Seven useful things you can do with Twitter

We have a new technology that everyone is talking about, but we don’t know what to do with it.  I see people tweet all the time that they are now on Twitter but don’t know what to do.  Are there really things you can do with Twitter, other than waste time?  Can it solve real problems? Of course there are useful things to do with Twitter and there are problems it can be the solution for.  Here are seven useful things you can do.

1. Meet people that have your same interests.   Search tweets (I use TweetDeck) for topics, product names, peoples’ names, etc.,  and follow those that are tweeting about the things you are interested in.  You can engage in a dialog with them if you like or just read what they have to say.  I have enjoyed following those that are experts in the areas I am interested in.
2. Keep up with breaking news about topics, products and people you are interested in. Again, search tweets for the topics, product and people you want to know about.  I enjoy finding out about press conferences that are in progress that I can follow.  Recently, I followed Apple’s announcements about  new iPhone software.  It was great to hear about all the new features as they were announced.
3. Read other peoples opinions.  People are tweeting what they think 24×7 on almost every topic. All you have to do is read it. If you want to know what the current  issues are in an area, Twitter will get you up to speed soon. Tweeple are not bashful. I have been reading opinions on the open source CMS systems and that has been helpful in making a decision for MBO Partners on what technology to use.
4. Ask for other peoples’ opinions. If you want to know what others are thinking on a topic then ask.  You will get some answers.  You might even start up a discussion.  I have been asking for peoples opinions on open source CMS systems and getting some helpful responses.
5. Share your opinion. Let others know what you think about any topic.  Where else can you shout out what you think and have the potential for millions of people to hear you. 
6. Get the answers to your questions.  Tweet a question and someone might answer it or just read the tweets on a topic and you might find the answer. People ask questions all the time and people they don’t even know offer answers.  I have gotten the answers to question on how to use WordPress. Tweeple are pretty helpful.
7. Help someone else.  People ask questions on everything.  Try providing answers yourself.  Even if you don’t think you are an expert you might know of a web site that has the answer and you can send a link. One of the great things about the Internet community is that it has always been a place to share information.  Join in.  I really enjoy helping others out when I can.

Twitter can help you solve the problem of meeting people with like interests, of staying up with current events, of finding the answers to questions you have, or of providing an avenue for you to contribute to the Internet community.

There are lots more things you can do with Twitter, like promote your blog or do market research but these seven are enough to get you started.  These are easier to to if you learn to use some of the tools that help you use Twitter like TweetDeck.

If you don’t get the Twitter terminology (tweets, tweeple, etc) check out the Twictionary.

Related posts:

1. Seven things my business is doing with Twitter
2. Seven thing you can do to get started on Twitter
3. TweetDeck – the best way to Listen to Tweets
4. Seven Tools I use with Twitter
5. Its Tweetie for me!
6. Getting Twitter Tools to Shorten URLs
7. TweetDeck for iPhone – Just Awsome