How to Use Twitter

 Some Twitter users utilize the social media site to build their company brand or generate leads. There are bloggers who use the platform to share ideas and articles and to see what others are writing about. Some people check Twitter for news, while others want to see what celebrities or friends are up to.

Defining your purpose will help you decide who to follow and what kind of information to share.

                                              Learn how to use Twitter

- Go to Twitter.com, and create a free account.

- After you click "sign up," Twitter will display another page with the three items you just filled out and a suggested Twitter username at the bottom. Your Twitter username can be different from your real name, but doesn't have to be. Twitter's suggested username will be based on your real name, but you are free to change it. If your real name is available on Twitter, that's usually a good username to choose.

-Decide what you want to say. In general, Twitter messages, or 'tweets,' answer the question, 'What are you doing right now?' But you can also post a link, express an opinion or reaction, or pose a question.

- Learn Twitter terminology. When you post something, it’s a tweet. When you repost something from another user, it’s a retweet or RT.  Trending topics, or TT, are topics discussed by many users at a given time. You can Favorite a tweet by clicking on the star. That is a great way to recognize someone for sharing your content.

- Explore. See who is on Twitter and what people are tweeting.

- Following people that are following you is also very easy. On the right side of the page, Twitter gives your follow stats. Just click on the "followers" link in the middle column. This will list everyone that is following you. To follow them back, just click on the 'Follow' button.

- Twitter is a two-way street. Now that you’ve posted your first update, choose people whose updates you want to follow. To search by name, click on 'Find People' in the upper right corner and then click the 'Find on Twitter' tab. You can follow individuals, like friends and colleagues, and groups, like news services, organizations, and nonprofits.

- To help people find you, fill in account information under 'Settings,' such as your location, real name, and a brief bio. You can also add the URL of your web site or blog if you have one.

-Take a good picture. Your image will show up on your profile page and next to any comment you make on Twitter. You want people to recognize you. Make sure the image is clear and well-lit, with your face in the center.

-Twitter's search feature can be a great way to track trends or keep up with a particular subject. And if you are a fan of sports, it can be a great way to really connect with the team. Not only are many sports players on Twitter, but you have the media and millions of fans to keep you updated on the latest and greatest.

-One of the most recent activities that is becoming popular on Twitter is the use of third-party games to interact with Twitter accounts.

- See what people on Twitter are saying about subjects you’re interested in. At the bottom of any Twitter page, click 'Search' and type in a name or topic. Or, either below the search box or alongside search results, check out what’s generating the most buzz by browsing through 'Trending topics.'                          

                              Send Your First Tweet

Since you're no doubt itching to get started and become a true Twitterer, go ahead, send your first tweet. Sending these messages can be the best way to learn how to Twitter--learning by doing.

It's a little like a Facebook status update, only the Twitter messages you send are public by default, and must be short.

To send a tweet, type a message of 140 characters or less into the text box that asks "What's Happening?"

You'll see the character count drop as you type; if a minus sign appears, you've written too much. Trim a few words, and then when you're satisfied with your message, click the "Tweet" button.

Your tweet isn't sent to anyone yet because no one is following you, or subscribed to receive your tweets. But your tweet will be visible to anyone who stops by your Twitter page, either now or later.

If you are a Microsoft ® Outlook ® user, you probably have it open all the time. Now you can have a fully-featured, powerful Twitter client at your fingertips without having to open any other applications. TwInbox seamlessly integrates Twitter into Outlook. It is a perfect Twitter client for any Outlook user, from a Twitter newbie to a business professional.

Features

• • Update your Twitter status directly from Outlook.

  • Receive your friend updates in Outlook.

  • Archive, manage, group and search your tweets the

  • same way you manage your email (details).

  • Search, track keywords. TwInbox will automatically download ALL tweets matching the keywords you specify, even if you are not following the tweet sender. This feature is perfect for keeping up to date with the Twitter buzz on your name, brand, interests, etc.

  • Group tweets by sender, topic, etc using the Search feature.

  • Manage multiple Twitter accountsnew!.

  • Upload and post picture files and Outlook email attachments.

  • See new tweets at a glance (details).

  • Assign custom folder and categories to new messages.

  • Use "Reply" and "ReplyAll" commands to send twitter direct messages and @replies.

  • Automatically sort new tweets into per-sender folders.

  • Shorten URLs with bit.ly.

  • See graphs of your Twitter usage statistics.

  • Tweets sent to you (@replies and direct) are marked with high importance, so you can see them at a glance.

Download TwInbox, it is free!

                        Advanced ways to use Twitter for business or personal branding

 – Write Some GREAT Tweets -When you follow people they get an email with a link to your Twitter page. They’ll have a quick look and decide whether they are going to follow you. Set a strategy for what you are gong to communicate about. If you share smart insights and links in your area of passion or specialty you will steadily build your following.

Some ideas for great tweets include commenting on big news in your area of specialty or expertise, linking to popular blogs or Tweets (short for a Twitter post) with added insight, sharing tips or valuable suggestions, Don't spam! When you reply in DM (direct message) or post Tweets make them useful and never simply message another Twitter user just to get them to follow your links.

- RT (ReTweet) with an @ sign - The common practice in Twitter is to ‘RT’ or re-tweet messages and links that you want to share with your list, and when you do this you credit the original tweeter by mentioning their Twitter name with an @ sign. This practice often leads people to click the @name in your message to view the home Twitter page of the Twitter that you recognized.

– Search.Twitter.com - The search function at Twitter is amazing, and fast. It is found at the top of your home page with the tab marking 'Find People'. That takes you to a page with four sections, one for finding people on Twitter by name, one for searching networks through your email for those who are already on Twitter, a section where you can invite those from your email lists to Twitter, and a final page with suggestions from the Twittersphere of popular members you may be interested in. 

You can also post pictures to Twitter via a direct link to Twitpics, Visual Twitter, Twixxer or others. The most commonly used one is Twitpics. On Twitpics you can upload any picture from your computer and immediately send the link to it and a message to your Twitter account.