This post is part of our Twitter for Business: Fundamentals Series.

Photo via StuSeeger (flickr)

There are two types of people – those who get the incredible value of Twitter, and those who haven’t got it yet. The difference, is finding the right people to follow.

Some people sign up, follow a few celebrities or friends, and can’t quite get what all the fuss is about.

In contrast, every time we’ve sat down with someone and helped them find interesting people to follow, based on interests or profession or any number of things – the light bulb goes on immediately.

The quicker you start following people who share your interests, the quicker you will start seeing ways it can add value to your life.

Here’s how to get started:

When you signup for Twitter, there are options to connect with people from your email accounts, or follow a few of their suggested users.

Be careful with the email part, if this is your primary business Twitter account, some of your more personal connections might be better to connect with through a personal account.

You can use the “find people” button on Twitter.com to add people from Twitter’s Suggested User List, or search for people by name.  The Suggested User List is a good place to find some of your first followers, as they are typically seasoned Twitter users and will give you a good sense for how the most popular brands and personalities are using the service.

Next, search for co-workers, industry connections or other people you think would be interested in connected with your business on Twitter. If you have a current customer list available, it’s an excellent source of people to follow. I suggest you start small though, don’t follow all of your customers until you get a feel for how to use Twitter and voice you want to present.

Keep in mind; early on you won’t have much content in your Twitter profile, so wait to invite the bulk of your contacts until you get a little traction.

Reader Challenge

Follow 10 people who are more successful than you in your industry. Then follow 10 people who have created works you have enjoyed (movies, books, blogs). Make sure you find people who are active (tweet often). Spend a few days reading their tweets, clicking their links and connecting with the people they talk to. Come back and tell us how it’s changed your perception of Twitter!