What is Twitter?
Twitter is a unique micro-bloggingservice that allows people to post statements and links, connecting with otherusers in 140 characters.
Micro-blogging is exactly what the wordimplies -- a very small version of typical blogging, quick and easy.
Use ofTwitter has increased dramatically since going mainstream in 2008.
Between February 2008 and February2009, Twitter users went from 475,000 to 7.03 million. That’s an increase of1,382 percent.
The application's success derives fromhow (small-d) democratic it is. Anybody can talk to anyone.
It goesacross all industries, all ages, all types of people.
Networks of friends can have instantconversations from anywhere in the world. Even fans of athletes can connectwith them.
A fan of NFL wide receiver ChadOchocinco? It's easy to talk with him.
By paying attention to his tweets, youcan even meet him for dinner. Same goes for former linebacker Warren Sapp.
It doesn't work any differently forelected officials. Twitter allows an official and/or staff to communicatedirectly to the voters.
The best candidates and officials takefull advantage, having a dialog that would be impossible outside of events oftown halls.
People like U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint andU.S. Rep. Joe Wilson have used it to cement themselves as national conservativeleaders.
Twitter also gives them the ability tokeep in close touch to the people that matter most -- their constituents backhome.
While youcan tweet from Twitter.com, it's by far not the only way to do it. Because it'san open source program, it works from anywhere.
Manypeople tweet from their smart phones. During debates on major bills, manylegislators keep people informed directly from the floor.
How to Use Twitter
Tweeting is not simply about typing amessage and pressing enter. There are a number of different ways to interact.
For instance, if you see a tweet fromsomeone else you want to share, or think is interesting, you press the buttonto "re-tweet" it.
You can also use the following formatto let people know you are retweeting – RT @username:
Similarly, to respond to anotherprofile, click the "at" button on their tweet, and then type yourmessage.
Or you can always just use this formatto talk publically with someone - @username
You can also use the @username formatto talk about someone on twitter instead of using their real name.
But with so many tweets out there,sometimes it's tough to keep up with what everyone says about a current topic.
That's where hashtags come in. Forinstance, a tweet about health care could contain the hashtag "#hcr."
That way, by using it, or vice-versa,you or anyone else can search on Twitter for every tweet containing #hcr.
It's a good way to keep up with whatpeople are saying, or learn if something new has come up, like a news story.
http://search.twitter.comis a great way to search for hashtags or to see the top trending topics.
To send a private message to anothertwitter user, use this format – dm username.
Make sure to use the space between “dm”and the username.
A person must be following you for thedirect message functionality to work.
Why Twitter is Great in Politics
As was said before, open communicationis the best aspect of Twitter when it comes to politics. Instant contact, nofilter.
In that fashion, it's the ultimate inmessage control.
But as it comes to filters (eg. themedia), reporters are on Twitter as well. In all ways, rapid response haschanged forever.
In the last generation, rapid responsemeant sending out news releases via fax about something that happened hoursago.
Now you can respond instantly, andeveryone can see the response. It’s hard to be misquoted when thousands ofpeople are watching.
The platform also helps you increaseyour public profile. That means more inclusion in the news, more name ID -- theworks.
Another way it can be used is alertingyour supports to events, instead of spending more money on mail oreasily-trashed emails.
If you're having a rally or afundraiser, it's simple to put up a tweet announcing it, with a link to theapropos Web site.
Or, let's say a news organization isrunning a poll. Put up a reminder, with a link, and a good showing could meaninstant good press.
And don't forget the humanizing aspectof Twitter. Over time, people can come to know you as a person, not just a nameand agenda.
In that way, it can be seen as anotherexample of retail politics. If you can't knock on their door, tweet.
(I'll post the rest of the guide later.)
