Bless the founder of Twitter as if it weren’t for him, we’d all be wondering what everyone else is up to every 5 minutes or so. With Twitter, so many web applications have sprung up to be even more efficient, even more user-friendly and even more visually appealing. Twitter applications, or Twitter apps for short have become more and more popular as the Twitter program gains widespread appeal.

Twitter applications are graphic user interface. One of the main reasons as to why this happens is simply because of its attractiveness and eye catching designs. These applications have been designed with the youth in mind as this is the biggest market segment that use Twitter.

By adding Twitter apps into your profile, you can share your public profile information with other twitter followers who sign in to receive your updates. Though Twitter is new, these graphic user-interfaces have existed as early as the first website. Other kinds of applications are such as computer applications which are known as software in your compute. These programs enable word processing, spreadsheet, internet, browsing, and anti-virus and e-mail software.

Twitter has become a source of connection and a link from one individual to thousands, if not millions. Everyone from celebrities to artists to organizations and groups as well as politicians has embraced Twitter to connect with their audience. Because of this, various twitter applications have increased its level of interactivity in the market. From apps to play games to using stylish fonts in tweeting to sending flowers and emoticons, Twitter has opened up a new world of pop culture in the cyber world.

Planning a party? Get the word around with Twitter. Your favorite football team is winning? Let those who aren’t seeing the match know what the score is. Just send your tweet in less than 140 characters. Twitter is all about giving information in the most succinct way possible.

Many of the popular twitter apps were created by Twitter enthusiasts with a creative mind and not at Twitter headquarters. More and more people are using Twitter to market products, increase revenue for business, send invitations as well as conveying information to the people at large. Twitter can be used for many things and not only confined to the social scene. The internet and Twitter combined is a powerful marketing tool provided that it is used with attractive and good strategies.

One of the main reasons why people love using social networking sites is because it gets them connected to friends, keeps them in touch their friends, family and the world and it is also a place to meet new people. Various things are promoted through social sites and lucrative deals have been signed, sealed and delivered thanks to Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

The main driving force behind Twitter is to give the platform for the user to enjoy updating their ‘What are you doing now’ situation as well as use and surf the internet at the very same time. With so many Twitter apps our there, you can design one to specifically cater to the products you are selling as well as to target the niche clientele that you are marketing your products to.

With the internet, people have been used to getting information fast with a click of the mouse or a tap on the iphone. People are more connected that before and get updates about practically everything and anything going on in the world today. Twitter has grown tremendously based on this simple aspect-it’s all about getting information in less than four words.

Twitter is a micro-blogging and social network. For those who have Twitter, they would also have a MySpace account, a Facebook account or Tumblr or Multiply account-or even all of it. Twitter enables people to provide short updates to their followers from just about anything from pictures to movie and sound links.

Tweets

Tweets are basically updates that relate to the ultimate question of ‘What are you doing’ on Twitter. In less than 140 characters, you answer the question by answering in universally accepted and understood short forms of words. With Twitter, less is always more. There are 2 types of Tweets which are direct tweets and protected tweets.

Follower

Followers are people who follow your tweets in their TweetStream. The account holder of Twitter can choose to make the tweets viewable to only approved followers. This is a protected account.

ReTweet

The RT is the same as forwarding an email, and in the Twitter world, you are re-sending a tweet sent by another person. It is also courtesy to include the person’s name in the RT using @username.

TweetUp

Know what’s a meeting? Well, a TweetUp is Twitter’s version of a real-world meeting of the people who have come connected together via Twitter.

TwitterStream

This is a collection of tweets; much like a Facebook Wall which features a stream of tweets sent by everyone that you follow but may refer to the public timeline of all tweets.

Twitterati

Just like Glitterati where its filled with A list celeb twitter accounts and other celebrities and popular people.

There are some rules and regulations that need to be followed commonly known in the internet sphere are netiquette. Here are some terms for Twitter:

1. Follower – People that you approve to follow and receive your tweets. These are your circle of friends and acquaintances.
2. Following – These are the people that you want to follow and be update about. You will receive a person’s tweets each time a twit is sent much like how other people receive your twits.
3. Nudge – This is a friendly reminder to your circle, urging them to give out updates. You can nudge, and you can be nudged much like a facebook ‘Poke’.

Twitter has helped expand the world of communication ever since its breakout in July 15, 2006. It had garnered more than 3 million accounts in over just two years and has become one of the main sources of information especially in countries where social media and networking have been banned. People all over the world who want to be updated on real-time events that are happening concerning global and worldwide issues can sign up to follow a certain twitter account and gain access to what’s happening currently. These events have spanned from the Golden Globes to the Academy Awards, the Iran political crisis to the World Cup.

Twitter is probably one of the best inventions in the online space and its not only a tool to get in touch and keep your followers updated, it is also a great marketing tool that can be effectively used in many ways to market many other products from shoes to jewelry to SEO marketing to something like antique.

Before you jump on the bandwagon of Twitter Marketing, there are a few start-up terms you would need to go through. First of all, is setting up and account. Signing up requires your username, a password as well as an email address to receive updates. Apart from all these technical aspects, go get a pretty picture of yourself for your profile pic.

Having an awesome profile picture gets people wanting to click on your profile to know more about you. Of course, an awesome profile picture also comes with an awesome but succinct introduction to you. Writer up a short biography about yourself and include in any links of your other sites to it such as Deviant Art (to showcase your artistic/linguistic creativity) or Multiply (to share your musical interests), your blog (let people know your passion, zeal and enthusiasm) or even Facebook to connect to a whole new different level.

