You’re using Twitter, right? Or if you’re not, you’ve at least heard of it. In the last couple of years, Twitter has exploded in popularity along with other social media giants like Facebook and LinkedIn. Twitter represents a great opportunity for anyone with an internet connection to reach an audience virtually unlimited in size—making it the perfect personal branding tool. If you haven’t begun branding through Twitter yet, now is the time to jump in. It’s very easy to create your profile and get started—but below are some often overlooked tips to help you make the most of your branding efforts on Twitter:

1) Choose the right picture. The space for your picture on Twitter is small—so anything other than a closely cropped head shot doesn’t work well. Choose a picture that you’re happy with, and that reflects the brand you’re trying to build. If you’re a writer, for instance, a light-hearted and casual picture probably works well. If you’re a tax accountant, you’ll want to choose a more professional, serious picture.

2) Engage the community. Many people view Twitter as a great mechanism for sharing their thoughts with the world. And it is that—but here’s a reality: most people don’t care what you have to say. There are many thousands of Twitter users tweeting into a vacuum— don’t join them! Your focus needs to be on engaging other users. Join in conversations. Answer questions. Provide feedback. Soon you’ll be part of an active community, and you’ll have given the Twitter world reason to care about what you have to say. Which leads us to my next point…

3) Don’t be boring. It’s important that your Twitter account represents you and your business in a positive light. But it’s also important that people read your tweets. Mundane updates simply won’t get it done—don’t be afraid to display your sense of humor and share your opinions. If you can make your audience smile every once in a while, they are going to pay much closer attention to your future tweets.

Twitter represents a fantastic branding opportunity. There is a vast audience out there, and it doesn’t cost you a penny to get started. It’s hard to get more cost-effective than that! So make the most of the opportunity… get started today, and keep the tips we covered above in mind. See you on Twitter!