Tweet, tweet… some guiding principles

After being on auto-tweet for a few months (as @MikeBoehmer57, @HamiltonCoJFS, @NTUnityCincy), I've been rethinking my Twitter strategy in recent weeks.
As I mentioned in the previous post, Twitter has helped me build and nurture a number of positive relationships. I’ve had the opportunity to learn a great deal from many people and, hopefully, share some of my knowledge and experience in return. We’ve had some laughs and offered support as we advanced in our professional and personal lives.

Twitter also has allowed me to keep strategic audiences updated at work, through @HamiltonCoJFS. It has permitted me to let people know about upcoming events at my church, @NTUnityCincy.

After reading dozens of articles and blog posts, attending many workshops, talking with a wide variety of social media pioneers, and using Twitter pretty-much daily for almost 18 months, I'm formulating some guiding principles for my use of Twitter. I want to stress that these are subject to change as I walk a bit further along this path of discovery.

(1) Stay away from politics and religion, except maybe in direct messages (DM) with like-minded folks.

(2) When someone follows me, follow them back. Unfollow if they over-post, offer information not relevant to me, do mean-spirited tweets… Possibly follow again down the road to see if they've changed. Maybe connect on LinkedIn or another social media network.

(3) Be positive. Don't use as an outlet to vent or complain.

(4) Offer encouragment to followers whenever possible. Thank them when they retweet (RT).

(5) Try to share helpful links related to public relations, marketing and social media every day. Give more than I take.

(6) Help people promote worthy causes, especially those related to cancer research or support.

(7) Build and nurture relationships that will help maintain a positive image for my employer. Share information that will help our customers, especially those looking for employment or services to help them during extended unemployment.

Those are some that come to mind at this time. I'll add more as time goes along. I welcome any ideas, and would love to hear your guiding principles when it comes to Twitter.