Do you remember when "twitter" was synonymous with gibberish or fast talking? Ok, I really don't remember those times, but from what I've heard they did exist. In today's world, Twitter is one of the most significant tools for communication and networking. I'll be the first to admit that I was not sold on Twitter at first. Too many people used it as a platform for sharing every little boring detail of their lives or tell the world how bad they have it. And unfortunately people still do that. But if you follow the right Twitter feeds, and don't contribute any of the aforementioned tweets, Twitter really is quite a cool service.
First of all, you'll need an account. The sign up process is quite easy. Just fill out the short form on the front page and wait for your confirmation email. Confirmation emails are sent to protect your account. It allows them to confirm that you are indeed the one that set up the account. Once you confirm that you did mean to create an account, you're ready to go. I'd suggest you start by setting up your profile. Just click on your user name in the top right corner and then select "settings". There is a wealth of customization to be had in these menus. Under the "Profile" tab, you can and should set up a picture, a short biography, a web site if you have one and you can link your Twitter account to your Facebook account. This is a nice option if you want all of your social outlets in sync. You can also link your accounts from your Facebook page, but we'll cover Facebook another day.
Now that you've gotten your account set up, it's time to get some friends. Nothing is sadder than a member of the Twitter community with no "followers". So your first act should be adding NerdyWerds; I hear good things about them. Twitter also allows you to search for friends based on your Facebook friends list, so this is probably a good place to start as well. But for the sake of this article, we're going to focus less on individuals and more with business entities. I feel that Twitter excels at being a conduit for all the news you care about. I use my personal Twitter account as an aggregator for all of my technology and sporting news. I also love the Huffington Post, and they have a very good Twitter feed. You should browse around and look for the news outlets you trust and enjoy. Most businesses today have a Twitter feed.
If news isn't your thing, Twitter still has a great deal to offer. Are you the type that enjoys celebrities and gossip? Every celebrity worth gossiping about has an official Twitter feed. Their are also the people who've made a living talking about people. And guess what, they're also on Twitter. I'm not so much into celebrity gossip, so I can't name any in particular. But rest assured they are out there. How about politics? Everybody, well, somebody, enjoys politics. Perhaps you're heavily invested in a particular candidate in the upcoming election. Follow their official Twitter feed for information on appearances, speeches, trends and more. I'm not going to list every possible category of Twitter-er, but just know that this thing is for real.
More institutions are finding uses for Twitter every day. Numerous colleges and universities are using Twitter as their official means of communications with students. School closings are being announced on Twitter, as well as alerts and essential news. Like I said earlier, celebrities and personalities are using twitter to announce special events and appearances. Bands use Twitter to let their "hard core" fans know about secret shows. Food trucks use Twitter to alert customers as to where they will be. Stores are offering deals via Twitter. Twitter seems to be a preferred way of communicating vital, or not so vital, information to the masses.
But reading what others are doing isn't the only thing to do on here. You get to contribute to the conversation. Let's say that you've found a site you think people need to be reading; maybe Nerdy Werds? You just fire off a tweet about the site and Bam! That's all. You've just given everyone that follows you your personal recommendation for this site; very much appreciated by the way. Maybe you've found an app you just can't live without. The same process applies. If you link your tweet to their Twitter account they may give you a shout out for helping their cause. Maybe you just want to tell your friends you're going to be a sports bar watching the game, any game, in an hour. With less than 140 characters you can tell everyone you know where to find you and how to join you.
