Some find Twitter to be intimidating, scary, spooky and unnerving. In my opinion, it’s none of those but could be a bit confusing from afar. When you break it down, it’s simply about using common sense and acting like a decent human being. It’s another channel of communication that, when used effectively, can yield impressive results both in your personal and professional life. This not only applies to Twitter but can also be applied to any social network like Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, etc.  How long would you keep a friend if you showed up at their doorstep always selling something? Not long. Here are 20 Twitter & social media tips that will show you how to easily gain or lose followers…

Compliment someone: Make it genuine.

RT someone with a nice comment added: Be sure and credit them, plus a nice 2-3 word comment.

@ SPAM: You know, the ones with the long list of usernames attached and nothing else. Not good. You should use the Twitter function to report all SPAM and also block any users that SPAM you.

Ask for a RT: The twittersphere jury is out on this one. Careful if it’s standard procedure for you to ask for a retweet all the time. Some could grow tired and drop you.

Start a conversation: See someone you want to engage with? Start a conversation! Many people are on Twitter because they want to have a social relationship. Don’t be serial about it, but relevant conversations may boost your Twitter credentials.

Blatant ads or promotions: If you are on Twitter simply to SELL, you will be sniffed out and shunned by many people. Twitter can be a great selling aid, but you have to be smart.

TWEET IN ALL CAPS: We hear you! It’s ok to ACCENT words here and there, but don’t yell the entire conversation.

Be funny: Bring funny stuff to your stream and people will gravitate to you and share your tweets. Funny is not easy, and be careful to use common sense not to offend, it could backfire on you.

Tweet a deal: This can be a double-edged sword. If you have something to gain from it, you should be careful how you do it. If you are sharing someone else’s deal (and have nothing to gain) you’ll fare much better. Make sure there are no hoops to jump through that will annoy people.

Tweet useful info: When you come across it, tweet it! Twitter is a great way to get useful resources into the air. Use the great information, articles, etc. you find as content for your brand. You’ll get credit for the tweets when you share and also credit the authors of the info.

Spew hate & negativity: There is no faster way to lose your followers and friends than putting a negative vibe out there.

Be human & real: Show emotion, compassion, interest, excitement, humor, and people will want to engage with you on social networks.

Be self-serving: Talk about yourself and promote your stuff all the time. Let me know how that works out for you.

Ask a question: You will be shocked at how quickly you will find out the answer and probably make a new friend/follower.

Answer a question: Even better than asking a question. You can get thought-leader status pretty quickly if you consistently help people in your niche.

Use a hashtag for rogue promotion: If you jump in on someone’s party and start spamming with their hashtag (#), prepare to get a Twitter beatdown, which you deserve. Some large brands have taken it on the chin trying this one.

Follow Friday: It’s simple to Tweet #FF plus a few user names, and it makes people feel special. When that happens, you usually are in good graces with that Tweep. It’s a nice gesture and a good weekly habit to get into.

Beg: Whether for a RT or a Follow…it’s just sad.

Use SMS short code: This is also debatable. Personally, I think it’s ok with obvious words in a few parts of a tweet. I like to save about 16 characters at the end for people to comment when retweeting, and this is a gr8 way to do that.

Use the word “BIEBER”: If it’s in your username, a tweet, or on a TV near you, it’s over. Goodbye.