The story of the Tweet
By popular demand, I have been asked to cover Twitter in more depth. So this week, with thanks to Hill+Knowlton Strategies, I kick off a fresh look at Twitter.
Twitter has revolutionised how we communicate and consume information. What started as a simple messaging service has become a powerful tool for spreading insight, humour and news. Twitter allows you to have a voice and say whatever and whenever in a simple Tweet.
A Tweet is the basic building block for all things Twitter. A Tweet is an expression of a moment or idea in 140 characters. It can contain text, photos, and videos. Millions of Tweets are shared in real time, every day.
When you follow people, their Tweets instantly show up on your timeline. Similarly, your Tweets show up on your followers’ timelines. To see interesting Tweets, follow interesting people: friends, celebrities, news sources, or anyone whose Tweets you enjoy.
The best Tweets share meaningful moments — big and small. Quote your grandma, share a photo of your pet sloth, or make a Vine video of your youngest doing a tricycle wheelie. If you think it’s interesting, chances are your followers will too.
A Tweet can consist of a reply, which is to comment on a Tweet and join the conversation. One can also re-tweet, which is to share a Tweet with your followers (you can even add your own thoughts before you share it). You also have the option to ‘favourite’ a Tweet – this will let the author of the Tweet know you like it, and lastly, you could use a hashtag (#), which is to assign a topic to a Tweet. Tweets that contain #CricketWorldCup are about just that, so you can click on a hashtag (#) to see Tweets related to that topic.
Always remember, if you wouldn’t speak it – don’t Tweet it.
Are you on Twitter? Do you follow us on Twitter? Are you aware that we are on Twitter?
