Twitter continues to be an incredible info source for me. At least a couple of times each day, I hop on for a few minutes and scan the Twitter stream for ideas, insight and industry updates. 

Though still testing and perfecting my game, here are a few observations:

• Lurkers far outnumber Tweeters.
  The Twitter stream moves fast. If you're putting something helpful out there, don't despair if you're not getting retweets. People are listening, lurking and clicking.
• Go-Givers rule.
  While the stream is loaded with spammy self-promoters (BLOCK), those who provide helpful info earn more eyes, more clicks... and yes, with time, more new business. I've heard many success stories and I have a few of my own.
• Short, powerful & intriguing headlines catch more eyes (& clicks).
  S. Anthony Iannarino (@iannarino) is outstanding at this. Go read his tweets and learn from the master.
• Dashboards make you smarter in half the time.
  HootSuite, TweetDeck and Seesmic are three good ones and they're free.
• Txt Spk Not So Gr8
  Only 140 characters and they go fast. Still, unless you're marketing to millennials, buy a few vowels.
• Forget 140 characters -- say it in 120.
  You'll be more retweetable.
• Over-the-top hype is another credibility killer.
  Infomercial speak won't get you the right attention.
• A dash of humor works wonders.
  Don't overdo it, unless you're a stand-up comic. Then, go all in.
• Twitter makes me a better writer.
  Twitter is training my brain to think in shorter sound bytes. Crisp, concise and compelling -- that's the ticket.
• You are what you tweet.
  I just read through my recent tweets. Some are good, while a few others fall short. Keep testing and perfecting. We're all figuring this out together in the Twitter learning lab.

PS: Consume wisely!

Want more Twitter insight? Check out these Cvent blog posts: How to Keep Your Tweets Short & Sweet and 5 Twitter Chats for Event Professionals.

(photo by clevercupcakes via Flickr)