Do you want to use Twitter as an internet marketing tool? If so, it is important to proceed with caution. Developing a brand on Twitter is importan

t, but if you are not careful, that brand could come with a bad reputation. So, what are the biggest Twitter dos and don’ts?

Do register for a free account and now. Unfortunately, many new internet marketers put off registering for a free account. Yes, there are no guarantees that your Tweet messages will lead to increased traffic or income, but you won’t know until you try.

Do not send personal messages to potential clients. Do you already have a Twitter account for personal communications? If so, do not send personal messages to prospective clients or site visitors. This is very unprofessional. If you are trying to sell a product, don’t talk about how much fun you at a college party.

Do create two separate accounts for personal and business use. As previously stated, avoid sending personal messages to prospective clients. You can send private messages to your friends and family, but this can be a time consuming process. Instead, create two separate accounts, as you will save time and there will be no confusion.

Do not spam. Spam is a big violation on Twitter. You may find your account banned. If that wasn’t bad enough, think about the consequences. Your name, website, and products may be attached to your messages, resulting in a bad reputation.

Do use clever forms of advertising. Spamming is prohibited on Twitter, but advertisements are allowed in moderation. If you do not abuse the privilege, you will not find trouble. Even still, use clever forms of advertising. Instead of highlighting your services as a professional web content writer, ask readers to review your samples or give you input on your rates. Be sure to include a link.

Do not pressure your followers to buy. Your followers are those who signed up to receive your Tweet updates. They chose to do so of their own free will; however, they can also choose to end these updates. That is why no pressure should be applied. Users do not want to feel used; therefore, use clever forms of advertising, as there is less pressure.

Do include a link. When sending Twitter updates to followers, include a link. Do not over abuse links, but use them to your advantage. Once again, it is important to be clever. Do not spam your followers with advertisements highlighting your writing service rates. Instead, answer the Twitter question of what are you doing. Your message could say “Writing articles for a client.” Then, insert your link. You aren’t soliciting business, but making it know you work for hire.

Do not send late night tweets. It is no secret that home based and online workers work flexible hours. Yes, many may work the traditional 9-5, but others are up till the early morning hours. If you are one of those individuals, know that most are not on the same schedule. For that reason, avoid late night Tweets. Followers with mobile web alerts may be awoken from sleep.

Do visit Search.Twitter.com and use @replies to your advantage. Many people Tweet about what they are doing, but others ask questions. With a search, you can find members who are looking to buy a product you may sell, looking for a service you may offer, or looking for advice you may offer on your website or blog. If so, send an @reply with a personal message and a link.

Are you a freelance web designer? If so, you may always be on the lookout for new clients. This should be relatively easy as many internet users want to capitalize on their internet use, but not all have the skills needed to create a moneymaking website. Although already in a potentially profitable career, there are ways that you can increase your earnings. You can use Twitter to land new clients and projects.

Have you heard of Twitter before? Since you work online, you likely have. Are you using it? If not, now is the time to start. Twitter is classified as a social networking website and a micro-blog. Although many use the service for personal purposes only, you can use to drive attention to your business. If you are only using Twitter to stay in contact with friends and family, you aren’t necessarily using it wrong, but you aren’t using it to your full advantage.

So, how can use you Twitter to land web design projects and clients? You can do so by not using Twitter as a social tool, but as an internet marketing tool.

If you do not have a Twitter account, register for a free one. Visit the Twitter.com website to get start. Choose a screen name, password, and provide your email address. Since your goal is to use Twitter to market your web design skills, choose a professional and catchy screen name. Next, add contacts. You can import contacts from your email account and search for members based on their location, name, or email address.

Once you have an account, you may want to start marketing right away. First, develop a list of contacts. To achieve ultimate marketing success, add more than just friends and family. Since networking is important to home based and online jobs, you may already belong to other social networking websites or message boards. Ask around to see who has a Twitter account and exchange information. If someone starts following you from your post, do the same.

A unique, but successful way to market your web design services online is to perform a Twitter search. You can do this at Search.Twitter.com. Here, you can use a phrase like “web design.” This allows you to find other Twitter members who enjoy the same interests as you. Many of these members are also employed as web designers or enjoy designing as a hobby. You can reply to a Tweet. This gets the process started of developing a new follower.

By asking other web designers for their Twitter information and by searching for similar interests on the website, you will find those who share similar interests as you. This may not always land you a job, but sometime freelancers become overwhelmed with work. If a fellow web designer knows through Twitter that you have the same skills, you may be approached for outsourced help.

You can also land web design projects and jobs on Twitter by looking for those who need or could benefit from your services. For example, you know that a website has the potential to make money, even if no products are actually sold on the website. A quick search on Twitter and you fill find that not everyone knows this. Some inquire as to how you can make money online. This is your opportunity to state “with a website.” You could also insert a plug claming you do web design and could help them get started for a small fee. It is best to be subtle, but when outright advertising your business online, it is best to do so in an @reply.

In short, Twitter is a popular social networking micro-blog that millions of internet users use. Yes, sending messages to those that you can know be fun, but it is important to look at the service from an internet marketing standpoint. Once you do, you will see that creating a free Twitter account can turn into an easy, yet profitable step.