Open Forum consistently offers great articles and advice for small businesses on marketing, including this excellent article on basic Twitter tips. In summary, the article covers a few basic ideas you should be aware of before setting off onto your Twitter path:

1. DO have a personality, talk like a person, share stories.
2. DO NOT get carried away or tweet too far off topic.
3. DO share links, photos, and videos.
4. DO NOT spend too much time retweeting customers saying nice things about you. Many people simply unfollow those accounts.
5. DO engage with customers over customer service concerns — only if you think you can provide sufficient, consistent, and excellent care.
6. DO NOT negotiate or try to service an unhappy customer in public. There’s generally no reason for the rest of the world to see you discussing an issue they’re having with your service.

(photo: 7son75)