Guest post by Dave Young

If you're going to be on Twitter, it's important to choose a strategy.  There are engagement strategies and fan strategies.  Most businesses need engagement strategies. Rockstars and gurus most often need a fan strategy.

For "gurus" who get overwhelmed with loads of emails, twitter offers an easy solution. Fans want access. They want responses. They want to feel as if they've "connected" to the object of their fandom. 

Twitter gives fans the perceived access they desire. They can ask a question or make a comment. The guru doesn't have to agonize over the composition of a lengthy response to a fan's question because of the 140 character limit. The guru can also include a link to content where the she has already answered the same question elsewhere. This helps ALL the fans because they get to see the conversation. 

She can also simply ignore the question, letting it fade into the background noise, or allow other fans to answer. 

Most gurus don't follow many other people. They use Twitter primarily as an outbound tool to feed their fans, choosing carefully (or randomly) which fans or messages to engage. They will typically only "follow" or befriend those whom they want to have private conversations with (Direct Messages in Twitter).  

Another twist on the Guru or Fan strategy is to use Twitter almost exclusively for outbound marketing messages. This strategy works best for companies who have customers clamoring for information…food vendors (mobile kitchens on wheels) use twitter to announce their location. Restaurants and bars can use twitter to announce daily specials. Radio stations can use it for contests and requests, to enable nearly live interaction with listeners. 

It can be a great strategy for any business that needs an "in-the-moment" mode of communication. A busy salon, spa or chiropractor could tweet about cancellations to see if anyone wants their hair cut at 2:30 this afternoon. Just like opt-in emails, you need to offer people a good reason or benefit to engage, and then don't break your own rules. 

This strategy can also annoy people. If you are employing an outbound strategy when you should be engaging with your followers, you are likely to be marginalized by many of the same people that you could be helping. 

Just follow a bunch of multi-level marketers, SEO "experts" or people offering "business opportunities" and you'll get a quick taste of an outbound strategy gone wrong. You won't follow them for long, or pay attention to them for the same reason you don't invite them into your living room. It's always about them. 

So…what is an "engagement" strategy? Simple. Use Twitter to find out where your interests/questions/business/books intersect with conversations that are already taking place. Follow the people doing the talking. Then, engage with them. I didn't say sell to them, I said engage. Answer questions. Retweet their smart thoughts. Retweet their content. 

Engagement isn't easy. It requires you to read, think and respond thoughtfully. It will take more time. 

An engagement strategy is about giving more than you get. In the end, you'll get a lot more than you ever thought you would because you'll have an army of friends who want to do business with you.

Dave Young helps business owners with their marketing efforts. His specialty is that fuzzy place where on line and off line marketing intersect. His clients are scattered among the English-speaking countries of the world. You can learn read Dave's blog at BrandingBlog.com and learn more about his services at PersuasionPro.com.