Aaah, Twitter etiquette. That murky, often overlooked aspect of Twitter that says it’s OK to add your personal touch to tweets, but that you shouldn’t tweet too many times at once. We’ve got you covered, though, if you’re looking to navigate the Twitter-verse. Today we’ll take a look at mass following on Twitter, and why you should almost never do it if you want to see a modicum of success using the microblogging service.
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As we reported this morning, anyone still using the old version of Twitter will be upgraded to #NewTwitter later this week. And that might mean a lot of people who have been staunchly refusing to make the switch manually scrambling to figure out the new layout, features, and tricks of #NewTwitter.

Here are five fantastic resources for getting the most out of #NewTwitter, so you can tweet with confidence from your new Twitter.com:
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A hashtag is really just a way of categorizing your tweets so that they are part of a narrowed conversation and they’re easier to find in Twitter search. Of course, there’s a lot more to it than that, or else hashtags wouldn’t have been the most popular trending topic in 2010.
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In celebration of the Advertising Research Foundations 75th anniversary, the folks over at PeopleBrowsr (utilising the talents of artist Adam Long) have created an image-rich history of social networking, told somewhat uniquely via cartoon strips.

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Regular readers will be aware that I’m a long-term, big fan of HootSuite.

I’m a pro subscriber, which means I’m actually paying to tweet. That’s fine – for me, and my team at work, HootSuite is totally indispensable.

At least, for now. In this crazy, app-filled world, nothing is forever, and no product can ever hope to buy permanent loyalty. You have to keep pushing forward and over-achieving, because things can change real fast.

In my opinion, HootSuite is currently the closest thing we have to the perfect Twitter client, but that doesn’t mean it is perfect. There are a few niggles that have always bothered me. One of these is after long periods of activity and tweets the software can get bogged down and sluggish. The other is how when you block a user their tweets are meant to instantly be removed from your timeline (you know, like on Twitter.com), but HootSuite keeps them for an indefinite period – sometimes days. That sucks – nobody wants to look at ugly for that long.

Thankfully, I’ve discovered a way to eliminate both of these problems in just a couple of clicks. It’s no big secret, but it was news to me – HootSuite has an inbuilt cache which you can clear any time you like. It works like your normal browser cache, and here’s how to do it.

1. Open HootSuite
2. Click on the Settings icon (cog), and then Preferences.
3. Click on ‘Clear Cached Messages’

I know, I know – it couldn’t be an easier or more obvious. But, but… I’m pretty sure that this is a new feature to HootSuite as I’ve never noticed it before. Or maybe I’m the Bruce Willis character in this particular iteration of The Sixth Sense, and the last person to know.

But hey – who cares, right? I got what I wanted. And now, in one fell swoop anyone can use that button to clear all the crap that HootSuite has been building up in the background. Plus, it will also remove any lingering tweets from users you’ve long-since blocked. The latter alone is worth the price of admission.

Sure, it would be nice if this could be automated in some way, and maybe that’s just around the corner. Because as I said, HootSuite has to keep striving forward. Especially when they’re asking for our credit card.

If you’re one of the millions of people actively searching for a new job, Twitter can be a useful resource to build and maintain connections to get your foot in the door.  The resources for job hunters are growing by the minute, but job seekers should be on their best tweeting behavior during this time of evaluation and analysis by potential employers.

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Who needs a newspaper when you have Twitter?
This post may sound redundant to those in the know; but for those new to Twitter, here are some ways you can use the site as a one stop spot for your news – including links to get you started. Read more

Twitter is more than a little perplexing to most business owners, whether they’re running a large corporation or a small Etsy shop. There’s usually a general understanding that they should be on Twitter and interacting with current and potential customers, but diving into the deep end can sometimes do more harm than good if there’s not a solid social media plan in place. Read more

The swearing-in of new senators and representatives? The reading of the Constitution on the House floor? All the formal flourishes of democracy, for sure, but what’s the real sign that change has come to Washington in this 21st century world? New Twitter handles for our nation’s leaders. Here’s your complete guide to the #112Congress.

Read more at Social Times.

What’s your business’ tweet style? Do you post last-minute “the weather outside is terrible so I’m going to stay in and drink cocoa” posts, or are your tweets targeted and professional? Businesses that don’t have an active tweet schedule need to create one today, in order to maximize the benefits of their Twitter presence. Learn how below.
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