Twitter, a social networking site launched in 2006, is undoubtedly one of the almost popular social media platforms available today, with 100 million daily active users and 500 million tweets sent daily.

Twitter tin can be used to receive news, follow loftier-profile celebrities, or stay in-touch with erstwhile high school friends.

Just its popularity can be intimidating -- if yous don't know how to utilize Twitter in 2019, should you even carp trying to bring together the masses who've acquired years of experience on the site?

Fortunately, Twitter is incredibly like shooting fish in a barrel to utilize. Here, we'll encompass what Twitter is, who uses Twitter, and how y'all tin become started on the site, today.

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What is Twitter?

In 2006, Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, had an idea -- he would create a SMS-based communications platform in which friends could keep tabs on each other by updating statuses. In the beginning, Twitter was an idea all-too-similar to texting.

The thought evolved, in large part due to brainstorming sessions with Dorsey's co-founder, Evan Williams.

On March 21, 2006, Jack sent the first tweet, which read -- "just setting upwardly my twttr."

Twitter saw explosive growth at the 2007 South By Southwest Interactive conference, during which more than than threescore,000 tweets were sent. The Twitter team took advantage of the conference to begin growing their user base.

Twitter began as an SMS-based platform, and then the 140 character limit was initially only a necessity -- mobile carriers imposed the limit, not Twitter.

However, as Twitter grew to become a spider web platform, they kept the limit simply because information technology aligned with Twitter'due south make -- Twitter is a platform that aims to create highly skimmable content for our tech-heavy, attending-deficit modern world.

Twitter has grown exponentially over the past x+ years. Its purpose is ultimately to spread information fast -- while that information is non always serious (Kim Kardashian's thoughts on makeup, for example), it sometimes is (like when Iranian protesters used Twitter to gather marches).

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In many ways, Twitter has both unlimited pregnant and immeasurable potential. Information technology tin can connect you with someone in Thailand every bit quickly as information technology can introduce you to your next-door neighbor. You might choose to fill your feed with industry professionals, news sites, celebrities, comedians, or friends.

By enabling each user to curate their content to their personal desires and interests, Twitter has successfully created a highly-addictive platform.

Twitter for Marketers

Twitter can exist a very helpful platform for growing a following and providing your audience with valuable content before they even become customers. The grapheme limit tin likewise aid you create quick-and-compelling advertisements, like a shout-out to a webinar your business is conducting, or a costless due east-book.

It's important to annotation, yous can use Twitter to annunciate your products or services, but you should do so sparingly. Like any social media marketing strategy, your primary focus should be on attracting an audition with useful content and growing brand sensation.

Additionally, you tin use Twitter to connect with your audience in personal and meaningful ways. If someone mentions one of your products or services, you tin "like" or "retweet" their comment. Alternatively, if a customer complains most your services on Twitter, you tin achieve out to rectify the state of affairs in real-time.

To larn more about how to employ Twitter for marketing purposes, take a look at How to Use Twitter for Marketing & PR.

Twitter for Reporters

Twitter has oftentimes been used to spread breaking news apace -- at times, it'south even faster than traditional media outlets at spreading groundbreaking data quickly.

For instance, when the United states of america Airways aeroplane crash-landed in the Hudson River in 2009, Janis Krums was one of the first to spread the word via Twitter, before many media outlets even caught on:

Every bit a reporter, you could amass a large following by tweeting brusk descriptions to alert your audition of daily events.

Additionally, many celebrities, athletes, and politicians choose to post on Twitter direct rather than speaking through media outlets when they want to share information with their fans -- so Twitter is often a helpful avenue when you're looking for insider data or direct quotes to utilise for an article.

Of course, at that place's a danger in using Twitter as a primary source of news -- the limited grapheme count, for one thing, enables Twitter users to spread 1-sided information without having the space to offer the full-story. If you're a reporter, it'due south likely best if you use Twitter to mail service short snapshots of larger events, but stay clear of offer controversial opinions when yous don't have the text space to back information technology up.

Twitter for PR Teams

If you work in PR, yous might consider using Twitter to post announcements most one of your clients -- for instance, you could tweet nigh a release date for a client's production, or an upcoming upshot.

Twitter tin can also aid yous rapidly figure out what your client's competitors are discussing, to ensure your client is up-to-engagement on manufacture trends, and participating in the larger conversation.

Finally, Twitter allows you to network with professionals or influencers who might have an interest in working with your customer.

Twitter for Individuals

You can use Twitter for amusement purposes, or to stay in contact with friends and family. At its about basic, Twitter is like to sending out a 140-graphic symbol mass text to anybody you know -- y'all could utilize it to share a funny story, postal service a compelling video, or ask your audience a question. The choice is yours.

If yous're gear up to get started with Twitter, here's how it works -- don't worry, it'south relatively uncomplicated.

Get-go, create a Twitter account. Then, once you're set up to use Twitter, follow these steps:

How to Mail a Tweet

If you're interested in posting something, you'll want to click the text box that says "What's happening?". You tin can include pictures, a GIF, or a poll using the icons below the text box.

If you're not sure what to post, consider pasting a URL into the box of a funny video or interesting article, with your own brief personal take on the content.

When you're ready, printing "Tweet".

Likewise, yeah -- I should probably read through my 100+ notifications.

How to Peruse Popular Content and Follow People on Twitter

To peruse pop content, you tin can click the "Moments" section at the acme. This will prove you trending topics in a variety of subjects, including News, Sports, Entertainment, and Fun.

To follow specific people, you can blazon their proper noun into the search box. When yous click on their name, you'll exist directed to their profile. There, click the "Follow" button to the right to begin post-obit them -- this means any tweets they post will announced on your homepage.

How to Engage With Other People's Tweets

To appoint with someone else's content, yous can "Retweet" it. This allows you to share someone else's tweet with your ain audition, and to prove your agreement or approval of the tweet (for instance, if someone posts a video of a good song and says "This is the best song!" and you retweet it, you're signaling to your audition that you also similar the song and desire to share it).

Alternatively, you tin can click the speech bubble to the left of the Retweet button if you want to comment on the tweet, or the centre to the right of the Retweet button if yous want to "like" the tweet.

Finally, y'all can click the mail icon if y'all want to Direct Message the tweet to simply one person, or simply ane specific group of people.

And that's it! You now know how to post a tweet, engage with other Twitter users, follow people, and peruse pop content on the platform. While in that location's yet other handy tips and tricks to figure out, yous accept the basics down.

Next, to learn how to utilise Twitter for your business, check out How to Build a Community of Twitter Followers for Your Company.

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Originally published Jan 29, 2019 7:00:00 AM, updated July 26 2021