The Basics of Twitter

With over 300 million users, Twitter is now one of the biggest sites on the internet today and if you don't already have an account, you are certainly late to the party. However, Twitter isn't going anywhere so why not get started today?

Setting up an account couldn't be easier. With just need to fill out a small amount of information required and you're ready to go. You can access your account via the website or even by downloading the useful app for your phone. Before you get started, you may want to take a look at your settings and tweak the privacy options depending on what you feel comfortable with.

Once you are happy, you can go ahead and upload a profile picture as well as a cool banner for your profile and even enter some information about yourself. If you have a website or want to direct your followers somewhere, there is even space for a web address. Now, you are ready to get into the fun.

If you want, to get started you can 'follow' your friends and family which means that you will see their activity on your feed. For example, if they retweet (share) someone else's post, it will come up on your feed as well as their own tweets. If they follow you back, the reverse will be true in that they will see your activity. When you tweet, you can '@' someone if you want them to see it or if you are currently with them and they will be joined in the tweet. Furthermore, hashtags (#) are also used to connect users. On the home screen, you will be able to see what is trending and if you want to join the conversation, just use the hashtag in your next tweet.

Twitter is all about connecting people and helping others to stay in touch; through tweets, replies, direct messages, and more, you will keep in touch with all your friends. Twitter also presents an opportunity for users to keep up with the latest news of their favourite news channels, musicians, sportspeople, celebrities, and more. Many celebrities use Twitter to send out message and release new music as well as making exclusive announcements.

Of course, as with anything on the internet, there are some things to be mindful about on Twitter. Firstly, there are a number of 'fake' accounts so be careful who you follow; you will normally see that they have no posts and thousands of followers. Secondly, you will get added by strangers and accounts that promise thousands of followers in just seconds.

If you are careful and just use Twitter for what it is for, it can be a great way to network with friends, family, businesses, celebrities, and more!