This article from The Wall, written by Kate McCoy of The Work Club, is very well worth reading. Nominally aimed at providing David Cameron with a Twitter strategy, its points apply to anyone using Twitter for business.

Point 4 struck us in particular, and bears repeating in full:

4. Resource

It would probably be a full time job managing what seems to be a controversial presence. SO IT SHOULD BE. We warn clients against getting involved in social media if they do not have the processes in place to manage it properly – frustration caused by ignoring people does more harm than not being there at all. Mr Cameron certainly has more important things to do than look at Twitter all day but with the right level of support he could be guided through the volume of tweets to respond to serious tweeters.

Twitter for business takes time

The useful point is made here not to venture into the Twittersphere if you aren’t going to divert or acquire the resources to handle it. A dormant or unresponsive presence is very frustrating to those looking to engage with your Twitter presence and therefore damaging to your brand. People won’t hang around with baited breath waiting for you to use Twitter for business – if your competitor is tweeting and you’re not, automatically you lose out on exposure to potential clients.

Similarly, don’t allow Twitter to eat up time better spent doing the day job. Use one of the proliferation of clients designed to make social media easier to manage, keep tabs on the benefits Twitter use is bringing you and engage, engage, engage.

Twitter for business: build a strategy

We can help you put together a Twitter for Business strategy, swapping the hit and miss, time-wasting elements for a well-thought-through plan to allow your company to make the most of this form of social media with the resources you have to hand.

We can help you set up your account, ghost-tweet for you and train you and your staff in the day to day use of Twitter. We currently do this for national companies, membership organisations, networking groups and special interest groups. Please get in touch for more information, and of course find us on Twitter at @OpenSure.