AIBU?
To ask you to explain the nitty gritty of Twitter?
lougle · 25/05/2013 13:55
I know the basics -140 chars, @ is the person you are talking to, # is the topic.
But.
How do you join a discussion.
How do you find a discussion.
How do you get your tweet out there for people to read if you have no followers? And how to do you get followers if you don't have anything out there for people to read? 
DollyClothespeg · 25/05/2013 14:13
hashtags as well, don't forget the hashtags! 
For example, there's a Mumsnet Local chat meet up once a week - to find all the tweets in the conversation end the tweets #mumsnetlocal or whatever the word is, and that way all the tweets are easily found in the same place.
Punkatheart · 25/05/2013 14:14
Think of the subjects you might be interested in.
It may be
milking cows
red shoes
books
Now search for those particular subjects using the search engine on Twitter. Find (sane) people who are either interested in those who are in those industry. Follow them. Their conversations (unless protected) will come on on your feed. If you are lucky, people might instantly follow you back - but it's best to chat to a few people or organisations first - then you look more open and friendly. Don't be an egg - have a picture of yourself - even a vague one. Think about your profile and in that profile, write about the things you like.
It will take time to build up but think of it like a party - you are going around the room and getting to know people.
I'm a writer and journalist - so I connect with other writers, authors and publishers. I learn about events, competitions and even get work from Twitter. It is very useful and actually as a writer, I am expected to use Twitter. Agents and publishers prefer social media-savvy writers who can be marketed. So don't listen to people who say Twitter is pointless. Like any form of communication it is how you use it. 10 million people in THE UK use it - so it is more powerful that any newspaper.
Good luck and have fun.
MmeLindor · 25/05/2013 15:30
Thanks for the nudge, BOF. It's obviously an important question that requires me to take a break from scraping wallpaper off the walls :)
First, stop thinking of Twitter as being like Mumsnet or Facebook. It's more like small talk at a dinner party than an involved conversation with a group of friends.
As others have said, look for similar minded people by searching your hobbies or interests. You can then follow their followers and check who is following them.
Your twitter feed will be v different to your neighbours feed - because you are choosing who to listen to. It's not like Mumsnet where you hear lots of different opinions - unless you consciously decide to follow those who you don't agree wth.
I've a short guide here which might help.
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