Most users know how to set up and navigate the Twitter interface, make connections, tweet interesting content, use the latest shortcuts, and even promote your business or cause. That should make you a pro, right? Well, the thing is, Twitter is continually changing to adapt to its fast-paced, technology-loving users. Here are the top ten resources for any next-level Twitter user.
The official Twitter blog
Type: Blog
What better resource is there for finding out about Twitter than Twitter itself? If you choose to subscribe to the official Twitter blog, you’ll discover the latest trends on Twitter, feature updates, acquisitions, and unique ways to use Twitter. If you’re interested only in Twitter’s announcements or want to know more about live events on Twitter, you can browse the blog by tag to get the content that’s most appealing to you.
#twittertips
Type: Hashtag
Hashtags are great ways to find out more about a specific topic. Why? Anyone in the world can tweet great resources, quotes, and other items in real time. The hashtag #twittertips happens to get more than 250 mentions per day, representing tips from top social media influencers and other active users.
If you filter this hashtag by top Tweets instead of all Tweets on Twitter.com, you’ll find the most retweeted tips. Because #twittertips consists of 140-character opinions, you’ll be able to see how Twitter’s best practices can be modified and adapted to users’ needs and preferences.
“How to Write a Tweet: 8 Formulas to Get You Started”
Type: Blog article
If you’re looking for more tips for crafting Tweets, this blog article is for you. This article discusses eight best practices to put to use. These eight formulas are perfect to have in your back pocket so you can send unique Tweets.
You can find lots of other Twitter how-tos elsewhere on HubSpot’s blog using search. More free HubSpot Twitter resources are available in its Library, its Grader tool, and its Academy.
Twitter chat schedule
Type: Networking
One of the best ways to really see what Twitter can do is to jump in with both feet. There’s no better way to immerse yourself in Twitter than to try a Twitter chat. These real-time discussions can be a little overwhelming on your first try but get much easier with time. A typical Twitter chat starts and ends at a designated time, usually lasting for about an hour.
The basic gist is that during a Twitter chat, every participant follows a pre-selected hashtag so that they will all see one another’s Tweets. To speak up during the chat, you simply tweet like you normally would, and you include that hashtag in each of the Tweets that you want to address to everyone else in the chat.
Following the chat can be as simple as searching Twitter. You type in the designated hashtag. Refreshing this page shows you the various chatters’ Tweets as they post them. Don’t forget to refresh!
How these chats often work is that the chat leader or moderator asks a question by sending a Tweet that starts Q1 (the first question) and includes the hashtag. Anyone who feels like answering this question starts his Tweet with A1 (to signal which question they are answering) and includes the hashtag in his Tweet. A Q & A chat like this may go through anywhere from five to fifteen questions over the hour period.
Twitter support
Type: Help center
Have you ever called a support line to get help with a product or service? Twitter also provides a great help center for users ranging from beginners to exceptionally advanced. This resource shows you how to report spam and other violations, what to do if you can’t log in, and more. Twitter Support has its own Twitter handle, which you can follow at @Support.
Mashable’s Twitter category
Type: Blog category
Because Twitter is always changing, it’s important to stay up to speed on all the little changes. Mashable, a popular social media and tech blog, has an entire category dedicated to Twitter updates. Here, you’ll find articles about the latest Twitter trends, feature announcements and updates, and much more. Because the category has more than 7,500 articles, you have enough reading material to last for months or maybe even years.
Type: Twitter account
Twitter’s own Twitter account, @Twitter, is a great resource. If you follow this account, you’ll see all sorts of interesting Twitter data, examples of unique ways to use Twitter, general Twitter entertainment, and more. This account is not only fun to browse and retweet, but it’s also a great source of communication with Twitter.
Tweetup meetup groups
Type: Networking
Tweetups give you the opportunity to move your online connections offline for real-life interaction and connection. Usually at a tweetup, you get a name tag with your Twitter handle. You can put Twitter handles to faces as you walk around meeting all those recognizable avatars in the flesh.
Tweetups don’t exclude tweeting, of course. The majority of tweetup attendees use their smartphones to live-tweet the event on a specific hashtag. This resource shares a list of tweetups you could attend in person.
“Everything You Need to Know to Successfully Live-Tweet Your Event”
Type: Blog article
This blog article about Twitter provides everything you need to be a successful live-tweeter. Some of the basics to take note of are preparing before the event by knowing the event’s hashtag and drafting some Tweets in advance. During the event, it’s important to use the event’s hashtag in every single Tweet you send, listen for 140-character sound bites to tweet, and take pictures so you can post them live.
@Dummies
Type: Twitter account
Finally, consider following the official Twitter account For Dummies. Twitter tips will be given year-round to help you achieve Twitter glory. Send an @mention to @Dummies.