By Vixon John, Social Media Assistant,
GCMC
When many people hear about Twitter, they probably think
it’s about following crazy celebrities and ridiculous trending topics. Most
people don’t use Twitter because they don’t know who to follow or don’t want to
share their lives in 140-character updates. But Twitter has other applications
that if used properly, can change the way you view and receive information
online or on your phone.
Here are some ways you can make your Twitter account work
for you, and in most cases you don’t have to share a single tweet!
Follow key
influencers/companies – Most key influencers in different industries know
the importance of engaging on social media for those who follow their insights
and professional activity. You can find these individuals through a quick
Twitter search (most well-known influencers will have a “verified” account).
You can also follow specific brands and companies which you are interested in
to know more about their activity and potential job vacancies. Following Ad Age
(@Adage), Jim Cramer (@jimcramer), and PwC (@PwC_LLP) are a few examples to
start with.
Follow news outlets
– Twitter is one of the fastest ways to receive breaking news and updates
online or on your phone (In fact, I have caught myself viewing Twitter for news
before turning on a television). Almost every major news outlet has an active
Twitter account, specifically business-orientated publications that can update
you on recent developments and news articles. Some good outlets to follow are
Bloomberg News (@BloombergNews), Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) and Breaking News
(@Breaking News).
Favorite Your Tweets
– See a tweet with an important link or article you want to catch up with at a
later time? By “starring” your tweets, you will be able to refer back to them
at any time. This can be helpful in keeping track of the tweets with an
available job posting, for example.
Use your Timeline as
a Feed – The most basic function of Twitter: all of the tweets from the
accounts that you follow show up on your timeline. From here, you can simply
log on to your account or check your phone to see all the tweets from the
people and brands you follow.
Reply to brands and
companies – This may require you to send out a tweet (or two), but don’t be
nervous. Most companies hire Social Media Managers to run their social media
accounts and share information, as well as interact with their followers. If
you have a question or concern about a particular brand, just send a tweet with
your comment to the brand’s Twitter handle and you should receive a reply in
your “Notifications” soon enough.
