What is Twitter and how does it work?

Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length which are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have subscribed to them (known as followers). Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow anybody to access them. (From the Wikipedia entry on Twitter)

Benefits of Twitter for Capital City Toastmasters

Our goals: To use this popular social media site to communicate with members and to communicate with Toastmasters in other clubs around the world, to reach out to people in the Raleigh/Wake County area (and surrounding areas) who want to improve their public speaking & leadership skills.

How to do a Twitter search

You can do a Twitter search at http://search.twitter.com/ to see real-time conversations taking place on the site. For example, you can type 'Toastmasters' in the search box and find many people talking about Toastmasters right now. You can also type in #Toastmasters and see all Twitter posts (or "tweets") that have been marked with the Toastmasters 'hashtag' (adding # to the beginning of a word in a Twitter post is like 'tagging' key words in a blog, so people can easily find them with a Twitter search).

Next steps: Create a Twitter account

We encourage you to set up a Twitter account for yourself, so you can interact with the many Toastmasters across the globe who use Twitter. They post tons of helpful tips and links to websites and videos with great public speaking and Toastmasters advice.

Just go to www.twitter.com and join by clicking the green tab that says ‘Sign up now.’

A little Twitter history lesson

Check out the 'About' page on Twitter.com: http://twitter.com/about

Getting help from the Twitter team

Technical support is available at http://help.twitter.com/portal

Isn't there an easier way?

You can find helpful downloadable Twitter applications to organize your account and make it easier to find information from Twitterers you follow at http://twitter.com/downloads.

Recommended Reading...


Twitter Power: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time by Joel Comm

Twitter Revolution: How Social Media and Mobile Marketing is Changing the Way We Do Business and Market Online by Deborah Micek and Warren Whitlock