Three years ago, if someone tells us to follow them on Twitter, we would have surely asked, “What is Twitter?” But today, the online presence of Twitter has reached beyond the internet. It has reached the TV people, news writers, and of course bloggers whether they are online or offline. Twitter has revolutionized the way people deliver news, communicate, and exchange information. Twitter has revolutionized the Internet itself and the world of communication in just a capacity of 140 characters.
So practically, every human being knows what Twitter is. Say Twitter and chances are, people already know what you’re talking about. But the next question that leaves us is: What is Twitter for? We all know that on that status box, you can type a total of 140 characters about ANYTHING. That’s the crazy confusing part. Anything is such a subjective point of view. So what should you really type in that status box anyway? How do we benefit from this revolutionary tool called Twitter?

1. Follow News Profiles
Way back before, I never knew what good could come out from a mundane act of sharing your favorite hobby, sharing what you are doing, and saying just about anything in a total of 140 characters in that little box. The great benefit starts when you start following major news profiles like @New York Times, @Newsweek, and even @Vogue. Who knows? Maybe Vogue decided to give free clothes on a certain day and they broadcasted it on Twitter. What do you know?
When I followed @Abscbnkapamilya, it was then that I became updated to the freshest news that were yet to be on TV that night. So it became a biggest advantage to my blog. When certain news were not yet on TV, that news on my blog gained lots of traffic and a high ranking on Google. What do you know, right?

2. Follow a Niche
Are you into blogging, fashion, real estate, education, or photography? Look for Twitter profiles that are related to your niche and follow them. By doing this, you could gain followers who also have same niche as yours.
To look for a certain niche, go to http://search.twitter.com/advanced

3. Create Your Online Presence
In this online age, who does not have an online presence? Make Twitter your official, solid, and most important online identity where people can find you, know you, and learn more about you through your updated tweets.

4. Reply, Retweet, and Reply
Long ago, Retweet did not exist yet. When it existed, the benefit became greater as we no longer have to copy the statuses of a certain profile. When a certain day is officially announced as holiday, just Retweet it and voila, your followers know the same information. When Obama tweets something that catch your attention and would like to share it to your followers, Retweet!

5. Integrate to Facebook, Google Buzz, and other Social Networking Sites
Spread your Twitter presence to other social sites like Facebook, Google Buzz, and so forth. In this way, your statuses are synchronized without ever having to type a single information to multiple sites in manual fashion.

The greatest importance of Twitter lies in its capacity of 140 characters itself. Why? This is because news and information are relayed straightforward and pronto without those noisy introduction and conclusion words!