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If you were watching the news in June and saw what happened in Iran following the election, then by now you've probably heard about Twitter.
Twitter is an incredibly flexible messaging tool that allows users to send and receive "tweets" (messages) in many different ways - through the Twitter website, their cell phones, their Instant Message programs (like AOL IM and G-Talk) or from other third party Twitter tools, like TweetDeck, Accessible Twitter, and MadTwitter. Messages must be 140 characters or less, which means that Twitter is great for sharing quick thoughts, tips, and links.
Organizations use Twitter in a lot of ways. They can send:
1. Explore these links to start understanding what Twitter is all about.
2. Explore these examples of how organizations are using Twitter.
You'd think it would be easy to type 140 characters and go, but like all social networks, Twitter has a culture that requires some skill to navigate. Ignore this section at your own risk.
First impressions count. Make sure your Twitter profile furthers your organizational brand.
Brian Solis has an excellent roundup of Twitter tools organized by category. Not enough for you? Here's an even bigger list of Twitter tools!
Below is a short list suggested by nonprofit technology professionals with descriptions culled from Brian's excellent in-depth post:
For a list of more Twitter apps organized by category, see the Twitter Fan Wiki, Janet Clarey's Lists of Lists, Laura Lee Dooley's Twitter Tools Bookmarks, and Commetrics 100 Twitter Apps.