Twitter is growing quickly as a social network, and as it does, businesses are cluing into the fact that they can connect with a whole new market by maintaining a Twitter account. It can be tough to get the hang of posting on the site, but remembering a few simple tips can help.

• Think twice about automating your tweets. It’s tempting to set updates to your blog to post to your Twitter feed, or connect it to your dealership’s Facebook page. This kind of interaction is better than nothing, but ultimately isn’t enough, as it doesn’t take into considering the fact that Twitter is different than Facebook and other networks.

• Recognize what works (and what doesn’t) on Twitter. Because of the character limit, Twitter is great for pithy thoughts, links to interesting content and short interactions with followers. It’s less reliant on photos than Facebook, and doesn’t lend itself to more in-depth posts and stories the way Facebook can. Over time, you’ll get the hang of what kinds of posts get the best response on Twitter.

• Follow relevant accounts. Your dealership’s Twitter account can follow a number of different types of accounts to maximize results. Follow members of your staff who also use Twitter. Follow auto news accounts, carmaker accounts, industry accounts and more. You can even benefit from following some of your competitors, as you see how they do and don’t use the network. As you follow others, you’re sure to build a network of your own followers over time.

• Interact with followers. Once you have followers, talk to them! Post tweets that call for a response, and when users @ reply you, @ reply them back. Twitter is all about promoting conversation, and a good way to build follower loyalty is by including your followers—many of whom are likely potential customers—in the discussion.

Making the most of Twitter can be a challenge, but as you use the network more, you’ll figure out what works and doesn’t work for your dealership. Following these guidelines can help you see the most social networking success!