Twitter Application

TWITTER – WHAT, HOW’S & WHY’S

BY: ANKITA SHARMA, VIDHYARTHI DARPAN

Since the launch of Twitter in 2006, it has gained popularity over the years. Twitter is the trendsetter in today’s tech-savvy world where social media play an indispensable role in people’s life. What started as a simple interactive SMS-ing platform for primary communications now has a whopping 100+ million daily active users with 500+ million daily tweets. Twitter growth has proved that a lot can be conveyed in mere 280 characters (while post with video/photo permits 140 characters), also called a “tweet”. The micro-blogging platform gives users the freedom to deliver their point of view to the world.

WHAT MAKES TWITTER FUN?

The Tweets, of course! There is always chatter going on Twitter. From people pouring their heart in the minuscule space of 280 words to posting long threads elaborating important issues, from highly educated users to trollers; you will find all kinds of people on Twitter. 

You can follow people that pique your interest. It brings you quality content at the tips of your fingers. It lets you explore new ventures. You will provide value as well as make harmonious attachments. It helps you express out your emotions. It brings you an atmosphere of growth and learning. And what not?

HOW TO USE TWITTER

About 23% of the world’s internet population has an account on Twitter. From rants on politics, trolling, passing judgments to igniting trends, expanding brands, and sharing ideas, Twitter has undergone upgrades. It is, therefore, essential to know the basics of usage of Twitter. 

Twitter Language:

Well, we all know every app has a language of its own. Let’s learn about some of the Twitter terminologies that may come in handy for your next tweet.

Hashtag (#): It is a keyword or phrase preceded by the “#” symbol. By clicking on the hashtag, you can directly reach a page consisting of all posts and Twitter users who have included that hashtag in their tweets. You can also follow hashtags to stay updated with the event.

@mention: It is to mention, acknowledge, or reply to a concerned person or organization. You can directly message the account or mention the user in a public post.

Follow: This denotes Twitter users you follow. You will be able to see the posts of people you follow in your timeline. 

Followers: This shows the number of people who follow you. That allows them to see your posts, retweets, likes, comments, and engagements in their timeline. Presently, US ex-President Barack Obama has the most followed account on Twitter with over 118 M followers. In India, this feat is achieved by PM Narendra Modi with 48.1 M followers.

Unfollow: You can choose to unfollow any account by pressing this button. The user will no longer be able to see your tweets.

Retweet: It means sharing a post to your timeline. You can post a comment along with a retweet.

DM (Direct Message): You can connect more in the DM section. This feature allows you to go beyond the 280 characters to chat privately. The messages from non-followers end up as “message requests”.

Trending/Trend: Most popular hashtags give rise to trends that are present on the left side of the screen. Trending topics catches the attention of many.

Engagement: It generally means conversing with fellow Twitterian in a series of replies. It is useful for making valuable connections through social media.

Feed: It is your timeline. It presents new tweets in the forefront, viewing older tweets as you scroll down. 

Thread: It consists of a series of tweets, one after another. It is used as a continuation to express views.

For Business Purpose

85% of small and medium business users use Twitter to provide consumer service. In a small area, brands can creatively advertise their product and spark people’s attention before making them a customer. Bearing an enthralling strategy, companies grow their business through social media. The main challenge is engagements. That can be done by frequent announcements on deals, sales, and special discounts through ads.

Here’s a fun fact: About 26% of users spent more time viewing ads than absorbing the actual content on Twitter.

Individual use

Twitter, just like Facebook is all about entertainment and making connections. Be it with your childhood friend or potential employer, it lets you reach out to anyone. 

Reporting current events

71% of Twitter users claim to rely on tweets for news. People get access to live incidents much before it hits the conventional news channels. There are about 24.6% verified journalists that feed headlines directly from the concerned place. However, Twitter should not become the primary source of daily news as most of the tweets are controversial that lack background research. Some tweets ignite social imbalance and start burning arguments while tweets from global leaders keep the citizens updated on national events.

Do you know that 83% of world leaders have a Twitter account? 

WHY SHOULD YOU USE TWITTER?

Twitter allows you to express your views – personal or political or denoting an industry/brand or anything – in short, concise sentences in an easily readable manner, usually on mobile. Nowadays, Twitter has become the first approach for instant news updates. Since the brand-new information shows up at top of the feed, it becomes easier for users to read. 

Twitter provides a platform to put your thoughts in one place and explore more. You can publish and promote your works such as reports or finding by sliding the link for the same in a simple tweet.

Twitter is a great place to meet new people. You may follow your favorite author or your dream company or expand your network. It is one of the best places for marketers to increase brand awareness and enrich their audience with their product.

Every app has a set of trollers. Keep your distance from them. Do not entertain them.

Twitter can land you a job! Yes, companies announce job opportunities on Twitter. You can follow companies you want to work with and be the first one to know of such proposals.

If you are a blogger, content writer, author, speaker, photographer, musician, tweet your upcoming albums or art/articles or novel by attaching links for the same. The more interactions, the more it will benefit you. 

Although Twitter is the first media where news explodes every second, it is also the origination point of meme material. You can find a myriad of hilarious tweets that becomes content for a meme on other platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.

TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

No wonder with the introduction of Twitter during the millennial period, most of the active users are people under 50. With advancements in social media, most teenagers use other platforms like Whats App, Facebook, Snap chat, Instagram, etc. for varying purposes. Unlike these applications, 37% of Twitter users are between 18-29 age and 25% of users are of the 30-49 age range.

Here are 10 tips for people who have just entered the Twitter world and to save themselves the embarrassment of the wrong tweet.

1) More engagements, fewer announcements

Connect with people by engaging in meaningful conversations. Most brands broadcast their product often and listen to feedback more. You can ask questions or do polls to gain audience attention.

2) Tweet often

Tweeting frequently keeps the audience glued to more. But do not overdo it. The informative 6-10 tweets a day are enough as against 50 tweets of repetitive ones.

3) Focus on the trending section

Plenty is going on in the world. It is nice to keep yourself updated with current trends and have an opinionated mind.

4) Make the best use of the space

In 2017, Twitter expanded the writing space from 140 to 280 characters. Power of expression and

5) Be a part of a community

Contribute to conversations. Leverage content. Observe what is needed and act accordingly. 

6) Presentation matters

Present the best version of yourself by stating sources of your claim over controversial topics. Do not get carried away.

7) Be authentic

Show yourself as you are. Do not copy what others are doing. Sometimes it can get you in trouble.

8) Add a video/photo with the text

Video and photo interests’ people. Twitter with videos gets 10x attention and engagement as watching videos is 3rd reason (82%) people use Twitter. It also gets 50% more revenue, so a win-win.

9) @mention while replying to a tweet

Reply to the queries directed at you. If you are a brand, keep one person only for resolving inquiries.

10) Follow a trend or begin one

CONCLUSION

In this fast-paced world, keeping up with the trends is not difficult. With over about 11.7 million downloads from Play Store/App Store, Twitter maintains to be on top. Its versatility and all-in-one features make Twitter the best platform to gain knowledge. All the famous personalities are tweeting, where are you?