Posts Tagged twitter basics

Listed in this article are some more important Twitter functions, jargon, and URL shortener tools for making the most of Twitter. Please be sure to view Getting a Grip on Twitter Basics Part 1 where we cover more Twitter functions such as Tweets, @replies, and Hashtags#.

Direct Messages: Direct messages are used to communicate directly and privately with other Twitter users. Direct messages are commonly referred to as DMs within the Twitter landscape. If you would like to send a direct message to another Twitter user, Type D and then follow this with the Twitter user name for the person or company that you would like to direct message.

Since we are limited to 140 characters within Twitter, it is a good idea to shorten the length of links or URLs that you post within Twitter. The best way to do this is with a URL shortener. URL shorteners will shorten the number of characters in the posted URL to about 16 to 20 characters. Some of the more popular free online URL shortener services include tinyurl.com and bit.ly for squeezing down the amount of characters used in your URL. If you would like to track the amount of clicks that your shortened URLs generate and generate shortened URLs at the same time, then be sure to use twitalyzer to track your traffic.

Coming to grips with Twitter is fairly easy. Even a child can do it. Better yet, even grandparents can do it.  Here are some definitions of common Twitter functions and jargon:

Tweets: In short, a Tweet is a quick, precise text message that contains 140 characters or less. That includes spaces and punctuation too. Grammar and punctuation suffer a little bit due to the 140 character limit. People often use “w/” for with, “ppl” for people, “4″ for four or for. Messages can contain a variety of content.

@replies: This is used when you want to reply to someone else’s Tweet. Click the “Reply Button” or type @ followed by the User ID of the person that posted the message that you are replying to. By using @reply, you are letting other people know who you are talking to and it also allows people to know when you are talking about them.

Hashtags (#): Hash tags enable you to make groupings, and they allow you to draw attention to a particular keyword or subject. Hashtags can be about news, tips, events, sports, a sports team, a sale at your favorite store, your business, a product,  and the list goes on and on.