5 Tips for Tweaking Your Twitter Time

If you're a fan of microblogging but hate how much time it takes, you're going to love a recent article by Tim Ferriss about how to keep Twitter from owning you.

Tim suggests five simple rules for getting the most out of Twitter with the least effort:

1. Don't post and read at the same time. It's too easy to get sucked into reading all of your friends' latest updates. Make these separate activities instead.
2. Set alerts or blocks on Twitter usage. Use a program like RescueTime or MeeTimer to alert you when you exceed a pre-determined time on Twitter, or when you're about to load the Twitter page.
3. Cut down on direct messages. You can take an approach a la Gary Vaynerchuk, who posts a note on his page that he never reads DMs. A blanket policy keeps your time freer (and bruises no egos).
4. Don't post unless you add more value than the attention you consume (both yours and others'). Telling people you just ate lunch is pointless and a waste of their time. On the other hand, tweeting "Just had an incredible mahi-mahi burrito at [best unknown taco stand] in San Diego" actually adds value.
5. Interact, but don't overuse Twitter because you're trying to please everyone. You have a life outside of Twitter that takes priority.