What You Probably Don't Know About Twitter

Twitter, Tweet, Tweeter, Retweet,

Twitter,

Twitter,

Twitter

It's been everywhere lately and though some might think it's a brand new product, Twitter has actually been around for about three years. But recently, Twitter has managed to "tweet" its way to the top of most social media markets. I admit I've only joined a few months ago, but I've had friends on it for about a year and am been telling myself to get signed up for a while. So, if you are thinking about it or at all curious, now is the time to join!

Twitter takes some getting used to, and most people don't really understand what it is or how to use it. I don't claim to be an expert, but I want to encourage anyone interested to join, so here's some information that's helped me.

And remember, don't get discouraged about using it. My first tweet, after about a month of being signed up, was: "skariann doesn't know if she has time to twitter..."

Nearly everyone's first impression about Twitter is somewhat egotistical—they think it's simply a tool to frequently update the world about what they are doing at any minute of the day. And most think "Who cares?"

While the "status update" type of posts are out there and do play a part in the Twitterverse, there is also so much more. Here are some of my favorite uses for Twitter:

Finding news information
Directing traffic to smaller sites/blogs
Personal Branding
Professional Branding
Networking (both professional and social)
Communicating with customers or target market
Discovering article or blog post ideas
Getting feedback
Connecting with authors of favorite blogs/articles
Learning from admired experts in various fields

There are so many ways anyone, in any field or for any purpose, can benefit from Twitter. But, the most important thing is to set up an account and start exploring the network. (Remember to follow me, @skariann, and send me a message—I'd love to see you there!)

To help you understand even more about how to get going with your Twitter account and how it can benefit you, here are some great related articles that I've found through my network of blogs and on Twitter:

Ten Easy Steps for Twitter Beginners by Darren Rowse, @ProBlogger, from TwiTip.

College Students: What are You Waiting For? Join Twitter ASAP by Heather D'Amico, @heatherdamico, on her blog.

Twittering, Not Frittering: Professional Development in 140 Characters by Suzie Boss, @suzieboss, on Edutopia.org.

Twitter: Connect, Tweet, and Network Yourself Successsful from the Online Beat.