Twitter has changed the way that I [twitter handle: @crozul] use the web and how I connect with others around the world.

I’d like to share with you a few reasons why I tweet and the benefits it has and hopefully by the end, you’ll be inspired to tweet for reasons you actually care about

When Twitter first came out I must confess I wasn’t a huge fan.

I didn’t understand the purpose nor the power Twitter could have on people, places, or on myself. I created an account back in 2009 but I lacked the momentum to do anything with it. It wasn’t until the begining of 2011 that I started to understand the power of Twitter.

Before I go into the #BENEFITS here are 3 #TIPS that will help you be a better Twitterer:

1.) Understand how it Works: Understanding what things are or how things are used is a good way to know your way around Twitter land. Check out the Twitter Glossary and familiarize yourself with twitter lingos and vocabulary. Ones to note are :# [the hashtag] used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet in an effort to categorize messages, @ sign is used to call out usernames in Tweets, & RT is the abbreviation for retweet.

2.)  Participate – Join Twitter Chats! Joining chats allows you to converse with people that share your interests all over the world! It is because of my participation in amazing twitter chats like #NUTS, #TTOT , #TNI – that I fully understood the power of twitter. Here is a Schedule of Twitter Chats that happen on a daily basis. Its a great way to meet new people and gain followers.

3.) Follow Celebrities: Its good to immerse yourself amongst the top influencial people within the Twitter world. Its all about who you know. Start by following this list of  Top 100 Tweeters with Most Followers and send them a quick tweet to let them know you’re following them, see whats trending, join in on conversations!

 The #BENEFITS:

• Be Inspired - A quote that I think recapitulates this topic is by Carl W. Buechner, “They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”  Though I’ve never personally met a majority of the people I interact with on Twitter, they’re voices and stories inspire me to live and love my life to its fullest potentional! I can’t tell you how many countless mundane days I’ve gone through where I started the day feeling shitty and ended the day motivated,  inspired and with a FAT SMILE on my face! Mad thank yous to @mygo2it, @traveldudes, @conniehum, @2Backpackers, @MalloryOnTravel, @CoolTravelVids and the #TTOT, #NUTS, and #TNI community for being my inspiration!

• Enhance Social Circle – Network: It’s essential to build a network both on and offline no matter what we do, as its all about who we know nowadays and not what we know. You never know when someone within your network could be the missing piece to the puzzle you are trying to build or the pivotal role that could change your life in ways you never imagined.

• Global Impact:  For the first time the world is literally at our finger tips. With just the touch of a few keys our thoughts and ideas can be shared with the world, borders are crossed, barriers are broken, and cultures exposed.  The recent events in North Africa showed the world that social medias like Twitter can enable movements to over throw authoritative governments, that it can unite people and territories of different backgrounds, and that it can not silence people’s freedom of speech!

• Learning Tool: I can’t even count the # of things I’ve discovered on twitter! I’ve learned from influencers from around the world on how they’ve done all the amazing things they’ve accomplished, discovering the latest trends and staying on top of the news!

• Marketing Opportunities: What’s great about Twitter is that its a free communication tool that allows you to automate the communication of information in real time by integrating Twitter into your blog or website. You can share give live updates, ask questions, give recommendations, run promotional giveaways, introduce new products or events, the list is endless!

• Find Work: Like I said earlier, its all about networking, putting yourself out there to network and meeting as many people as possible and the likely hood of you finding work in your field of interest will be high. @FabienLavocat (orginally from France) is a prime example as he found his dream job in California by tweeting to the company he was interested in working for. Within less than a month the company hired him and @FabienLavocat’s life changed completely as he left France and accepted the job in California.

The possibilites are really endless on Twitter, its just up to us to make the most of it all and use twitter to the best of our abilities. Whether we use twitter for professional or personal reasons or even both, don’t go through-out life wondering what all this Twitter hoopla was all about – try it out and start tweeting your thoughts away!