Twitter is a powerful tool for anybody looking to build their personal brand. It’s a simple, user friendly service with vast potential. If you haven’t jumped in yet, it’s time to take the plunge! In recent months I’ve answered many questions from clients and colleagues who are beginning to get involved, and today I am going to share some of my favorite tips for using Twitter to build your personal brand.

1)    Put thought into your profile picture. What type of brand are you seeking to establish? If you wish to appear professional and businesslike, make sure the picture you use reinforces that image. On the other hand, if you’re going for a casual, laid-back vibe, don’t choose a picture of yourself in a suit and tie. Your facial expression is important too—try to find a picture that makes you look friendly and engaging.

2)     Consider an application such as Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, or Cotweet to help you manage your account. As we’ve discussed in the past, it’s important to have a regular presence on Twitter. A single tweet three times each week is simply not going to have much of an impact. At the same time, when you have a busy schedule it can be tough to tweet several times each day. That’s where an application like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck can really help out—they allow you to schedule tweets in advance. Spend 30 minutes scheduling tweets in advance, and you won’t have to worry about it on a daily basis.

3)    Promote your Twitter presence. Make sure you have links to your Twitter page on your email signature, your website, and anywhere else it’s appropriate. The more followers you have, the more impact you’ll have with each tweet.

4)    Add value to your tweets. Why should anybody pay attention to your tweets? If you don’t give your followers a reason to pay attention, they won’t. Share interesting, relevant links. Make recommendations. Answer questions that other people have been asking. By providing value to your followers, you ensure that they will continue to pay attention.

5)    Strive to build relationships. At the core, Twitter is about relationships. The best way to utilize it effectively to build your brand is to develop relationships with your followers. Not sure how to start? Begin by retweeting a post of somebody you follow, or compliment them on a job well done. Twitter users love to be noticed—simply showing interest on somebody else’s profile is a great way to lay the foundation for a strong relationship.

6)    Pay attention to trends. Twitter has a great feature that allows you to see which topics are popular currently. Keep an eye on these trends (the list is located on your Home page), and if you have something to say about a topic that is currently trending, do so! It’s a great way to pick up more followers—and more importantly, it keeps you plugged in to the always interesting world of Twitter.

Twitter is a powerful tool—how many other platforms are there that allow you to potentially reach millions of people instantly, and for no cost? Make sure you are using it as effectively as possible! These tips should get you going in the right direction.

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J.W. Dicks, Esq. is America’s foremost authority on Personal Branding for Business Development. J.W. represents some of the top marketers and professional experts in the world in the growth of their businesses using online and offline business development systems, social media, multi-dimensional marketing, franchising and strategic legal structure to accomplish their goals and capitalize on the assets they create.