Rob -
Twitter is best for listening and detecting trends versus driving actions, though this can be done.
The first step is to follow people who are interested in the stuff you are interested in. There's a recent post where people from BP gave out their twitter handles (I'm leegientke).
You then need to tweet (or retweet) stuff that might be of interest to your followers. You should also be paying attention to what your followers are saying. If you pay close enough attention, you can detect trends. if you see a trend developing, answer/fill it some how. Your answer can be a blog post on your website, which then gets tweeted out to your followers.
More than anything, be authentic and allow yourself to be vulnerable. Yes, this is a highly public forum but if you have a question, ask it -- you'll get an answer. If you are an expert, show off your expertise.
And lastly, some personal advice. Set up filters. It's easy to blow hours on twitter (like facebook) BSing with people and building a following. Know what's important and what your ultimate objectives are (website traffic, relationships, trend following) and keep that in mind.
I've e-mailed you a copy of an article we did for the National Pest Management Association that has a "how to" guide and a case study on social media. If someone else needs it, PM me and I'll get it to you.
-Lee
