The problem with the micro-blogging platform Twitter is that it is deceivingly simple, and this is partly true because each tweet is only 140 characters or less. Thus, while it appears to take very little thought to tweet, in actuality it takes a planned strategy to be effective on Twitter.

But before you get deep into your strategy, you need to join Twitter if you haven\’t already. And even this relatively simple step can be fraught with peril. (Some of you may already be on Twitter and not following one or more of the tips below.)

Thus these are my top Twitter tips for correctly starting on this social media platform:

Sign up for Twitter only when you are ready to do these steps:

1. Post a photo with your brief bio.

2. Choose a good Twitter username (can be your name or business name or brand but not something goofy – try to avoid using an underline and numbers; whatever capitalization you enter the username with is the way your username will show up although people can type it with or without the capitalization).

3. Put your real name in the NAME box in the settings/account info. (Your Twitter username goes in the username box.)

4. Start slowly watching what other people tweet instead of trying to amass 1,000 followers in one day and getting kicked off Twitter for “spamming.”

5. Include a URL if you have a website.

6. Write something interesting in your brief bio instead of something goofy.

7. Tweet at least two updates as soon as you upload your photo and write your brief bio (160 characters).

Of course there are lots more tips for using Twitter successively, but this will get you started. (If you\’re a blogger, note that you can use third-party applications to automatically post your blog feeds to your Twitter account.)

And no matter what anybody says (and I\’ve read the naysayers, too), if – and I mean if – you learn to use Twitter correctly and effectively, you\’ll come to appreciate what a genius online tool it is.

Phyllis Zimbler Miller