| Social Media sites have become an integral part of | | | | @reply: Anyone who can see your Twitter |
| modern life – personal or professional. Twitter | | | | updates can also see the @replies that you send |
| is a popular social networking and microblogging | | | | or those sent to you, whether or not they are |
| service that enables the members to send and | | | | following you, or vice versa. These messages |
| read messages of other users that are called | | | | appear on Twitter updates as @username (with |
| ‘tweets'. | | | | ‘username' replaced by the person's actual |
| Cutting across distances, one can extend his or | | | | username from the Twitter account). |
| her thoughts to literally every corner of the world | | | | Direct Message: A direct message is like any |
| through Twitter. Now this makes it a really small | | | | other inbox message. It will not be seen by other |
| world! And Twitter is not just about mere ease | | | | users, but is your own private message. It will be |
| of conversation. There's much more to it! What | | | | updated on your Twitter account once you log in. |
| does make it so powerful? Here are some facts | | | | You can only send DM to Twitter users you are |
| to consider: | | | | already following. |
| - In March 2010, Twitter recorded a whopping | | | | |
| 1,500% increase in the number of registered | | | | Why Twitter is important to your business? |
| users. | | | | As we've grasped, the popular Social Media site |
| - Twitter is ranked among the 50 most visited | | | | has really made the world a small place. Twitter |
| websites worldwide by‘Alexa's Web traffic | | | | has helped in connecting with people cutting |
| analysis. A record was set during the 2010 FIFA | | | | across boundaries, and has made the job of |
| World Cup when fans wrote 2,940 tweets per | | | | following your friends, colleagues and even |
| second in the 30-second period, after Japan | | | | celebrities so much more convenient - something |
| scored against Cameroon on June 14, 2010. | | | | thought to be difficult earlier. |
| - Currently, about 65 million tweets are posted | | | | - With Twitter you can now easily follow friends |
| each day, equaling about 750 tweets sent each | | | | and family members. Distance or time constraints |
| second, according to Twitter. Over 70,000 | | | | do no longer exist to keep track of them. |
| registered applications have been created for | | | | - Social Media sites are cost effective when it |
| Twitter, according to the company. | | | | comes to communication. Twitter has an |
| The Twitter terminology can often be a little | | | | organized inbox helping you access all the e-mails |
| confusing for new users. However, once you | | | | you require. |
| know the basics, you can easily get used to it. | | | | - Doing business has become more effective and |
| Here is a brief guide for you to grasp it. | | | | lucrative because of the large number of users |
| Tweet: The post updated by a Twitter user on | | | | you can address in one go. Ease of marketing and |
| his or her account is referred to as a ‘tweet' | | | | communication is an apparent advantage. Since |
| and the user is said to have ‘tweeted'. A | | | | millions of users worldwide use Twitter, most |
| tweet just shows that a user has done a new | | | | companies are looking at it as a promotional tool. |
| activity. | | | | - Market researchers get a lot of help from |
| Retweet: When a user wants to share another | | | | Twitter in analyzing the newer trends. Businesses |
| user's tweet (message) with his or her own | | | | such as H&R Block (HRB) and Zappos are |
| followers, he or she is ‘retweet'ing it. When | | | | now using Twitter to respond to customer |
| you come across an interesting tweet and you | | | | queries. |
| want to publish it as your own tweet so that | | | | - Twitter informs you about the latest industry |
| people, who follow, you can see it too. This is | | | | developments. It's like a great doorway to all your |
| why you retweet. The syntax of your tweet | | | | updates. So following latest trends and industry |
| should start with the abbreviation ‘RT' or the | | | | news becomes a lot easier with Twitter. |
| term ‘retweet' followed by the username of | | | | - It encourages a strong business network |
| the person, who tweeted it (e.g. @User) and then | | | | through Twitter 101, a Web-based tutorial aimed |
| the content of the actual tweet. | | | | at business users. In fact, nearly 30% people use |
| Follow: In case you want to get other users' | | | | Twitter for business networking at least once a |
| updates, you can FOLLOW them. You can either | | | | day. |
| sign up to follow other Twitter users or they can | | | | All the above factors have made it one of the |
| sign up to follow you. Each time someone tweets, | | | | major business networking sites. Now you know |
| you get the updates that appear in reverse | | | | why Twitter is extremely important to your |
| chronological order with the most recent one on | | | | business growth. |
| top of the page. | | | | |