Social media pro: Twitter
LEARN HOW TO BE THE ONE IN THE KNOW BY FOLLOWING OUR GUIDE TO THE TWEET-BASED PLATFORM.
LAUNCHED BACK IN 2006, Twitter has since become the go-to source for real-time information on anything and everything. Breaking news, up-to-the-minute sports commentary, shameless celebrities spruiking their latest films and/or products — all this and more can be found on Twitter. A place for diverse discussion and opinion, you can converse (and/or argue) with people all over the world about the things that interest you — albeit using a maximum of 280 characters. In addition to us ordinary humans, you’ll find well-known academics, musicians, actors, sports stars, journalists and even big tech luminaries. Follow this detailed guide and you’ll be tweeting like a pro in no time!
THE BASICS
FINDING FRIENDS: One of the first steps to using Twitter is finding people to follow. During sign up, you’ll be asked to search and select from a number of topics that interest you — Twitter will then use this information to recommend people to follow. Additional suggestions based on your twitter habits can be accessed by pressing the person icon in the top-right corner of the Explore screen. The app can also sync your phone’s contacts to find friends already on Twitter. Use the search tool to navigate to a person’s profile — each user has their own page filled with past tweets, replies, retweets and likes.
TIMELINE: Looking at the home screen reveals a (mostly) chronological timeline of tweets posted by the people you follow. Twitter’s emphasis is on the now, which means it’s highly likely you’ll see a page filled with entirely new tweets every time you open the app. This is great for ensuring you get the latest up-to-date info on breaking news and events. Twitter will first show tweets from the people you engage with most, while the ‘In case you missed it’ section shows popular tweets posted while you were away from the app. Tap on a tweet at any time to see comments and replies posted by other users.
TWEETING: Probably the most challenging aspect of Twitter is finding something to tweet about... using a maximum of 280 characters. Twitter’s focus has traditionally been on messages that can be read in a few short seconds. Hence, a limit of just 140 characters was initially imposed on tweets. However, at the time of writing this article, that number was doubled to 280 characters in order to allow people to tweet more freely — political rants, here we come! Sending a tweet is easy — within the Home tab, press the quill icon in the top-right hand corner of the screen. You can then start typing, as well as add links, photos, videos, even GIFs.
HASHTAGS: What seems to be the buzzword of the 21st century, hashtags are essential to the Twitter experience. #iphone, #avocado, #beyonceisthebest — these simple words and phrases can be used when tweeting and conversing with others. Like Instagram, hashtags help organise the many millions of posts made each day into different topics and interests. For example, if you were writing a tweet about this super-awesome magazine, then you’d include #techlifeau in your tweet. This means anyone
A PLACE FOR DIVERSE DISCUSSION AND OPINION, YOU CAN CONVERSE (AND/OR ARGUE) WITH PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD
who searches for that hashtag can then easily see and respond to your tweet, even if they don’t know you. When composing a message, simply enter the hashtag symbol and begin typing — the app will provide a series of popular keywords to choose from, or just continue writing your own.
STEP IT UP A LEVEL
REACTIONS: If you find yourself passionately pounding your fist in agreement with a tweet, you can like it by pressing the heart icon. Retweeting takes it one step further, letting you ‘forward’ tweets to your followers. Press the square icon with arrows to either share or quote the tweet onto your profile page.
SEARCH: One function you’re likely to use regularly is the search feature. Located in the Explore tab, you’re able to search for a particular person, keyword or hashtag. Results can be filtered to show only top tweets or a list of posts in real-time. Searches can be further refined by specifying whether you’re looking for something specific like a photo, person, Periscope or news story.
MOMENTS: Trying to keep up with the latest breaking news on Twitter can be quite overwhelming at times. Moments are curated stories covering topics popular on the platform. It could be a trending news story, international event or celebrity gossip (don’t judge). Each moment includes comments, photos and videos from a variety of sources. You can even create and share your own by tapping your profile picture and pressing ‘Moments’.
TRENDING TOPICS: What’s deemed popular on Twitter is determined largely by the aforementioned hashtag. If enough people use a particular keyword, then it’s likely to become a trending topic. In the Explore tab, you’ll see a section titled ‘Trends for you’ — this is organised based on who you follow and your location.
PRIVACY: While many users choose to make their profiles public, Twitter also allows you to protect your tweets and make them visible only to the people approved to follow you. This can be enabled in settings. Also included are tools for blocking and muting particular users. You can even hide others’ tweets from your timeline that contain particular words.
MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS: There’s a chance you may have multiple Twitter accounts for different occasions. For example, one could be for following friends, while another might be used to anonymously remain informed on the whereabouts of the Kardashians (or so I’ve been told). Rather than repeatedly log in and out, Twitter allows you to quickly toggle between accounts. To set this up, tap your profile icon and press the three dots in the top-right corner.
GOING PRO
PUSH NOTIFICATIONS: Twitter is a powerful beast when it comes to the quantity of content produced every minute. Push notifications ensure you remain informed on the latest and greatest happenings in the Twittersphere when away from the app. Press the alarm icon on a person’s profile to be notified whenever they send out a tweet. Notifications for mentions, likes and retweets can also be managed in settings.
POLLS: You’re now able to create a poll others can vote on directly from their timeline. When writing a tweet, press the graph icon and type your question. Up to four choices can be included, along with how long your
poll will be active. People who vote can then see the results in real-time.
DIRECT MESSAGES: In addition to posting tweets, you can also send followers direct messages. Tap the envelope icon to see a list of conversations you currently have with other users. Private messages can be sent to both individuals and groups. In settings, you can choose to receive messages from everyone or just followers.
LISTS: Your Twitter feed can be further refined through the use of lists. Accessed via the main menu, you’re able to create both public and private groups of users whose tweets will appear in an additional feed separate from the main timeline. Public lists are visible to everyone — tap the settings icon on a user’s page to see lists they’re subscribed to.
NIGHT MODE: They say news never sleeps, and neither does Twitter. But scrolling through your timeline late at night won’t do you any good. Thankfully, the Twitter app has a night mode that changes its interface to a darker, less intense blue. Simply tap your profile icon and select the half moon. Press it again to go back.