What Is Twitter and How Does It Work?

With over 100 million users and 500 million tweets sent daily, Twitter is undoubtedly one of the most popular social media platforms available today.

It can be used to stay in touch with old high school friends, receive news, or follow celebrities.

But if you are unfamiliar with how to use Twitter in 2019, should you even bother joining the masses who have mastered the site for years?

Thanks to Twitter's simplicity, it is extremely easy to use. We'll cover what Twitter is, who uses it, and how you can use it today.

What is Twitter?

Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, came up with the idea of creating a SMS-based communications platform where friends could share status updates. Twitter began as an idea similar to texting.

Several brainstorming sessions with Dorsey's co-founder, Evan Williams, contributed to the idea.

Jack sent the first tweet on March 21, 2006, which read: "just setting up my Twitter."

During the 2007 South By Southwest Interactive conference, more than 60,000 tweets were sent using Twitter. During the conference, the Twitter team began growing their user base.

As a SMS-based platform, Twitter's 140-character limit was originally merely a matter of necessity -- mobile carriers set the limit, not Twitter.

Although Twitter became a web platform, they kept the limit simply because it aligned with Twitter's brand -- Twitter is a platform that aims to make highly skimable content for our tech-heavy, attention-deficit society.

Over the past decade, Twitter has grown exponentially. A Twitter feed's ultimate purpose is to spread information quickly -- and while the information is not always serious (Kim Kardashian's thoughts on makeup, for example), it can be (like when Iranian protesters used Twitter to organize marches).

Twitter combines infinite potential with infinite meaning in many ways. It can introduce you to your neighbor next door just as quickly as it can connect you with someone in Thailand. Follow industry professionals, news sites, celebrities, comedians, or friends.

By allowing users to curate their content according to their personal interests and desires, Twitter has created an addictive platform.

"What is Twitter used for?"

Twitter is a social media platform that allows users to connect and share their thoughts with a large audience. Follow people and companies you enjoy consuming content from, discover news and events you're interested in, and communicate with friends on Twitter. Additionally, PR teams and marketers can use Twitter to raise brand awareness and delight their audiences.

Twitter for Marketers

Before your audience becomes a customer you can build a following on Twitter and provide them with valuable content. A quick and compelling advertisement, such as a shout-out to a webinar your business is conducting or a free e-book, can also be created using the character limit.

You can use Twitter to advertise your products or services, but you should be careful. In social media marketing, you should have a primary focus on attracting an audience and increasing brand awareness.

Moreover, you can use Twitter to connect personally and meaningfully with your audience. If someone mentions one of your products or services, you can "like" or "retweet" their comment. Whenever a customer complains about your services on Twitter, you can respond in real time.

Take a look at How to Use Twitter for Marketing & PR to learn more about how Twitter can be used for marketing.

Free Twitter for Business Intro Kit

Twitter for Reporters

At times, Twitter has even spread groundbreaking information faster than traditional media outlets by spreading breaking news quickly.

In 2009, for instance, Janis Krums was one of the first media outlets to spread the word via Twitter after the US Airways plane was forced to crash land in the Hudson River:

If you tweeted short descriptions of daily events, you could build a large audience as a reporter.

Furthermore, celebrities, athletes, and politicians frequently opt to use Twitter to share information directly with their fans rather than through media outlets when they want to interact with their fans -- so Twitter is a great resource when you're looking for insider information or direct quotes for your articles.

One threat of using Twitter as a primary source of news is that its limited character count allows users to spread one-sided information without being able to present the full picture. In your role as a reporter, it's probably best to use Twitter to share short snapshots of larger events, though avoid offering controversial opinions when you don't have the space to back them up.

Twitter for PR Teams

If you work in public relations, you might use Twitter to announce events or release dates related to one of your clients -- for example, you might tweet about a release date for a client's product.

Additionally, you can use Twitter to locate what your client's competitors are talking about, so they are up-to-date on industry trends and participating in the larger conversation.

Finally, Twitter gives you the opportunity to network with professionals and influencers who might be interested in working with your client.

Twitter for Individuals

You can use Twitter to stay in touch with friends and family, or to entertain yourself. Twitter is similar to sending a 140-character mass text to everyone you know -- you could use it to share a funny story, post a captivating video, or ask someone a question. You decide.

Twitter is a social networking site where you can post 140 character status updates, or "tweets," that can be viewed by anyone who follows you. Tweets can include links to other articles or videos. Additionally, you can scroll through your Twitter homepage to see what other people you follow have been posting. You can, for instance, use Twitter for professional purposes only, and follow industry leaders in your field. Alternatively, maybe you follow comedians and use Twitter to amuse yourself.

It's easy to get started with Twitter - don't worry, it's not difficult.

Start by creating a Twitter account. Once you are ready to use Twitter, follow these steps:

How to Post a Tweet

If you're interested in posting something, you'll want to click the text box that says "What's happening?". You can include pictures, a GIF, or a poll using the icons below the text box.

If you're not sure what to post, consider pasting a link to a funny video or interesting article, along with your own take on it.

When you're ready, press "Tweet".

I should also read through my 100+ notifications.

Browse popular content on Twitter and follow people

Browse popular content by clicking on the "Moments" section at the top. Trending topics include News, Sports, Entertainment, and Fun.

You can follow specific people using the search box. Clicking on their name will take you to their profile. There, clickClick the "Follow" button to the right to start following them -- any tweets they post will appear on your homepage.

What to do when someone tweets at you

Retweeting someone's content allows you to engage with it. Retweeting allows you to share another person's tweet with your own audience and to show your agreement or approval of the tweet (for example, if someone posts a video of a great song and says, "This is the best song!") and you retweet it, you are signaling to your audience that you like the song as well.

Alternatively, you can click the speech bubble to the left of the Retweet button if you want to comment on the tweet, or the heart to the right of the Retweet button if you want to "like" it.

Additionally, you can choose to Direct Message a tweet to just one person or a specific group of people by clicking the mail icon.

That's all there is to it! By now, you know how to post a tweet, interact with other Twitter users, follow people, and browse popular content on the platform. You still have a few handy tips and tricks to figure out, but you got the basics down. 

Learn how to build a community of Twitter followers for your company by reading How to Build a Community of Twitter Followers.