I have a confession. Until I had to use Twitter for a journalism class last semester I had never really appreciated Twitter. I used it just because I thought my Twitter handle was clever and my brother didn’t have Facebook at the time. Since then, I’ve discovered that some of my favorite social media moments have happened on Twitter. Like when one of my biggest celebrity crushes favorited my Tweet:

Or when Josh Groban sang Kanye West tweets.

So many great things happen on Twitter. In fact, let’s throw it back for a minute to when Jensie had purple hair and shared a video blog of her feelings on Twitter.

Like Jensie said, Twitter is a really casual way to get things started out of no where. It’s a great way to get your name out there. through hashtags and participating in Tweetchats. Tweetchats—whether you attend or host—are a great way to get professional development in your field, learn new things, and network. Hosting your own Tweetchat builds your reputation while showing your expertise on a topic. Bonus!

Some other little known tidbits about Twitter:

More and more often, reporters are using leads from Twitter. If you have a specific event or want media coverage, find your local reporters (TV, papers) and tweet at them! Just don’t be a pest.

As Jensie mentioned, it’s a great way to get to know a new area. You can reach out to the locals to find the best places to eat, shop, and get the lay of the land. Or find the movers and shakers in your field and start making some friends.

It’s important to leave room for your links, your hashtags, and for people to retweet your tweet. They say you have 140 characters. But don’t blab on for 140 characters or you’ll never have room for it all!

Since there is so much going through Twitter all the time, it’s okay to tweet several times a day. Just don’t get too crazy. No one likes a spammer!

One more thing: It’s okay to post the same thing across all your channels occasionally. But you’ll want to tailor your message for different audiences more often than not. Your Twitter audience is different than your Facebook audience. That’s important to remember.

No go forth and conquer the Twitter world! Your business will thank you for it. And you might find that you kind of like it.