Tag: Social Media

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Guide to Using Twitter

Twitter is a social media network that has gained a lot of popularity and use, with more than 300 million active users worldwide.

Although there are many people who have registered on the app, there are some registrants that do not use this network actively. Some may have opened the profile a long time ago when Twitter first came out in 2006, and their account was likely abandoned because they did not know how to use it.

Twitter is technically defined as a microblog. The “blog” part corresponds to the first idea of ​​the network; write and share ideas or thoughts. The curious and most characteristic aspect of Twitter comes from the hand of the “micro” part.  You can share content, ideas, and photos, however there is a limit to how long each post can be, specifically 280 characters long.

You can also use Twitter to connect with other people and send messages. You can decide if what you share is made public or private according to the settings of your profile. In the public setting, everyone can have access to your account and your posts without restrictions, while in the private setting, only people you allow to follow your account will have access to your posts. Twitter also offers a private messaging service so you can directly message someone and only they will be able to see it.

Opening an account in a Web Browser

Open your favorite browser (Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) and type www.twitter.com in the search bar.

Click on the “Sign-up” button.

To make an account, you can either use your name or your email. If you use your name, the next field will be “Phone number”. However, if you do not want to give that information you can always sign up using your email.

If you choose to sign up with your email, Twitter will send you an email confirmation, so you can proceed to selecting your username.

Tips for choosing a username

Your username is the name your followers use when they send you replies, mentions, and Direct Messages.

It will also be part of the URL for your Twitter profile page. When you sign up, they will generate some suggestions available, but you can choose the username you like best.

You can change your username in your account settings at any time if the new username is not in use.

Usernames must be a maximum of 15 characters long and cannot include the words “admin” or “Twitter” to avoid brand confusion. If you receive a notice that the username you have typed out is “unavailable” it means another user has that username. Therefore, you must alter the typed username some way or you can use Twitter’s suggestions for you.

Getting to know your home screen

  1. Your tweet space = you can write anything you want and click on the Tweet button; it will appear on your feed within seconds.
  2. Home screen list = where you can access new notifications, direct messages (DM), bookmarked tweets and your profile information.
  3. Tweet feed = you can see all the tweets (posts) of the users you are currently following.

To follow an account (personal or business) go to the search bar on the top right corner and type the username of the account. You can also type topics and keywords in the search bar and the results will display many options.

When you are done typing you will see a full list of suggestions.

The checkmark beside a name/organization is the verification badge on Twitter which serves to confirm the authenticity of public interest accounts.

Click on the username you want to add and then click on the “Follow” button. Once you click on this, the button will change from “Follow” to “Following”.

Twitter is a great tool to stay informed with news events, stories, and updates as they happen! Many political figures, news agencies, police departments, celebrities, schools, and organizations have Twitter accounts that keep their followers updated.

You are all set to start using your twitter account. You will be updated to the latest news of your topic of interest.

Start following TechServe on twitter to stay up to date on any news or upcoming events that are going on!

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Tutorials

How to get started on Instagram

Instagram is another fantastic social media platform that can allow users to connect with their friends, family, and keeping up to date on current events. What sets aside Instagram from other social media platforms is the primary focus on communicating through pictures instead of only through text. Your newsfeed will be filled with posts from the accounts you follow, and there are various ways to interact with different users. Instagram also gives the option of inserting a caption underneath which usually provides more context to the photos uploaded.

There are two ways users can use Instagram:

  1. Mobile app – can be found in the smartphone app store and is available for both Apple and Android smartphones
  2. Online website – https://www.instagram.com/

Creating an Account

To use Instagram, you will have to create an account by following these steps:

  1. Entering your mobile number or email address
  2. Add your full name
  3. Selecting a unique username (which will be linked to your account)
  4. Creating a password for your account
  5. Providing your date of birth including the year, month and date

After you have completed the previous steps, you will have to enter the confirmation code sent to your email to verify your identity. Once you have finished signing up, you can now start using Instagram! Here are some tips for utilizing it effectively:

Following Friends and Family

Finding a friend or family member on Instagram will work a little differently than Facebook. Since Instagram has +1 billion users, it can be difficult to search for a friend when a couple of other users may already have the same name. For example, if I wanted to find my friend Jane Smith, I might not be able to find her right away because of many other users coming up when searching her name:

The solution? Ask them for their username! When everyone first signs up, they all choose a unique username that no other person on the site will have. Upon searching for their unique username, you will be able to find your friend and start following them.

Following Accounts Catered to your Interests

Instagram can be used for more than just connecting with your friends and family; you can use it to stay up to date with your interests! Many organizations and different artists can now be found on Instagram. Simply search for the name of the organization or artist you wish to follow and your feed will begin showing more of their posts! Some examples of organizations and notable people that can be found are CP24 Toronto News, ESPN, and Justin Trudeau. To begin finding accounts you wish to follow and stay up to date with, search for their names by tapping on the magnifying glass tab and typing in the search bar located at the top:

To ensure you are following the real account of the organization or public figure you are looking for, keep an eye out for the blue verified symbol beside their username which will look like this:

Navigating Your Instagram Feed

Once you begin following more people, your feed will become filled with their posts. Here is more information on how to navigate your newsfeed and the application on your smartphone. For this section, follow the numbers and match them with the corresponding numbers displayed on the image below:

(1) Taking a Photo – This camera icon indicates the option to take a photo directly from your phone’s camera. You have the option to tap the options underneath to start a live stream, create a text post, or simply take a normal picture. Press the big white circle at the bottom once you are satisfied with your photo. At the bottom right, press “send to >” and you will have the option to post it on your story for all of your followers to see, or you can forward the picture to specific contacts by pressing “send’ beside their name.

