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
- Your tweet space = you can write anything you want and click on the Tweet button; it will appear on your feed within seconds.
- Home screen list = where you can access new notifications, direct messages (DM), bookmarked tweets and your profile information.
- 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!