Twitter’s repute for being a spot the place experiences about one’s breakfast go to die isn’t unfounded. Nor its notoriety for a spot the place sizzling takes drop shortly earlier than ending up on the night information.
But there’s nonetheless a use for Twitter even in the event you don’t love arguing with web strangers or wading via memes and limitless jokes. In reality, it could prevent time and headache when used judiciously. Here’s how.
1) Better customer support
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Few issues irritate (or spark full-on rage) as shoddy customer support. When contacting an organization by chat or cellphone isn’t connecting you to anybody who will help, strive Twitter as a substitute.
All sorts of companies are simple to succeed in through Twitter, together with banks and a few utilities. You ought to first test an organization’s tweets & replies to see if it responds to buyer inquiries (and the way rapidly), however lately most do. Some companies even have devoted Twitter accounts for customer support.
Seeking buyer assist on this method has two advantages: First, you’ll save time. You can fireplace off a @-reply or a direct message to the corporate, then go about your life as you wait to listen to again. Generally responses are pretty fast. The human on the opposite finish will usually use direct language that addresses your concern, too, fairly than following a script.
Also, Twitter-based assist groups have extra leeway when serving to with an issue as a rule. Even in the event you’ve already given the cellphone system or on-line chat a shot, reaching out over Twitter could resolve your challenge extra absolutely.
One word on safety and privateness: For some companies (like airways, cellular phone firms, and banks), you could be requested to verify your identification by verifying account particulars over direct message. As at all times, deal with that info with care—you’re not obligated to share something that makes you uncomfortable. If that forestalls the rep from serving to you additional, ask for a extra direct cellphone service line, or you probably have an advanced challenge, a technique to contact greater tiers of assist.
2) News updates
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Twitter is a good software for staying updated—and never simply with breaking information, however day by day commute data, advances in fields or subjects that curiosity you, and public figures.
A fantastic line does exist between hypothesis and precise information, so select the accounts you comply with properly. Local information businesses are an awesome place to start out, as they supply updates in your space whereas additionally passing on the most popular nationwide information. You can comply with a number of shops to get the type of protection you search. Even radio stations have a Twitter presence—for instance, KCBS, one of many SF Bay Area’s greatest sources for normal updates on visitors and public transit, tweets out its valuable alerts.
Of course, you may hear the newest straight from the horse’s mouth on Twitter, too. Continuing with the information and commute theme in California, our state’s highway patrol posts details about visitors situations, with particular accounts for various areas.
When selecting accounts to comply with, be certain you might have the official account by searching for a verified mark subsequent to the title. (It’s a small checkmark inside a circle with scalloped edges.) Parody and duplicate accounts generally exist, so searching for that image ensures you’ve obtained the best company or particular person, particularly in the event you begin maintaining with people like reporters and notable figures in science or medication.
3) Bargain looking
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Many sources exist for locating the bottom costs on items and equipment—web sites, boards, e-mail newsletters, Reddit, Discord, and extra—and you’ll embody Twitter on that listing, too.
All sorts of accounts are devoted to recognizing and passing on offers to the general public. The platform aggregates quite a lot of sources: deal web sites staffed by dozens of individuals, crowdsourced deal websites, people who at all times have the within scoop. They’re all gathered on this one spot. Businesses generally additionally promote coupon codes and particular promos via their Twitter accounts, too.
The greatest technique for deal looking on Twitter is to remain organized. At minimal, make use of Twitter Lists, so that you simply’re not blasted by a firehose of nonstop info. Pair that with Tweetdeck, a desktop-based interface that allows you to see a number of lists at one time, and also you’ll have the ability to skim via the information a lot simpler.
You can even allow push notifications for choose accounts if you need rapid discover of each tweet (aka cut price), however that may get spammy—this technique is greatest paired with a service like IFTTT, which you need to use to filter for key phrases and push solely tweets that match these phrases to you.
Bonus: Tips for a greater Twitter expertise
Twitter Lists and Tweetdeck
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As touched on within the cut price looking part, you may maintain Twitter from changing into info overload via use of a few the service’s options: Twitter Lists and Tweetdeck.
Twitter Lists can help you group choose accounts collectively for a curated view. You can have as many (or as few) accounts on a listing—and throw them collectively fully at will. If you wish to make “tech reporters who cover CPUs and also share funny cat memes” a factor, have at it.
Tweetdeck then makes it potential to view a number of lists on the similar time. This desktop interface, obtainable through browser or a macOS app, enables you to add lists and kind them in any order. You can then absorb at a look many alternative tweets without delay, which makes it simpler to skim for noteworthy ones.
Push notifications
For choose accounts that don’t tweet usually—or who consistently tweet data you wish to keep on high of—you may allow push notifications only for that account. To do that, first allow push notifications in your Twitter account settings. Then head to the account you need them for, and click on on the bell icon. You don’t need to comply with an account to get notifications of its tweets.