(2) Stories – Stories are a popular feature on Instagram where users can showcase a part of their day to be highlighted for 24 hours on their profile. To view someone’s story, click on their icon (which will be highlighted with a pink circle). Upon clicking their story, you have the option to send a message in response to their story by tapping the “Send Message” bar located at the bottom and typing your reply to them there. The conversation can be found in your direct messages tab (view #3 for more information).

(3) Direct Messages – Although Instagram is primarily a photo-sharing application, you can still have conversations with your contacts on this platform. Click the little paper airplane icon on the top right to see the tab where all of your conversations will be stored. To start a new conversation, use the search bar at the top of the tab to search for the person you wish to start a conversation with. Remember: if you cannot find them right away, try searching their username instead!

(4) Reacting to a Post – When a post appears on your newsfeed, there are many ways to react to it. By clicking the 3 dots next to a post, you have many options immediately available to you:

○ Reporting it – If a post violates Terms of Service (i.e., nudity, violence, NSFW content, self-harm) you can report it directly to Instagram for review. The post will be hidden from your newsfeed from then on.

○ Copy link – Tap this option to copy the Instagram link of the post to your clipboard to share with your contacts on other platforms!

○ Share to – Your smartphone will present different options on how you wish to share the post such as to a different application, e-mail, phone contacts, or copying it to your phone’s clipboard.

○ Turn on Post Notifications – Get the option to receive phone notifications from this account whenever they post!

○ Mute – You will not see this account’s posts on your newsfeed anymore, but you will still be able to follow them.

○ Unfollow – Tap if you wish to unfollow the account affiliated with the post.

(5) Like – If you enjoyed someone’s post, you can click the heart icon under the post to “like” it and they will receive a notification for it.

(6) Commenting – If you wish to add a response or start a discussion under a post, click the comment bubble underneath the post and select “post” when you are done crafting your response. Other people’s comments also have a “reply” button in grey underneath their comments, which you can tap if you wish to type a comment responding to them.

(7) Forwarding – To forward a post to someone on the application, tap the paper airplane icon underneath the post and you can select someone to forward the post to. You can follow up with this in your direct messages tab.

(8) Uploading – To upload a picture from your camera’s library, select the plus (+) icon at the bottom middle of the application. You will have the option at the bottom to select a photo from your library, take a live photo, or take a video instead. Select “next” on the top right when you are satisfied and you will have the option to write a caption underneath the photo, add a location, tag other people, and you can also cross-post it to other applications such as Facebook and Twitter. Once you are satisfied, press “share” and the post will be available to view your profile and on your follower’s newsfeeds.

(9) Activity – The activity tab showcases your account’s activities such as who has liked your posts and comments, whether anyone has replied back to you, and who has followed you. Simply tap the notification to be forwarded back to the post where the interaction took place.

(10) Your Profile – To view your profile, tap your icon on the bottom right of the application. On your profile, you will have the option to view your followers and who follows you, and see how many posts you have. You can also tap the “edit profile” button to change your bio, request a new unique username, and change your display name.

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Simple Guide to Using Facebook

Facebook is a great social media tool that allows us to connect with friends, family, and current events. It can always be accessed through the internet or if you are using a mobile device or tablet, accessing it through the Facebook app makes the process a little easier. To use Facebook, you will first need to make an account by adding an email, filling out some personal information, and creating a password for your account. Once you’ve done that you can start using Facebook! Here are some tips when using this social media outlet!

Adding Friends

To connect with someone you know, type the full name of the person you wish to connect with in the “Search” bar found usually at the top of the Facebook page. It may also just be displayed as a magnifying glass. Multiple people with that name may appear so be sure to select the correct individual and send them a Friend Request. To send the friend request you must click the button that reads “Add friend”. You will have to wait until they accept your request before you can begin interacting with them.

Navigating Your Facebook Feed

For this section, follow the numbers and match them with the same number displayed on the image below:

1. Search Bar – Here is where you type in a person’s name. By clicking on the name, you are able to see this individual’s personal profile page, add them as a friend, post on their page, or privately message them.

2. Your Profile – The icon to the right of the number represents your personal profile. You should see your profile picture (if you chose to use one) and your name. Click this icon to post directly on your page or add any pictures to your account. The current screen displayed is referred to as your News Feed. This is where you view what your Facebook friends are posting about.

3. You can also add a post in this box on your News Feed so that all your friends see what you’ve written. These posts you make on your News Feed and on your personal profile are NOT private – everyone you connect with on Facebook can see them!

4. Friend Requests – When other people request to be your friend, a red dot will appear by this icon indicating that you have a notification. You will have to click on this icon to either accept or deny the friend request. This is also the location where you can view if anyone has accepted your friend requests that you sent out. This icon also provides you will a list of potential people that you may know based on your current Facebook friends. You can use this list to find other people you may know or just ignore the suggestions.

5. Facebook Messenger – There are 2 locations for privately messaging your Facebook friends. The smaller icon opens up a small window on your News Feed that once opened, new messages appear right away. When you have a new message, a little red dot will appear beside this icon. The other location is the “Messenger” button on the left-hand side of the screen. This brings you to the messaging page on Facebook where you can see all past and current messages. When using this messenger button, to return to the News Feed again you must select the Facebook “F” logo located beside the Search Bar. Both messenger options give you accessibility to video calling your Facebook Friends as Facebook acts as another video calling platform.

6. Notifications – this icon represents all new notifications you receive. This could be current birthdays of friends, friends who have mentioned you in a post, or recent updates from your News Feed. When you have a new notification, a little red dot will appear beside this icon. Once you select the icon, you are able to click on each notification and it will bring you directly to the source so you can read more or respond to a friend.