Everyone talks about how the new year allows each of us to start with a clean slate.  We can make a resolution to lose weight, get in shape, or become a better person.  The same can be said for our social media activities as well.  The new year brings the opportunity for us to change some things about our online identity in much the same way as we do offline.  In that spirit we have compiled a list of the top 5 New Year's Resolutions for Twitter:

1. I will Be Myself – Let's face it, no one likes to meet people who claim to be one thing or put off a certain persona just to find out that their online identity is completely opposite of their real life personality.  The goal is to be the same person in both worlds.  More and more meetings in real life are happening after "meeting" on social networking sites, don't give a bad impression.
2. I will not Auto-Direct Message – I got a letter from an insurance agent welcoming me to the neighborhood.  She tells me how excited she is that I am her neighbor and how much she wants to welcome me and provide me some insurance coverage for my apartment and my vehicle.  She doesn't know me and she doesn't care she just wants me to buy insurance.  Auto-DMs are just as insincere as the form letter.  Don't do it, its really tacky.
3. I will Engage - Think of Twitter like a party.  Its a mix and mingle kind of environment.  The guy that comes into a party and only talks about himself is the guy everyone avoids.  The guy that participates in conversation, asking questions and telling a couple jokes, that's the guy that people love.  The goal is to be a good party guest by providing information, asking questions, and re-tweeting things that are interesting to you.
4. I will use a Picture - This should go without saying, but you need to have a picture associated with your account.  Businesses can use a logo, however, people should have a head shot.  Since this is community, everyone would like to know who they are talking to.  If you don't use a picture most people will simply not want to engage with you and will assume you are a bot.
5. I will use the Grandma Test – If you wouldn't tell your Grandma, then you probably shouldn't tweet about it.  It should be common sense but filling your tweets with foul language and inappropriate jokes will not be conducive to gaining a following on Twitter.  Most people on Twitter consider that like walking into a local grocery store and yelling curse words.  You just don't do that sort of thing.

What have we missed?  What is your New Year's Twitter Resolution?

(What is 10 in 10?  Check it out.)