Five ways to make the most of Twitter

by Kim Komando

7/23/2011

With more than 200 million users worldwide, Twitter is an online powerhouse. More than 350 million messages, or tweets, are sent daily. And it has played an important role in political protests in Tunisia, Egypt and Iran.

Yet some people question the purpose of Twitter. They don't understand how it would fit into their lives. Like all social-networking sites, Twitter is about connecting with others. Unlike other sites, though, it focuses on brevity. Posts are limited to 140 characters.

Many use Twitter to give quick updates to friends and family. They share a small part of their day or say they're running late. Others use it to promote their business. You can also get customer support or ask questions. It's even a good way to keep up with the news and current events. Follow me at www.twitter.com/kimkomando.

Let's take a look at ways you can make the most of Twitter.

Hashtags

With millions sent each hour, messages can be difficult to follow. Hashtags help you overcome this. Just place a hashtag (#) directly before relevant keywords or topics. For example, you could use #computer or #job. This will help others find your tweets.

When you see a hashtag in a tweet, click it. This brings up other messages on the topic. Just remember to check how others are using a particular hashtag before using it. Some have embarrassed themselves by using a trending hashtag incorrectly.

Replies

You'll want to reply to others' tweets. Just find a message and click Reply. Enter your message and click Tweet. Replies start with @username. When you see your username, someone is replying to you. Click the tweet to see the original tweet, along with other information.

You can also insert @username to mention someone in a tweet. Mentions appear on the Mentions tab. This helps you see who is talking about you. To search for mentions on others, use @username in the search box. Mentions are a great way to build followers.

Retweets

Maybe you want to share a funny or important tweet with your followers. This is easy to do. Just click Retweet below a tweet to share it. Retweeting is a nice way to let others know you appreciate their tweets.

Retweets are easy to spot in the Timeline. You'll see the retweet icon, along with the username beside the tweet. Still, it is considerate to acknowledge the original tweeter in the message. Precede the message with "RT @username."

Direct messages

You can send direct messages to other users who are following you. While the message is private, remember that anything posted online can be made public.

To send a direct message, click the Messages button. The following page shows your message history. Click New Message. Enter the username for the recipient. Write your message and click Send.

Lists

Following others on Twitter is easy. Find the person to follow and click the Follow button. If a user has protected tweets, they must approve you. When you follow someone, their tweets appear in your Timeline.

If you follow many people, lists will help you organize your messages. For example, group coworkers or school friends together. You can then scan related messages easily.

To create a list, visit a user's profile. Click the person icon. On the Actions menu that appears, click "Add to list." Enter the information for the list and choose public or private. The user is added to the list. Add others by following these steps and selecting an existing list.