How are you using Twitter? Here are some useful pointers and best practices: Twitter’s changing rules of engagement and usage, quantity and quality, The 10 Twitter Commandments from eConsultancy, and further advice on what to watch out for.

By Steven J. Slater, guest blogger on Pat Lovenhart’s blog

I gave a marketing presentation to Johns Hopkins University business graduate students this past summer, on how only the strong brands will survive rough economic times.  This was before the effects of the economy really hit.  I was not trying to be prophetic, just pragmatic and get the point across the importance of positioning.

There are so many programs dedicated to social media and web technology development in this region, it is hard, if not impossible, to keep up with everything. This includes forums for showcasing new undertakings.

If you are not already on mailing lists (see info below), I suggest you check these out. You may get some new ideas and can also investigate what your competition’s doing. Even if your endeavor is unique, you’re still vying for a fixed pool of capital (and possibly some of the same target markets).