Funny the commentary I’ve seen recently in various places ridiculing Twitter, because there is no obvious revenue model, or people think it’s silly that anyone would care what “we’re doing right now”. Whatever.

Twitter isn’t necessarily a “flash in the pan” that will fade into obscurity. Will it be here next year used in the same way it is used today? I don’t know, but I also know that’s true of any technology. Technology will continue to evolve and change. What existed 5 years ago is not what we use today. I think people like to use the rationale that Twitter doesn’t make money; hence the “they won’t be around much longer” comments, because the truth is that they do not understand the true potential of Twitter yet.

As with any business tool – that includes social media – you must have a clearly defined purpose and plan for achieving your objectives. Though I first scratched my head and said “why would I care where someone is grabbing their next cup of coffee”, I now realize just how powerful the appropriate use of Twitter can be.

I use Twitter for 3 reasons:

1) Build my business knowledge.

I follow some very top notch people who I learn from, because they are willing to share relevant, interesting and valuable business information. Using TweetDeck, I can organize the information into groups, which lets me easily track the information that is most important to me. It’s less overwhelming, and I can find things more quickly.

2) Watch for trends in my particular field.

Let’s say that I want to check out a new product idea that I’m thinking about creating. I’ve learned through the years that just because I think it’s a great idea doesn’t necessarily mean that others will think so too. How do I know if people think it’s a great idea? They buy. Using search.twitter.com I can easily search out conversations and information based on keywords applicable to the product or service I’m thinking about creating. The results give me a snapshot of what topics are trending and who’s saying and doing what. That includes the competition.

3) Demonstrate my business capabilities.

To build my brand and credibility with potential buyers, I freely share information that I believe will be valuable to others. Not selling though. It is about using Twitter as a way to extend my business brand, create relationships with others and build a reputation for helping people solve their business problems.

The inevitable question is – am I securing clients and making money?

There is no doubt that we need to be thinking about the time ROI using social tools like Twitter. Tweeting aimlessly with no plan gets you nowhere. At the same time, it is still difficult to accurately asses exactly where the sales revenue comes from as a result of my social media usage. I’m reminded of Albert Einstein, who said, “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.”

For me, using tools like Twitter are as much a part of my sales and marketing plan, as attending local networking events. Do you really know exactly what networking activity will lead to that next sale? Of course not. You never know if the people you meet in person will actually buy from you, or if they will pass along your name to others. That’s not to say I don’t measure my efforts as much as I can. I absolutely do!

People buy from people that they know, like and trust. Using social media is a way to build relationships with people, engage in conversations with them that over time lead to sales. I know that invitations to speak at events, calls from journalists for interviews about social media, having others recommend me to their clients, all comes from my ability to use social media to support my business goals. How do I know? I constantly ask people how they found me, and I capture the answers to those questions.

Continued success with your sales efforts is always about having a repeatable process that when used consistently, gets you consistent results. I blend the use of technology with tried and true sales success strategies to achieve my sales goals.Twitter definitely has value, so I say that you don’t dismiss it just because you might not understand it yet:)

I’m still a newbie tweeter really. Though in the minds of some, I’m light years ahead of the pack. Is a few months in Twitterland the same as dog years? Might be.

Truth is, I only joined the Twitter fray a few months ago, and I’m the first to admit that I wasn’t hooked right away. In the beginning, like many I suppose, I wondered what all the hub bub was about. Quite frankly, I sort of scratched my head and said huh? I don’t get it. Why do I want to know what people are doing today. I suspect I’m like a lot of people who are being exposed to Twitter for the first time.

Technology – while cool – is really an enabler in that it helps you achieve some specific result. I think that’s exactly why some people scratch their head and wonder how in the world can Twitter be used as a business tool. Technology is only beneficial if it can help you accomplish a business purpose and plan. Don’t have either of those? Don’t bother with the technology then, because well…you’ll just waste a lot of precious time.

I want to build my network, share information, make connections for colleagues who have expertise that I don’t, and who are people that I admire a lot. Ultimately, I believe that value added approach will lead to growth in my own business. Soooo… in the beginning, I just didn’t see the business value of tweetin’ away aimlessly with short little messages about what I was doing right now. After taking some time to observe those people who clearly got it – like Gary Vaynerchuk – the benefits and the implications of using Twitter technology began to dawn on me.

I definitely get it!

But if you are still one of those people who thinks that Twitter doesn’t mean business then you need to read the story of Gary Vaynerchuck aka @garyvee on Twitter who just signed a seven-figure, 10-book deal with Harper Studio.

