My expectations changed when I realised that it’s not necessary to read every tweet that flows through your stream. It really is OK to just ‘listen in’ when you have the time. It’s easy to get seduced into the idea that you might miss out on something vital if you don’t read everything, but in reality you’re only likely to miss on things that a nice-to-know, not need-to-know. (Just think of all the interesting stuff that’s being said by the other few million people that you don’t follow…)

Finding the software that suits your use of Twitter and lifestyle helps a lot too. I use Tweetdeck on my desktop Macs and Tweetie on my iPhone. Both allow me to quickly and easily keep an eye on my tweetstream at a time that suits me – on the bus home, for example.

Getting comfortable with Twitter has made a big difference to the quality and reach of my professional network.