<strong>If you're not on Twitter, then you probably should be.</strong> While the power of this online social medium is still being analysed, there's no doubt it's one of the most powerful, and one of the cheapest, marketing tools out there. And, while it can literally make a small-to-medium enterprise (SME), it can just as easily break it. With that in mind, we've spoken to Alan Devereux, the communications officer for the UAE's <a href="http://bbg.olasoft.com"><strong>British Business Group</strong></a>, on the best ways small companies can manage their accounts. Here are his top 10 tips on how SMEs can use Twitter to their advantage: <strong>2. </strong> They then set a plan in place. What is the goal? How will a company define success? <strong>3.</strong> A company should protect itself. An employee designated the task of tweeting on behalf of the company must understand that their words will have an effect on the reputation (and potentially sales) of the company <strong>4.</strong> Twitter should not be viewed as an individual platform, so consider how the medium can fit in with an existing marketing plan <strong>5.</strong> Behind every Twitter account is a person. People relate to people more than they do companies, therefore, an account should have a human element to it - whether that is a picture or the way in which conversations happen <strong>6.</strong> A Twitter account that advertises the company and does nothing else will generally fail. Would you watch an hour of adverts on TV? No, but you tolerate a few minutes because it surrounds the content you want to see <strong>7.</strong> Post original content to help an account grow both in its number of followers and its reputation <strong>8.</strong> Always be polite when talking on Twitter. No matter how bad a day you may have had, Twitter is a window into your company <strong>9.</strong> Make use of free applications. You can schedule tweets and analyse the success of your campaign for free with Apps such as <a href="http://timely.is">Timely</a> and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, hirakakupro-w3, osaka, 'ms pgothic', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://twuffer.com">Twuffer</a></span> <strong>Finally, don't forget to follow the personal finance team - @TheNationalPF - on Twitter to hear all the latest from us.</strong>