33 Uses of Twitter

What is Twitter for? A lot of folks who use one or another form of social networking media nevertheless have trouble “getting” the point of Twitter. About a year ago I jotted down this completely random list of ways Twitter could be used. It illustrates how Twitter’s 140 characters, far from being restrictive, are actually quite flexible and powerful. It’s not about telling the world what you’re having for lunch, but about sharing bits of information you possess that may be of use to others or that may be entertaining to others.

1. Running commentary, reaction to a live televised event such as a football game, political speech or a popular program, especially in conversation with friends in other locations who are also watching
2. First-person accounts of an important event, such as an earthquake, a political demonstration, or a meteor shower
3. Review of a restaurant where you have just dined
4. How to instructions at an event such as a demonstration or a concert
5. “Meet me at” announcements to make arrangements with friends or followers
6. Self-organizing virtual live chats via hashtags
7. Raffles and give aways
8. Ask a question to followers or of participants in a hashtagged conversation
9. Special alerts to a group “There’s a blue Honda in Lot C” with its lights on
10. Emergency alerts “Springfield elementary will be closed today due to snow”
11. Recommendations: Read this, try this, see this, use this
12. Report celebrity sightings “Just saw David Byrne riding his bike up Lafayette”
13. Share pictures of celebrities arriving on the Red Carpet in real time at the Academy Awards.
14. Share favorite quotes or witticisms of your own invention
15. Report unusual things you overhear
16. Announce to a group that you are running late
17. Tell others about traffic problems in specific places
18. Issue coupons or specials sales through codes
19. A restaurant could announce its specials for the day
20. A bar could announce drink specials, new items on tap
21. Make requests to a DJ at a dance party
22. Lost and Found announcements
23. A calendar could send tweets of meeting reminders to all attendees
24. Professional conferences could announce room changes
25. A to do list/calendar application could send you a reminder of the tasks and appointments for the day each morning
26. Announce items you are selling as you would via Craigslist or newspaper classifieds
27. Traffic and transit sensors could be programmed to send tweets about current conditions
28. A weather station could tweet current weather conditions
29. Students could cheat-tweet during tests or quizzes (not recommended!)
30. Birth and death announcements
31. Sports scores or play-by-play
32. Headlines of breaking news, or newly-posted news articles
33. Tweetfiti: geocoded tweets could be attached to a specific location; “Kilroy was here”

When I drew up this list there were many fewer users of Twitter than there are now. Today people are using Twitter in many of these ways every day and in many more ways besides. This short list scratches the surface, since tweets can contain links to pictures, videos, web pages and more. For anyone who is trying to get their head around Twitter, I hope this helps.

You can follow me at @johnmccrory.