Would you believe me if I told you it only takes 10 minutes of daily Twitter action to get awesome results for your business?

It’s true. That’s all it takes. It’s a practice I’ve followed for several years now.

To be honest, I had no choice. As my business grew (largely thanks to Twitter) I had to come up with a plan that would maintain and raise my profile in the least time possible.

Y’see, I’m just like you. It’s really just me in my business and I have big dreams of creating an online empire which means there are always 1001 things to do. And, hanging out on Twitter is not high up on my list of priorities.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Twitter. It’s an amazing marketing tool for small, boot strapped businesses, and it has created many wondrous opportunities for me and my business – beyond my wildest dreams!

But there’s also a massive problem with Twitter…

It’s waaaay too much fun – a treasure trove of fascinating shiny distractions. If you’re not careful before you know it you’ve wasted a ton of time in the Twitter time suck. Oops!

So, how do I keep my tweeting down to just 10 minutes a day? I’ll tell you but first you need to know this…

What I’m sharing with you below is a guide. I don’t use this format religiously, but there is a common theme in the actions that I explain at the end of the article. That is the golden takeaway you need to understand to make Twitter really work for you.

Are you ready? Ok…let’s GO!

Action One: Read your mentions and replies, then respond!

Time: 2 minutes
Where: Visit your Mentions in the Notifications tab

This is BY FAR the biggest mistake that new users make on Twitter: not replying to mentions or replies.
If someone replies or mentions you, re-tweets or favourites your tweet, acknowledge them with a response.

You might receive a message from someone and think, ‘How nice!’ but if you don’t visibly respond that person won’t know it. Plus, you’re limiting the possibility of getting to know that person and them getting to know you.

Granted, you might not be able to keep this up long term but get into this 2 minute habit now because conversations are the first step to getting Twitter magic!

Not getting any mentions? Then you’re not having enough conversations. The remaining actions will help with that so keep reading…

Action Two: Check your new followers and make a connection

Time: 2 minutes
Where: In the Notifications tab

When someone follows you on Twitter, it’s a big deal! Someone has looked you up, checked you out and decided they think you’re worth keeping in touch with. That means they are interested in what you have to say – who knows where that could lead!

First, check out their profile then send a reply thanking them for the follow. If you really want to make a great first impression, add a comment about their bio, a tweet you’ve seen in their stream or something to develop the connection further.

Action Three: Skim the messages in your Twitter stream or lists

Time: 3 minutes
Where: Your home page or lists

It’s impossible to read every single tweet that comes your way. It’s tempting to begin with (it’s no wonder most people think Twitter takes so much time!) but you need to let that thought go. You’ve got FAR more important things to focus on, like building your magnificent empire.

Get into the habit of skim reading. I like to think that if I’m really meant to see a message, it will come back to me again one day. Remember, the universe has your back.

Spend your 3 minutes checking out what the people you’re connected with are posting. Make a point of replying and responding to and re-tweeting these tweets, even though they’re not directed specifically at you.

This is important. So many of my clients worry about jumping in and think that it might be seen as too forward or rude. It’s not. Remember, Twitter is an open platform and being the most sociable of the online networks, sharing tweets with strangers in expected. Providing you’ve got something valuable to add, tweet it.

To be on the safe side, avoid jumping in to a tweet conversation between two people, unless you already know each other. But seriously, what’s the worst that can happen..? Try it!

Action Four: Look for people beyond your Twitter stream

Time: 2 minutes
Where: Twitter Search, followers of friends, trending topics, a keyword or hashtag you follow

Expand your current Twitter community and reach out to someone you don’t know yet.
It’s very easy to stay within the cosy confines of your Twitter inner circle but if you’re using it to raise your profile and meet people who can help your business you need to reach out to others.

Look for connections outside of who you are following. Some key places to try are

Just as I suggested earlier; reply, respond or retweet posts that aren’t directed at you – use this same approach to connect with people you don’t know on Twitter.

Action Five: Share an update or two

Time: 1 minute
Where: Your tweet comment box

Last of all you want to send some tweets to all of your followers. This could be general chit chat, the weird and wonderful things you see as you go about your day, an interesting article, an inspiring quote or a really cool tip that will help others to enjoy their day a little better.

These ALL work really well. They’ll be appreciated by your followers and position you as someone worth knowing. But, if you want to get a conversation going on Twitter there’s an even better way…

Ask a question!

So, come on – tell us what you’re doing and instead of ending your tweet as a closed statement, ask:

‘what are you up to today?’

Show interest in your followers and encourage some interaction then watch the magic happen!

That wasn’t so hard, was it?

Of course not. What’s more, I’ve been over generous with the time I’ve given for each part. You can shoot off a reply or mention and share updates in seconds so there’s really no excuse for not doing this.

Have you spotted the common theme threading through these actions?

They are all pro-active.

There’s no lurking or hiding away in the corner. Each action involves reaching out, responding and approaching others: joining conversations, starting conversations, replying to and mentioning others (even if you don’t know them yet), re-tweeting, sharing information that your followers will enjoy and find useful.

In short: being visible.

If you want your Twitter time to be ultra productive, you have to be seen and sometimes that means stretching out of your comfort zone a little bit.

Afterall, isn’t that what it takes to build an empire?

Over to you

How much time do you spend on Twitter each day? Is it becoming a total time-suck?

Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared on SystemsRock.com