I am not usually a first mover when it comes to things and Twitter was no exception. It took time till I warmed to the idea of Twitter, and I still needed someone else to sign me up before I started using my account and learning to appreciate Twitter’s potential. But that’s just the way I am… it’s my Twittertude and I’m cool with that.

There are different personalities on Twitter (Twittertudes), each having their advantages and disadvantages. What is important is that you understand who these personalities are, and how to engage them effectively, and even advantageously.

A funny thing I noticed about Twitter is that perhaps a third of the posted articles I see discuss how to use Twitter more effectively. In other words, people are spending a good portion of their time on Twitter learning how to get better at using Twitter. This quirky little fact is symptomatic of the reality that Twitter, as accompany and a social media tool, is still in its infancy. Given time, previously guarded trade secrets will become standard Twitter etiquette. Until then though, these “how to” articles collectively form a golden path through an otherwise confusing, and potentially dangerous tool for the uninitiated.

Most of the aforementioned articles deal with applications and Twitter habits. Like “This is a great tool for increasing your following” or “Ten things not to do when tweeting” etc.

These articles are often well written, interesting and practical. However, I have yet to see an article about the types of personalities you will encounter on Twitter, and how best to engage these Twittertudes as a means of augmenting your Twitter experience. I train people in something called Social Combat Theory, which uses martial arts to teach you how to fight for your goals, and I’ve noticed that the personalities on Twitter, due to the structure and communication limitations, are simplified and easy to understand derivatives of the people you might find yourself having to face in more personal settings like work or home.

The following is a brief description of the three most common Twittertudes along with their strengths and weaknesses. Understanding these Personalities will go a long way in helping you master your Twitter mojo when working toward your goal.

The OverTweeter:

We all know them. These over achieving, over tweeters love hearing themselves tweet, and they aren’t much interested in what others have to say. They tweet their agendas non-stop with the idea that quantity becomes quality if its “quantiful” enough. You might find yourself wondering who would be interested in such overzealous personalities. The answer: You would be surprised. For every would-be Sheppard there is a flock willing to listen. The size usually depends on the dynamism of the Sheppard but the flock will be there in some proportion or another.

The “leverageable” element of the OverTweeter is the fact that the only thing they love more than hearing their own tweets, is hearing the retweets of their followers. Yes they aren’t interested in what others have to say about other things, but they relish hearing what others have to say about their things, especially when it’s positive feedback. Knowing this, a savvy sheep could wind up steering the Sheppard, and by proxy the entire flock, with a well targeted retweet.

The Follower:

These people are the polar opposite of the OverTweeter. They don’t like to put themselves out there too much and are quite content using Twitter to follow others and glean information. These people are the Twitter sheep. Now if you are reading this and you fit this description, don’t feel offended…because as a sheep there isn’t much you can do about it anyway.

Just Kidding:)

The truth is Twitter was created because of, and specifically for you. When Evan Willams and Biz Stone thought of Twitter, it was you they had in mind. Well not you as an individual. Alone you are just a Twit, but together with the rest of your follower type, you form Twitter. As such, even the most powerful, 100,000 strong following- Twitlebrity, will feed you information personally that you would otherwise likely have to spend $500 on a 2-day seminar to find out. So enjoy the connectivity and take advantage of it.

The Social Tweeter:

These fine upstanding folk are the backbone of the Twitter experience, and although their goals for using Twitter are as diverse as they are themselves, they all use Twitter in the same fashion;

Socially first, agenda second.

Make no mistake of it. These people are, for the most part, using Twitter to get something out of it; Business, exposure, connections, knowhow, or any other of a number of possibilities for self actualization. But they understand that when you give, you receive, and even if they don’t receive directly for their beneficiaries, they are contributing to an altruistic culture which is forming the fabric of the still-in its-infancy Twitter society. Should it continue to be shaped in this fashion, Twitter will become a home and a haven for anyone with the drive and ambition to actualize his or her potential. What better cyber cause to contribute to?

For the Social Tweeter, the way to engage them is like any other friend, if not with even a tad bit more naivety. Ultra courtesy, mutual respect and appreciation is the name of the game. Have your Tweets occupy the range of neutral to super helpful and positive. Negativity will only hurt you and your goals in this population, even if correct or justified.

On Twitter, you can always Tweet your mind, but if you want to be effective, as in all areas of life, know which part of your mind you are Tweeting, and to whom. The wrong combination will stifle your growth but the right combinations will synchronize dream and reality in achieving goals in bite sized pieces of 140 characters a piece.