Once the account it set up and running, now it’s time to Tweet! In less than 140 characters or so. Don’t know what to write? Then try doing a search of your friends on Twitter to see what kind of updates are posted, why they are being followed, who you would want to follow, people that relate to you and your business or ideas or services. Never ever spam as spamming while promoting your business through updates on Twitter strictly needs to be avoided, as people do not like spamming and it is a nuisance.

If you are new to Twitter, its easy to start posting tweets and get followers but it is difficult to stay fresh and interesting so that you will still have the current people following you as well as creating a fresh batch of followers every other day or so. Updates, promotions, tweets and just about anything you post on your Twitter account needs to be interesting especially if marketing your business is your prime objective. Keep your audience tuned in with new promotions, new products and new ideas from your business. Also, look out for comments and suggestions on how to make your business better and more appealing.

Linking is another way to get your Twitter account noticeable. Link it with your websites as well as other networking sites. One good site to link up to is LinkedIn. This is a professional site that focuses on your professional life and career where you get to meet people of the same profession or find people from businesses that can benefit yours from suppliers to contractors, people who work in the same industry and those that work in related industries.

Updates on Twitter are automatically sent to your followers. Use the Twitter tool especially if you have free gifts or a contest or limited products for sale.

By this time, you would already know there more than one type of clientele uses Twitter. When it first surfaced, nerds, geeks and the youth culture at large used Twitter for only one reason- to stay connected.

As Twitter grew, more and more people found more benefits in opening a Twitter account other than just staying connected. And now, being a marketing tool, here are some more reasons as to why your company should open a Twitter account too!

1) Immediacy

Twitter is all about giving immediate access to your target audience and your customers and clientele. Have a product problem? Do instant products recall and save you from an impending lawsuit. To many product enquiries? Get a Twitter account to answer these questions fast, in less than 140 characters. Engage and communicate with new clients or interested parties and even competitors. For constant followers, add in a benefit program and reward them with incentives for becoming your followers. Got a new sale campaign coming up? Twitter can help spread the word around.

2) Influence

The web is the first source of information for most of us today and if you want a product review, a website review, some comments or suggestions on a certain place, restaurant, product, service or infrastructure, you go to the internet as you will find thousands of forums and online blogs that post up reviews on several items. Twitter is one such place where you will find people posting up recommendations and comments every second of the day. Build your customer base by answering to questions that are related to your industry and product and winning a first impression.

3) Reputation

The downside of immediacy is that stories, especially bad ones spread much faster. If there is something negative about your company, a scandal, a product malfunction, rumors of bankruptcy and even scandals. Having a company Twitter account, you can easily and immediately try to lessen the damage by reassuring your customers and controlling the situation by giving out statements that can help in allay of rumors. If you’re not monitoring Twitter and presenting your company’s face and position to the world there, your company is vulnerable to viral attack.

4) Exposure

By having followers and being a follower, you are not only increasing your exposure but also advertising your existence. Each time you get a follower, send them a tweet to welcome them and when you become a follower, tweet an introduction. It’s all about being seen and heard on Twitter. You can search for followers that fall into your marketing and geographical demographics.

5) Traffic

Increasing traffic has always been the main objective of any corporate and business website ever since the term SEO surfaced on the World Wide Web. Apart from using SEO techniques, Twitter and linking also increases traffic flow to your site. This traffic flow is highly concentrated to those that are interested in what you sell, interested to learn more of merely keeping you in the loop of business that are of interest to them.

Twitter builds a much faster network and clientele base than any other social networking sites. Not only that, Twitter’s capability has expanded beyond only for extending your friend base it is now used to do so much more than just ‘keeping in touch and staying updated’. Twitter is used for advertising campaigns, for promotional and marketing campaigns, for presidential campaigns as well as event campaigns. Here is a breakdown on how you can use Twitter to get people interested in your NGO:

1: Stay Updated and Relevant

No doubt Twitter helps you receive a lot of followers and this is only true if what you have is newsworthy and interesting. If you have a cause, get those who are passionate about your cause to be your followers as well as attract new followers by staying current and updated. Listen and be updated on the current issues that your followers are talking about and you’d be surprised that you can get good networking done and who else can help support your cause either financially or by other means.

2: Customize your page and Link it

Customize your page with relevant Twit pictures and update your Bio with enough information so people know what you are about, what you are doing and what organizations you are representing as well as what campaign are your doing. Brand your Twitter page according to your organization’s logo and theme so that recognition and recall is easy. Link your website to Twitter so that people can have easy access to your organization’s information and resource.

3: Be the Voice for your Organization

Become an active voice on the internet by posting pertinent and open minded questions about the state of things concerning your cause. You may also want to use Twitter to inform your followers regarding the latest updates on your cause, legislation and rules that govern your cause and other newsworthy information that you feel people will be interested in. Make sure whatever you say will keep you organization in a more positive light.

4: Engage with Your Clientele

Newsworthy items posted on your account will get people talking about and this is where you should start a 2-way communication. Be prepared to receive tons of questions and comments and replies. You don’t have to reply to each one of it but pick a few outstanding ones and those worthy for a reply. Other followers will get the update and read about it anyhow. It’s always good to thank everyone for their comments and suggestions by posting a Tweet that mentions your followers in general.

5: Get an App

There are so many apps for Twitter than make posting Tweets and images on your account. Some of the most popular apps for Twitter are TweetDeck which is a desktop tool and there are apps for iPhone and Blackberry amongst others which make posting Tweets through this form of communication easy.

Last but not lease, don’t obsess on Twitter. With each New Year, there’s always a new social networking site that is popular from Friendster to MySpace to Facebook. Study the social networking tool before you use it and see if your clientele uses it too. If your clientele is over or below the age of those that actively use Twitter or any other social networking site, then there is no point opening an account. At the end of the day, a through search on what’s best is always the solution. But then again, opening a Twitter account is free, so why not?