More specifically, I got to show my parents how they could use it to promote their Ellicott City Maryland Bed & Breakfast for increased reservations of their awesome rooms as well as their new conference room that we used for the workshop.

In a matter of minutes, @WaysideInn was Twittering away and connecting with new people around the world.

Here’s what I taught them…
First, you need to get a Twitter account. They’re free at Twitter.com.

Second, you should get to know how to use social networking in general. For example, what should your username be? What should you put in your profile?  All of this is explained for free in my Discover Social Networking Part 1.

Third, you should connect with people who have similar interests and markets as you do. For example, for my parents, they should connect with travelers, event planners, wedding planners, and other B&Bs around the world.

To do this, Twitter has a nifty search feature at the top of the page. Just type in the best keywords for your market, and see who has those terms in their profile.

On Twitter, you’ll see a Follow button next to that person’s name to the right. Click it once, and you are now following them.

The cool thing is they get an email automatically from Twitter letting them know that you are following them – with a link back to your Twitter profile so they can follow you back.

The fourth thing you need to do to get to 1000 followers on Twitter is to avoid annoying all your followers. Send out too many promo links or useless info and they’ll unfollow you fast! So don’t use every Tweet as a chance to promote your business or an affiliate link directly. Contribute to the conversation and share relevant links when it really counts.

Follow these steps and you’ll be on your way to 1000 before you know it!

Bob Jenkins

p.s. For more Twitter tips, and lessons on how to use Facebook, Ning and other social networks to promote your business, head over to Discover Social Networking where you’ll find audio and print resources to
help you out.

p.p.s. If you post a comment below, please include your http://Twitter.com/username linked so we can start following you, too!