New to Twitter marketing... Any tips/things I should know?

Hey guys...

I'm new to Twitter and wondered if any of you could give me some basic/newb info if possible? I've searched around this forum and found a lot of cool stuff, but just thought I'd make this post and see if anybody mentions something I haven't picked up on yet...

Few questions:

Any ideas on how many people I should follow for the first few weeks with a new account? And then after the first few weeks I assume that I can start upping that amount?

Also, are direct messages effective on Twitter? Do people get notifications and check their inbox like Facebook, or is it more like Youtube where nobody checks their inbox?

Also, generally when somebody gets followed by someone do they usually check on the person's profile to see who followed them?

Would appreciate it if you could take a minute and help a Twitter newb out

Many thanks.

My advice:
don't act like a spammer.

seriously, take it slow, you're creating a business.

I do this with all my social media campaigns. Solid advice, thanks.