TWITTER’s Impact Continues…

Some social media networks are known as major time drainers for procrastinating students, butTwitter can also be used for school work, valuable networking, job searches and project management.

Here are 100 great Twitter tips, tools and tutorials for serious college students who want to turn their Internet time into something valuable.

Finding People

These tools will help you find the right people to follow, whether you want to hook up with industry insiders, people who can help you with your research, companies you’d like to intern with, or other professors and students.

  1. Who Should I Follow?: This service will recommend interesting people for you to follow based on any username you type in.
  2. Just Tweet It: With this service, you can find other Tweeters with similar interests as you.
  3. Mr.Tweet: Mr. Tweet can also point out influential Tweeters you should be following.
  4. WeFollow: Type in keywords to find people who’ve tagged themselves in this directory.
  5. FriendOrFollow: Find out who’s not following you back with FriendOrFollow.
  6. Twubble: Expand your follow bubble with Twubble.
  7. Nearby Tweets: When you need a reference or contact who lives in your city, use this service to find them on Twitter.
  8. Twitterator: With Twitterator, you can bulk-follow complete lists of people.
  9. SocialToo: Sync follower lists with other social media sites like Facebook.
  10. TweepSearch: Use this tool to search users’ bios when you’re looking for specific people to follow.
  11. DoesFollow: Find out if certain people are following each other to help friends make connections.

Research

Use these tips and tools for job searches, finding experts to cite in your papers, and to learn more about the topics you’re discussing in class.

  1. twitority: Get authority-based Twitter search here.
  2. Twitter for Research: Why and How to Do It, Including Case Studies: Learn how to use Twitter for historical research and which tools to use.
  3. Monitter: Monitter uses your keywords to find relevant tweets.
  4. TweetMeme: TweetMeme is sort of like Digg and is helpful if you want to search popular links that are being tweeted.
  5. Tweetag: Tag-Based Search for Twitter: This guide will show you how to use Tweetag to find information based on tags.
  6. How to Use Twitter for Information Mining: This guide can help you gather information on companies, individuals and topics.
  7. @trendingtopics: Follow Twitter’s trending topics feed to get frequent updates on breaking news.
  8. Twitscoop: This service lets you “search and follow what’s buzzing on Twitter in real-time,” great for keeping up with trending topics.
  9. Twitter search: Type in a keyword to find out how it’s being discussed on Twitter in real-time.
  10. TweetVolume: Here you can enter words and phrases to see how often they pop up on Twitter, and where.
  11. How to Search Twitter – The Advanced Guide: Discover how to do a word-level, person-related, location-specific, date-specific or resource search on Twitter.
  12. 7 ‘Secret’ Ways to Use Twitter Search: This article will help you become a more efficient researcher and tune out the “chit-chat.”
  13. Tweetbeep: Set up alerts so that you know when something or someone is being tweeted about.

Study Breaks

Twitter isn’t just about research and assignments. These tips and tools will show you how to use Twitter for break time, too.

  1. Foamee: Keep track of who owes you beer and coffee with this tool.
  2. Cursebird: Track curse words on Twitter and see how many times people say the “f” word and other fun swear words.
  3. LoveTweet!: Find love poems, break-up stories and more.
  4. Tweetwasters: Use this tool to manage your wasted time on Twitter.
  5. InnerTwitter: InnerTwitter lets you know when it’s time to get back to work and focus on what’s in front of you.

Discussion and Collaboration

When you have to meet with project group members, study for a test with classmates, talk with a professor, or tweet from club meetings, use these collaboration tools and tips.

  1. Share files: Services like FileSocial and FileTwt let you share files publicly or privately.
  2. Screenr: Create screencasts for your followers with Screenr.
  3. 30+ More Ways to Create Twitter Groups: This guide will show you how to make the most of Twitter groups.
  4. Share videos and photos: For school projects and presentations, share videos and photos via Twitter.
  5. GroupTweet: Set up private communication with group members using this tool.
  6. StrawPoll: It’s easier to collect data from groups of people when you use a poll like this one.
  7. Twitzer: When you need to explain something in greater detail, use this app to type in more than 140 characters.
  8. TweetCube: Share files — including videos and images — with TweetCube.
  9. twonvo: Twonvo is helpful for following conversations: retweets are displayed like Facebook’s threads.
  10. Phweet: Phweet is like conference calling for Twitter friends.
  11. tweetparty: Group messaging is made possible by tweetparty, which lets you create subgroups too.

Building Relationships

Here you’ll learn all about using Twitter to build quality relationships for school and your career.

  1. Don’t spam: Spamming means tweeting every time something pops into your head. Edit your tweets so that you’re only contributing when it matters, not whenever you’re bored.
  2. Tweeple Card: Make a business card for Twitter with this tool.
  3. twtcard: Send surprise greeting cards to network with people or send invitations to study groups.
  4. Retweet: Retweet others’ comments, and they’ll be more likely to do the same for you.
  5. Share your knowledge: Let others know you’re available for homework help or to share tips and insight into your passions.
  6. Follow Friday: Look for new users to follow on Fridays, when your other friends will hashtag some of their favorites. Highlight your followers too to spread the love.
  7. Edit your follow list: The people you follow and your followers can influence what others think about you, so be careful who you network with.
  8. Tweet about things besides you: You’ll be known as a more valuable follow if you tweet news stories and about things besides yourself.
  9. Become an expert on your community: Whether it’s your dorm or your city, be the one others turn to for help navigating and finding things to do in your area.
  10. 8 Things to Consider Before Using Twitter Lists: Before you start listing, read this article to learn about its benefits and downfalls.
  11. Use direct messaging: For more private conversations, reach out to someone via direct message.

