This is the first post I make about Twitter. I’ve heard that once you start posting about TW you never stop… we’ll see how this goes. I got to admit that I’m loving my twittering moments so far. In the time that I’ve been there all I’ve had are good experiences. I got to meet a lot of people and it’s an easy way to stay up-to-date with the new tendencies where technology is going nowdays.

First, let’s read what wikipedia has to say about Twitter.

Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users’ updates (known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.

Updates are displayed on the user’s profile page and delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them. Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends (delivery to everyone being the default). Users can receive updates via the Twitter website, SMS, RSS, or through applications such as TwitterMobile, Tweetie, Twinkle, Twitterrific, Feedalizr, Facebook, and Twidget, a widget application.

There you have it, Twitter has spread like a virus is almost all the social technologies outhere. Even Facebook has seen an opportunity there and has included a Twitter App so you can update your status automatically from Twitter to Facebook or viceversa.

The benefits of having a Twitter account are many, here are some:

Connect with professionals like you: Depending on the field that you work on, it’s more likely you will find somebody on Twitter that share the same interests as you! In my case, I’m a web developer/designer and Web Hosting Specialist – to put it in other words – my life is the internet! In my list of “following” & “followers” there are many talented people who share my passion for technologies, graphic design, web development/design, and even share some links where I can get the inspiration I need to start a day of work! You learn something new every day, and Twitter brings it to your computer!

Increase your knowledge: Times are changing and at least in my field, technologies evolve rapidly! It’s important to keep up-to-date in the latest technologies, trends, etc. and the best way of doing so is by sharing your knowledge. when you are part of a conversation you can’t help but produce an exchange of knowledge and experiences. As you can see it’s a win-win situation.

Promote your business! Attract more traffic to your site/blog: If you have a website, blog, internet business, etc. Twitter is the tool you should use to promote your business. Twitter has an option to RT ( Retweet) many people use it over in the Twitterspace, which is simply re-sending the tweets that you get from your tweeps to help them promote their business. This kind gesture on your part will most likely help you make friends quick and they will consider re-tweeting your post for you in the future. It’s that easy! jus think of how many impression your website will get in less that an hour.

Keep an online presence: Almost everyone of us have a presence on the internet already. This could be having an account on social pages like Facebook, Myspace, Hi5, Tagged, etc or maybe an account on Youtube, LinkedIn, etc. Is this you? If so, then you have a presence on the internet already! The difference about Twitter is that you keep your presence alive. Maybe somebody will check your profile, or blog for a day or two, but there is a chance that a week later might forget about it if you haven’t posted anything new. It’s easier and faster to post something on Twitter, all you got to do is to answer the question “What are you doing?” If you are just watching TV, and decide to tweet about it, you will be surprise about how many people reply to a simple tweet like that!

Stay active: If you happen to have some free time, Twitter is a good way of keeping your mind active, you learn something from tweet to tweet.

It’s fun!: If the reasons above didn’t convince you then maybe this one will, Twitter is fun! You’ll meet people from all over the world and make friendships that you wouldn’t have make if it wasn’t for Twitter.

Some tips to be a good Tweeter:

Be yourself, but stay alert: It’s good to show your personality, this is the only way people will be able to get to know you and maybe ending up having a solid friendship; but keep in mind that what you “tweet” is being registered in the twitterspace, so be careful whenever you want to share something personal.

Re-tweet (RT): Colaborate with your twitter friends, if they tweet a link about their new post, RT the message so your friends will see it. Who knows, you might want to promote your link in the future and this tweet friend might decide to return the favor by Retweeting your link.

Just ask: If you have a question about a subject, don’t feel shy and not ask. Express your doubt, somebody might know the answer to it already!

Use a Desktop App for Twitter: Twitter in the web is good, but I’d recommend to install an application that will allow you check your tweets from your desktop. There are many to choose from, to mention a few TweetDeck,  Twhirl, Twitterrific, etc.

Increase the number of friends: Search for keywords on Twitter > Search and find people who share similar interest as you.

Worth mentioning:

Twitter is a pre-sale tool, not a sale tool: Twitter works as a tool of creating a link of trust between the you and your followers. If you want to close a deal with a potencial client, it’s necessary to remember that you need to make an impression to this person. Make sure they see how professional you are.

Did I miss something? What do you use Twitter for? Show your love by leaving me a comment. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter! Happy Twitter!!