Some social niceties are clear-cut rules, like “Don’t spit in public” (or the high-falutin’ version, “Don’t expectorate in front of the ladies if you expect to rate with the ladies”). Others are general guidelines, in which you should use your own judgment. This one is in the latter category.

In general, don’t thank people for Retweeting you. If you are particularly grateful, and you think it will make the recipient feel all warm and fuzzy to get a private note of appreciation, send the person a simple DM (“Thanks for RTing my link to the article about birds in Belize!”).

Some people do send these thank-yous publicly; however, they usually do it in a single Tweet thanking several people at once:

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The Twitter community is very much like a cocktail party. If you’re new in town, it’s important to meet people and to make a good impression. The same social rules apply:

• If you only talk about yourself, people at the party become annoyed or disinterested.
• If you only repeat what other people say (Retweeting), you’ll be viewed as dull and avoidable.
• Rude behavior, offensive language, and off-color jokes are frowned upon. And when you’re new, you can’t be sure where the societal lines are drawn.
• No one wants to meet an insurance salesman at a party, so keep the selling to a minimum.
• Sitting in the corner and watching is creepy. So talk!

Want to be the life of the party and make new friends? Be the person who listens, communicates, and discusses topics of choice by the group, not just you.

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Unsurprisingly, large organizations have quite a few advantages when it comes to marketing – not the least of which is a marketing department and money to fund it. However, small organizations can and do achieve wonderful things with Twitter simply because Twitter is open to everyone. You are limited only by your personal skill.

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