Career

Twitter is a great career resource too, so make use of these tools and tips when researching companies, finding internships and setting up interviews.

  1. twibs: Find businesses to follow with Twibs.
  2. Twitter JobSearch: Type in the job you want and let this service find it for you on Twitter.
  3. Set up two different accounts: Set up a business account and a separate one for goofing off with your friends: you don’t want your future employers to see what you tweet about parties and late nights.
  4. Keep an eye on the competition: Get to know the habits and resumes of people vying for similar jobs as you.
  5. Know how to pitch yourself: Don’t just talk about how great you are: pitch your skills in the form of tips for others.
  6. Organize a tweetup: Schedule a meet-up or mixer to meet contacts in real-life.
  7. Turn Twitter Friends into Real Friends: Learn how to network so that your Twitter relationships result in something concrete.
  8. Getting In Front of High Profile People: Copyblogger shares tips for getting on the radar of the tweeters who matter.
  9. 10 Networking Tips for Tweeters: Emma Merkas’ tips include standing out from the crowd and being social in real life.
  10. Tweetmondo: Look for business contacts in your area or an area of your choosing with Tweetmondo.

Organization

Keep your Twitter experience streamlined and in control with these tools and tips.

  1. Twitblocker: When you need Twitter for school and work purposes, block out all the social noise with this tool.
  2. Lists: Create lists to organize discussions and groups.
  3. Desktop: Use a desktop app so that you can view, filter and organize your Twitter feeds without having to log on.
  4. 10 Ways to Archive Your Tweets: Learn about the tools and tips that can save you room on Twitter.
  5. 20 Ways to Filter Your Tweets: Learn how to filter tweets by keyword, links, groups, or favorites to stay better organized.
  6. TwitKit: TwitKit is a Firefox app that creates a Twitter sidebar for your browser.
  7. MyTweeple: Check tweets, hide followers, review people’s stats and reevaluate your follow list with this tool.
  8. twuffer: Schedule tweets to share later with twuffer.
  9. Twply: Have @replies forwarded to your inbox so you never miss a shout out.
  10. Ping.fm: Ping.fm is another tool for syncing FB, Twitter, Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk, AIM and more.
  11. 10 Ways You Can Use Twitter Lists: Sarah Evan’s article shows you 10 ways you can use lists to organize Twitter.

Assignments

Check out this list to find ways to use Twitter for project management, assignment tracking and more.

  1. bkkeepr: Track your reading lists here.
  2. TwitterNotes: Take, save and tag notes on Twitter with this app.
  3. Twittercal: Sync Twitter and your Google calendar so that you’re reminded of deadlines and exam dates.
  4. Twitly: Separate your Twitter follows into different lists and groups, which is especially helpful if you want to separate different classmates, people you’re following for different research papers, or general follows.
  5. How to use Twitter as a project management tool: Study groups and clubs will get tips on using Twitter effectively here.
  6. Remember The Milk: The Twitter version of this task manager can also remind you of upcoming assignments, study groups and more.
  7. Read the news: Subscribe to niche and general news feeds for supplementary learning materials.
  8. Ask questions: Use Twitter as a study help tool, and ask questions when you can’t get ahold of your professor.
  9. Take notes: Take notes from a club meeting or class to save for later, get feedback from others in the community, or share with a friend.

Tutorials and Guides

Turn to these tutorials and guides for in-depth explanations for setting up Twitter, finding people, and more.

  1. The Ultimate Guide to Everything Twitter: Start out with this guide to learn about Twitter memes, relationships, apps and more.
  2. HOW TO: Do Good on Twitter: This guide will show you how to find nonprofit groups and get your own club on Twitter.
  3. Treating Twitter as an Investment: Making Twitter work for you takes time. Read this article to find out why it’s worth it.
  4. Twitter for Academia: This guide is written for professors but can also be helpful for students wanting tips for using Twitter for discussion, research and real-life experience.
  5. @TwiTuts: Follow this feed to get constant Twitter tutorials and tips.
  6. Make the Most of Your 140 Twitter Characters: TutWow can help you say more with less.
  7. 3 Ways to Recognize Bots and Spammers on Twitter: Don’t waste your time following worthless auto-spammers.
  8. Top Twitter Tools Exposed: If you don’t know which tools to start with, watch this video.
  9. Twitter Tutorial: 5 Desktop Apps: This is kind of a goofy video, but it can help you figure out how to pick a desktop application for Twitter.
  10. How to use Twitter on the go: Use Twitter on your mobile phone after watching this video.

Miscellaneous Tools

From selling your stuff on Twitter to making Twitter easier to find, check out these tools.

  1. Twitpay: If you have PayPal, you can raise money for causes or sell your stuff with TwitPay.
  2. twitition: Create, sign and share petitions with this tool.
  3. TwitterFone: Send messages to Twitter with your voice when you use TwitterFone.
  4. Xpenser: Use Xpenser to track your expenses and save money, even while you’re on Twiter.
  5. Twitturl: This Firefox add-on lets you post the URL of the page you’re currently on to Twitter.
  6. Twittonary: This dictionary of Twitter words and shorthand will keep you on track with tweeting pros.
  7. Twitsig: Your tweets will show up as images when you use this tool.
  8. Tweetminster: British politics are tracked on this live Twitter stream.
  9. Twitlist: Sell and buy your stuff with Twitter and Craigslist with this mashup.

Thanks to Carol Brown, Accredited Online Colleges.