Let’s face it. If you are reading this, odds are you aren’t Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, or any of the other top 100 most followed on Twitter. If you aren’t on Twitter yet, sign up today. In fact, do it now and then come back and finish reading this post.

Twitter isn’t new. The more people that join and follow other users, the more your tweets get diluted. The secret is to not wait for followers to come to you. Don’t tweet and hold your breath to see who replies, mentions, retweets, or follows you (but, if you do receive replies, mentions, and retweets, be sure to respond to ALL of them).

The key is to consistently send tweets, but spend the bulk of your time using search.twitter.com. Search for your company or brand name, products or services you offer, competitors, and any other relevant keywords related to your industry. Then, start authentic conversations with all of the people that are already sending relevant tweets. You can quickly build real relationships (and followers) by taking this approach. And, the best part is that you can be certain that the people you are talking to are highly engaged. Quality over quantity.

Twitter even put together its own tips on how to use Advanced Twitter Search.