Many have a love-hate relationship with Twitter. Some of us get it and embrace the 140 characters. Others of us struggle with what to say and ask why even tweet anything.

There are no real guidelines or basics when it comes to Twitter and Social Media. Twitter in reality is who you want to be and if you own your brand and voice, then chances are you’ll do great in this avenue. But if you’re stuck on tweeting what you had for lunch or what your kids and dog are doing, mixed with the occasional business tweet, then there is one key that can help you break it down.

The 1/3 mix. People follow you and others on Twitter to gain information and find out who you are and what makes you and your business tick. This goes for personal accounts, as well as, business accounts. So take a spin at dividing your tweets into 3 categories, own those areas and in matter of time, people will perk up and start listening, i.e. following you. Here’s how it goes.

• 1/3 of the time post about you and your brand. This means your new blog post, any offers/sales your company is promoting, news of what is happening in your life or your company’s day-to-day operations.
• 1/3 of the time post about your interests and expertise from outside sources. Articles that you have read in your business field that interest you. Interesting news stories about your business industry and/or your personal interests. Post great blog articles that resonate with you personally or reflect your business interests and products. Show your followers you are an expert in your hobbies and business field.
• 1/3 of the time be yourself. Ask questions to your followers, interact by retweeting and engaging with other people’s tweets. Take interest in what your followers say and comment on what they are posting. Be personable, it is after all “social” media.

You say you’re already doing that? Well, one last tip to tweak the way you write your tweets. Instead of saying, “Another rainy day in Seattle.” Say, “Well, we have our rain again, but did you know Chicago, Dallas, & Miami, among others, get more rain per yr than we do at 37 inches a year?” Giving useful information to your followers puts you in the category of a great informative resource.

Here’s to happy tweeting! You can find us on Twitter at @Fingerprint and count on one more follower, as we’ll follow you back.