engaging the social network and making your message hit home

Twitter has changed the way we get news and information. It’s now referred to as real-time news, and Google, along with other search engines, gives this real-time news top billing on its search results pages.

Twitter is used by millions—from celebrities to reporters to housewives and young adults. The time to ponder the value of being on Twitter has passed. What you need to do is figure out how to make it an effective PR tool.

1. Find your Tweeple. Listen to what people are saying on Twitter. (Twitter people = Tweeple) Use the Twitter search function or tools like Filtrbox and Trackur that can tap into the conversations around a particular subject. Learn what your community finds interesting and important.

2. Follow the people who are talking about you, your brands, your industry. Read their tweets for a few days and get to know what they tweet about and when they tweet. Use tools like Twitalyzer to get more information about people you think might be influential.