But … how does Twitter work? What are the rules, the guidelines? How can I benefit from entering the world of Twitter? Here’s a possible answer -

Twitip.com, a blog devoted to promoting better understanding about Twitter, has a really good posting by Aira Bongco – @airabongco – today that I recommend – 10 Easy Steps for Twitter Beginners.

“Shockingly” is somewhat of an understatement.

A young professional woman with an MBA in international relations and exceptional experience in developing online strategies recently told me about an interview at one of the world’s largest public relations agencies, an agency that touts its online savvy. During her meetings, she asked agency principals how they analyzed the strategic effectiveness of blogs created for clients.

“Oh, we check Google Alerts,” came the reply from the senior vice president, “And we hope postings get pickup.”  That was the extent of it.

My friend asked about the agency’s strategic planning process for clients, and how they used such basic analysis tools as Google Analytics and various blog search engine optimization (SEO) tools. As to the planning process, the SVP said the agency was trying to figure out the best model. About the tools to analyze blog performance, the SVP had no idea what my friend was talking about.

When I heard this, I thought that such lack of knowledge in the agency world is more often the case than the exception, as my research for the book confirmed. “The Media Savvy Leader” is to be published in January by Robert D. Reed Publishers.

The new WP-Vybe theme from Michael Pollock of Solostream.com is, in my opinion, the most exciting, versatile and easy to customize WordPress theme ever. I know that’s quite a statement, given the hundreds of WordPress themes that are available.

But, all you need to do is test drive it to see WP-Vybe‘s extensive spectrum of innovative features.

After trying many WordPress themes for several years, I have found that Michael’s Solostream themes are the best … and he supports what he sells, which is a huge plus in my book.

WordPress has taken the blog world by storm because it’s so powerful and reliable. Even The New York Times and PEOPLE magazine are among the many news organizations using the same WordPress platform for news blogs. They, of course, spend thousands of dollars on creating customized themes. If you are like me, and you don’t have thousands to spend on a theme, I encourage you to take a serious look at the new WP-Vybe theme for WordPress.

By the way, you can see WP-Vybe already in action at BoomerCafé, the popular online magazine for baby boomers. We have used WP-Vybe’s light blue theme there.

There is a proliferation of blogs devoted to finding out and revealing secrets about companies and organizations. MacRumors is one that is devoted to trading gossip, rumors and facts about Apple, the notoriously secretive computer company. Apple inspires considerable speculation in the technology industry because of penchant … some call it, obsession … for secrecy. For Dr. Kim, reporting on Apple’s secrets translates to a large following and a six-figure income.

Here’s a clue that Dell’s blog is not engendering great support – the miniscule number of comments. Corporate blogs that are successful focus on creating a transparent, interactive online environment. Dell, on the other hand, appears to be using its blog as another advertising platform to push corporate sales fluff.

Here are eight tips to successful corporate blogs:

1. Ask “why” – Why do you want to have a corporate blog? What’s the real purpose, the objective? If it’s to sell, advertise or overtly promote, go buy an ad. The objective of a CEO or corporate blog should be to engage customers/clients in an online discussion, no-holds-barred. If a company has a damaged brand image or reputation, a corporate blog is a good way to give unhappy customers a voice and hopefully win new friends.
2. Post often – get to the point – be brief – invite comments. No one will bother to read long-winded corporate jabber. Make it clear that you want to hear what people really think, especially if they don’t agree.
3. Develop a thick skin. If a corporate blog is genuinely successful, it needs to be a forum for anyone to express any opinion about the company, profanity excluded.
4. Be responsive. A key is to engage customers in a conversation in the Comment section of a blog posting. Actively converse. Praise an open discussion. Deliver solutions that make them happy.
5. Develop a personality. It’s okay for a group of professionals or corporate leaders to collaborate on a blog but show their pictures and a little about them on a page of the blog.
6. Create a scorecard. Use the blog to measure improvement in corporate image. Develop a simple method for customers to grade how good you are at responsiveness and finding quick solutions.
7. Few CEOs have any business having a blog. In my opinion, if a CEO has time to actively blog, he or she is not spending enough time doing their job. Besides, in most cases, the CEO is not the person who is really maintaining the CEO blog, and, guess what? We all know that, and it detracts from credibility.
8. Promote a corporate blog only AFTER it starts building traction and a following, not before.

Paris-based Reporters Without Borders has made available online and for free download its “Handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents.” It is the most credible standard for basic ethical and journalistic conduct in the world of blogging, in my opinion.

In today’s world of communications, corporations or organizations must behave with openness and transparency. When engaging audiences – even critics – in conversations using the communications tools of Web 2.0, companies need to accept the risk that not everyone loves them.

Now, GM has backed itself into a defensive, duck-and-cover position and has been responsible for creating adverse media coverage about itself. Not smart.