So, to answer that question I have compiled the top 12 reasons you should be Twittering. Indeed why you should WANT to be Twittering!

1. Gain first hand social networking experience. There is no end to the possibilities of social networking and new technologies and unfortunately there are way too many people out there willing to jump on the bandwagon and declare themselves expert. Except for the minor little lack of having NO EXPERIENCE whatsoever in new technologies!

2. Twitter is faster than texting. Seriously it’s like a massive text messaging system, and a mass text is like your updates, and a private text is your DM’s. @replies are to specific people, but they show up in the universal time line. See? So really the only time you need to text someone is if you get a message outside of Twitter.

3. You’ll meet new people and make new friends. Whether it’s just exchanging Tweets, or you meet up with new friends for lunch and a coffee, your Tweeps can have an impact on your life in both big and small ways.

4. Speaking of friends, Twitter will allow you to see them in new ways as yet unexplored. Because of the ambient intimacy that Twitter sparks in people, it tends to ‘humanize’ them. On any given day you can see that one of your friends goes through periods of happiness, frustration, boredom, etc just like you and everyone else. That’s important because it makes us feel like we are not alone in this world!

5. You’ll become a better writer. Because of Twitters 140 character limit for Tweets, it forces you to get creative in what you say in order to get the message across. It also forces you to be concise and to the point, rather than throwing a lot of extraneous words around. This makes YOU a better writer and your readers very happy.

6. Twitter keeps you connected. It makes it fun and easy to stay in touch with family and friends, whether they live an hour away or halfway across the world. No matter how busy you are, there is always time to drop off a Tweet to your mom or a DM to your best friend in Thailand.

7. You can keep up on all the hottest trends and latest fashions in just about every category of merchandise. You can also keep up with what’s cool in the way of books, restaurants, and night life in a certain area, just to name a few. Because Twitter is real time, you are keeping up with what is hot and current RIGHT NOW, not what was hot and current two weeks ago when the magazine went to press.

8. Twitter can make you more thoughtful and aware of yourself and your life. When you answer the question ‘What are you doing?’ you are giving yourself a few moments to reflect on the answer. You start to see yourself through the eyes of your followers, which makes you that much more aware of yourself and what needs improvement.

9. Twitter doesn’t cost a dime. In terms of investment, the only requirement is a bit of time, and even that is fairly negotiable. You can devote just 10 minutes per day on Twitter, and still grow a nice following.

10. Brand yourself and your business with Twitter. Branding yourself happens by customer interaction and people seeing and hearing your name and associating it with your product. With Twitter, it is very easy to brand yourself and spread the word, building both your celebrity and your business at the same time.

11. Twitter can increase your blog or website traffic. Especially as you Tweet more and build your following, but also due to RT’s, Twitter is great for generating traffic and interest in your site. It has a bit of a viral effect, and since using Twitter myself, I have seen quite an increase in traffic to my site.

12. And finally? Twitter is just downright fun. Think of it as a sort of one big chat room, where you can talk with like-minded individuals, share creative ideas, read inspirational quotes, and just interact with fellow Tweeps on a very engaging level. Don’t believe me? Why not give it a try for yourself? I predict that before you know it, you yourself will be a member of Twitaholics Anonymous, and darn proud of it too!

Now, if you still don’t feel the need to tweet in spite of all the reasons above, well, get back to your x-box and zone out

Mr. Twit R. Muscle

Twitter Assistant

Think of your bio as your opportunity to tell the world a little something about you that they may find interesting. The more interesting you sound to people who read your bio, the more likely they will be to follow you and be interested in your Tweets.

It’s a bit like window shopping. If you were window shopping for followers, what would entice YOU to follow you? What would make you interesting to YOU? You must consider that angle when creating your bio in order to get the best result possible.

That being said, here are a few practical tips to consider when creating your bio. Remember that you only get 160 characters to tell the world about you.

Those 160 characters should include a keyword or two relevant to your business that will help folks find you, as well as your name if your user name happens to be an alias. It should also include the URL to your quality website.

Remember to NOT use all caps when creating your bio, as in the on line world this is considered ’shouting’ and really tends to make your bio a bit difficult to read. Also, don’t try and fit more words in by runningallyourwordstogetherlikethis. Seriously this will completely turn off any potential followers and it does you no favors whatsoever.

Have a lot to say though and the 160 character limit just isn’t cutting it? There is a work around. Create an account at www.tweetspinner.com. It will allow you to create more than one bio and rotate them around on a periodic schedule. This way you can include even more cool facts about yourself to entice followers into becoming one of your Tweeps! Handy huh?

Some other things to keep in mind when creating your bio is to avoid flaunting your ego. Don’t boast as you will just look like a jerk and turn off potential followers. Be friendly, engaging, and interesting. Those are the magic 3 ingredients to the perfect bio, and I KNOW you have it in you.

Two final tips- If you don’t have a current quality blog or website set up to link to in your bio, use the opportunity to link to one of your other social network accounts, such as Facebook or LinkedIn. And finally, don’t forget to include your location. There are many local and off line connections to be made on Twitter, but they can only be made if people actually know where in the world you are. So make sure to include your city, and have a great time Twittering with all your Tweeps!