Whenever I run into someone who isn’t on Twitter, their typical response is “I don’t understand Twitter, there’s so much going on.” True, there are a lot of shortcuts and tricks we take to get our message across in 140 characters or less, but really, it’s not that hard, and proven to be very effective. I thought I’d create a simple “cheat sheet” for those just getting into Twitter, or for those who might need a little refresher.
Beginner phrases:
RT = Retweet. You can retweet simply by clicking the arrows on Twitter.com or placing a RT in front of someone’s tweet and posting it as yourself.
# = Hashtag. Hashtags are one of my favorite things about Twitter. If you click on a hashtag, you can see in real-time who is tweeting about whatever you put after your hashtag. I especially like #thatawkwardmomentwhen. Do it. It’s funny.
DM = Direct message. You can send private messages to people or businesses on Twitter, but only if they are following you.
Advanced Twitter lingo:
MT = Modified tweet. This is basically a retweet that you had to modify because there were too many characters. I only use this if I change the tweet drastically. I wouldn’t use it if I just change a you to u, or and to &.
TBH = To be honest. Pretty much self explanatory.
ICYMI = In case you missed it. I use this if I’m sending a tweet about previous blog post or re-promote a contest or sweepstakes.
