For Beginners
Twitter is a form of social media that you can use from a laptop, desktop, and even from your cellphone. It is one of the programs that people use to communicate with friends, family and even business clients for a variety of things. Some use Twitter for microblogging or people posting things about themselves and being updated on what is happening to friends or relatives living far from them. Some use Twitter as a channel of information. Because several million people actually use Twitter at any given time of a day, information can easily be passed on in minutes. Even news-related shows or magazines have Twitter updates so it is a great way to keep up with what is happening with the world. Twitter also allows you to follow those who interest you, along with following friends, family and colleagues.
However, even with its popularity, some people are either still unaware of Twitter or don’t know how to use it. For those people, we have gathered resources and had researched to be able to provide an easy guide on how to use Twitter.
Starting Twitter
If you already have an account, feel free to skip to Instruction number 3. From there onwards, you will see detailed instructions of the tools provided on Twitter. Otherwise, follow the instructions below.
1) Create a Twitter Account
a) Go to the Twitter website - Twitter.com. Once you are there, the page should resemble the image shown below. Keep in mind however that the webpage is constantly changing. Enter your full name, email address and a password in the space provided. Click “Sign up for Twitter” once you have provided all necessary information.
b) After you have clicked “Sign up for Twitter”, you will be transferred to another webpage shown in the image on the right.
In the box where you have to use your , create your own or use one that Twitter has suggested.
Notice that there are two boxes right below “Choose your ” – “Keep me signed in on this computer” and “Tailor Twitter based on my recent web visits”. Clicking “Keep me signed in on this computer” is not recommended on computers that you share with someone else because your and password will be stored and remembered by your computer so when you go to the Twitter website and type your , your password will automatically be keyed in. “Tailor Twitter based on my recent web visits” means you’re allowing Twitter to suggest people that you might want to follow.
Once you’ve decided whether or not to click those two boxes mentioned, proceed to reading the Terms of Service. After that, click “Create my account”.
2) Build your Twitter profile
a) In the webpage that will open, type the name or of the people you know or want to know about in the search panel. The search panel is the box with the words “search for” Click the “follow” box. “Following” a person on twitter means you can see their posts on your Twitter home page.
b) Add a biography, and a photo to your account on the image similar to the one shown on the left. This will help people identify you, in case they decide to follow back. This is optional, so do not feel obligated to put any information about yourself.
3) Write your own Tweet!
a) Find the tweet box which looks like the image shown below.
b) Write anything you want as long as it doesn’t exceed 140 characters. Tell your followers what you feel about your annoying little brother or maybe you’d like to share the photo of you and your best friend.
c) Click ‘Tweet’ and viola! You have successfully tweeted!
4) Know How to Use Twitter’s Basic Functions
- “Retweet” – Repost a tweet that someone else has posted.
a) Look for the word ‘Retweet’ at the bottom right of a person’s tweet and click it.
b) A prompter just like the image below will appear. Click ‘Retweet’ if you are sure that you would like to repost the tweet. Click ‘Cancel’ if you changed your mind and would like to go back to your home page.
- “Favorite” – If you are used to using Facebook, it would be the same as “liking” a post. If you don’t use Facebook, then “favoriting” a tweet is showing that you agree or like what they have tweeted.
a) Just like in retweeting, look for the word ‘Favorite’ and click on it.
b) A prompter will appear again and you will have to click ‘Favorite’ to proceed.
- “Hashtag” – Used to emphasize a point or to find a ‘trend’ or tweets containing the same topic as your post.
a) Write a keyword or a key phrase for your post or anything connected to your post.
b) Attach the character “#” to the keyword or key phrase. Make sure your keyword or key phrase do not have spaces or punctuation marks in between the words and letters.
c) Post your tweet. An example of a post with a hashtag is shown below.
- “DM” or Direct Message – Message that people you follow have sent to you that no one else can see. You can only send message to people that follow you.
a) Go to the upper right corner of your Twitter home page. Look for the message icon which is usually an envelope. Click it.
b) An image like the one below will appear. Included here are your direct messages. Click ‘New message’.
c) A message box like the one below will appear. Type the of the person you want to send the Direct Message to in the upper box. In the lower box, write your message. Like in the regular tweet, you can only use up to 140 characters.
d) Click ‘Send Message’.
Conclusion
Many people use Twitter in their daily communication with friends, family and even business clients for a variety of things. Due to this, it is highly important to know how to use Twitter to keep up with the trends and also to keep communication lines open for people all over the world.
We hope you learned a lot from our instruction guide and see you on twitter soon!