It’s a great story of someone who built a huge following (more than 145,000 people, including me!) tweeting information of value to others. Publishers have finally begun to “get it” – to understand – that having an internet platform and an army of built-in followers is a critical element to the publishing success of any new book endeavor.

While you might think that Gary’s win is the result of pure luck, perfect timing or some “get rich quick” scheme…the truth is that he’s worked darn hard to get where he’s at. He deserves this achievement, and I say, good for you, Gary!

I’m still a newbie tweeter really. Though in the minds of some, I’m light years ahead of the pack. Is a few months in Twitterland the same as dog years? Might be.

Truth is, I only joined the Twitter fray a few months ago, and I’m the first to admit that I wasn’t hooked right away. In the beginning, like many I suppose, I wondered what all the hub bub was about. Quite frankly, I sort of scratched my head and said huh? I don’t get it. Why do I want to know what people are doing today. I suspect I’m like a lot of people who are being exposed to Twitter for the first time.

Technology – while cool – is really an enabler in that it helps you achieve some specific result. I think that’s exactly why some people scratch their head and wonder how in the world can Twitter be used as a business tool. Technology is only beneficial if it can help you accomplish a business purpose and plan. Don’t have either of those? Don’t bother with the technology then, because well…you’ll just waste a lot of precious time.

I want to build my network, share information, make connections for colleagues who have expertise that I don’t, and who are people that I admire a lot. Ultimately, I believe that value added approach will lead to growth in my own business. Soooo… in the beginning, I just didn’t see the business value of tweetin’ away aimlessly with short little messages about what I was doing right now. After taking some time to observe those people who clearly got it – like Gary Vaynerchuk – the benefits and the implications of using Twitter technology began to dawn on me.

I definitely get it!

But if you are still one of those people who thinks that Twitter doesn’t mean business then you need to read the story of Gary Vaynerchuck aka @garyvee on Twitter who just signed a seven-figure, 10-book deal with Harper Studio.

It’s a great story of someone who built a huge following (more than 145,000 people, including me!) tweeting information of value to others. Publishers have finally begun to “get it” – to understand – that having an internet platform and an army of built-in followers is a critical element to the publishing success of any new book endeavor.

While you might think that Gary’s win is the result of pure luck, perfect timing or some “get rich quick” scheme…the truth is that he’s worked darn hard to get where he’s at. He deserves this achievement, and I say, good for you, Gary!

As the use of social media networking tools continues to grow in popularity, understanding the netiquette do’s and don’ts of online communication is critical to your success.  A blended word for “network etiquette”, Wikipedia defines netiquette as “a set of social conventions that facilitate interaction over networks, ranging from the internet and mailing lists to blogs and forums”.

Whether you are posting in LinkedIn groups, talking to friends on Facebook, participating in blogs or tweeting on Twitter, you need to understand that netiquette covers both common courtesy online and the informal “rules of the road” of cyberspace. In this world, you must be even more conscious of how and what you are saying; otherwise you run the risk of offending people who not only won’t take it kindly, but they will vigorously pass on their displeasure to everyone they know.

Here are my 3 top tips for avoiding online communication disaster:

Tip #1: Don’t sell.

This philosophy may seem counterintuitive if you believe that using online tools is just a cheap way to market and sell what you have to offer to a large number of people. Wrong!  Nothing turns people off faster than having some “slick Willy” enter the scene, who within minutes is hawking their latest product or service. If this is the approach you take, be prepared for a community smack down that will damage your reputation.

Tip #2: Give to receive.

People will always want to do business with people they know, like and trust. That takes time! Throwing up a LinkedIn profile today will NOT mean a sale tomorrow, so learn to be patient. You must first build a relationship with others in the community by giving more than you receive. Share information; make connections, and as people get to know you, they will naturally want to know more about what you have to offer.

Tip #3: Be human.

While technology is an amazing enabler, people are still on the other side. Think carefully about what you say and do. It’s certainly OK to be yourself and share your opinions, but always treat others with courtesy and respect. If you wouldn’t say it “to their face” then absolutely do not say it online.  If you are angry or annoyed then take a breath before you type those words and push send. As many have learned the hard way – what’s said on the internet definitely stays on the internet!

Whether it’s congressmen Twittering during presidential speeches, parents connecting with high school flames on Facebook or empty-nesters planning group outings on grown-up sites such as Eons.com, Baby Boomers are speeding up the Web’s ongoing metamorphosis from limitless void to global watering hole. Read the USA today article.