8 ways to make Twitter your own

Friday, 21 March 2014

While #Twitter8 has come and gone, it’s not too late to give you a gift from us: a few best practices (eight, to be exact) that we hope are useful to even the most devout Twitter citizens.

Twitter is truly what you make it: tune in to your interests, and discover what’s happening. Find the things that make you tick, and curate them into a personalized timeline to spark conversations and engage with others. Share your life in words, photos and videos, and tweet as it happens and on the go.

8 ways to make Twitter your own

Photo courtesy of Aaron Durand for Twitter, Inc.

Here are eight of our favorite ways to make Twitter your own.

Find out what’s happening.
We have some tools to help you find new, interesting, funny, inspiring or nearby Tweets. With advanced search, finding people and Tweets has never been easier. And the Discover tab shows you tailored Tweets we think you’ll love; check it often to browse the most interesting Tweets happening now, tailored for you.

Who you follow matters.
Using Twitter means the world is at your fingertips—all you need to do is adjust the dial and tune in. Whether you want to see Tweets about world events as they happen, or simply stay in touch with friends and family, there’s a Twitter for everyone.

To build a great timeline, think about what matters to you. Do you want to read breaking news, laugh with your favorite comedians, or feel inspired by world leaders? You can do all of that and more. Start here:

  • browse our suggested user lists
  • check out who your friends are following
  • explore what’s trending now
  • don’t feel obligated to follow everyone who follows you

Tweet in the moment.
Twitter happens in real time. Whether you’re cheering for that close game, or seeing your favorite band play for the first time, Twitter lets you share those moments with the world. You can also see Tweets from around the world, by people who are sharing their unique experiences in cities and cultures everywhere.

Take Twitter with you everywhere and share your experiences with the world.

To stay in the moment, use Twitter on the go. You can tweet from anywhere with our apps for your smartphone or tablet, or access Twitter globally from any device via SMS or mobile web. Tweeting your life, as it happens, is easy with Twitter.

It’s more than words.
If a photo is worth 1,000 words, that’s good news on Twitter — you can share your life or promote your business in a way that opens you up to your followers like never before. There are so many incredible images being shared on Twitter, both in the moment and after the fact. And of course, you don’t need to be a professional photographer to share an image of your morning, afternoon or evening. And note this: Tweets with rich media, like photos, tend to garner more attention than words or characters alone.

Grow a Vine video.
Vine is our video platform that allows folks to send out short, 6-second videos that provide just enough time to share some thoughts or make a mini-movie, and broadcast it in a Tweet. Add a bit of action to your timeline, or simply capture a moment. You can download Vine from the App Store or Google Play.

Using @VineApp lets you get creative with video. Attach a Vine video to your Tweet for extra fun.

Join the conversation.
Twitter gives everyone a voice. Connect directly with people you admire, ask for advice, give an opinion — it’s all in the conversation. Reply to those you follow, and engage with followers who @ reply you. Help each other, make jokes, share ideas, debate. Send Tweets that get folks talking, and see how easily you can connect.

#ProTip: Tweets beginning with @ will only be seen by the recipient and those who follow both of you. To be sure your Tweet is seen by all your followers, add a period before the @ (.@), or rephrase your Tweet.

Polish your profile.
Your Twitter profile reflects your personality to anyone who might follow you. Be sure to update your profile photo, because it represents who you are with every Tweet (so use a quality image!). Then add your full name, bio, location and link to deeper information, as these will help people find and know you.

Showcase who you are on Twitter: customize your profile photo, header and background images.

Add another dash of creativity by customizing your profile background. Add a visual header: theme your profile photo and header image so they interact with or play off of one another. Try tiling your background design or pattern.

Keep your account secure.
Take steps to protect the moments and conversations you’ve shared with these tips for password health:

  • Make sure your password is strong. Try using a mix of letters, numbers and symbols. (You can always use password management software such as @1Password or @LastPass.)
  • Use a password that is unique to Twitter. (Never use the same password for multiple websites or services.)
  • Change your password often.
  • Before entering your password, double-check that you’re on twitter.com or using a trusted application.
  • Never give out your password, even you’re being offered more followers or other goods and services.

One more important bit of housekeeping: check that the email address on your Twitter account is current and confirmed. Make sure it’s an inbox you have access to, because if you ever lose your password, we’ll send your reset email to that address.

Remember to update your password often, and link your Twitter account to a current email address.

Now that you’ve got some of our tips in hand, we hope your Twitter account is looking spiffy, your Tweets are flowing, and the conversation is lively.

And if you want to offer up your own tips, or have a question we can answer, our @Support account will be doing a live Q+A on Monday, March 24th at 3 p.m. PT. Simply send @Support your question using the hashtag #twitter8help and we’ll answer as many as we can get to.

For more account security tips, read this help article.