Threaded conversations allow you to keep track of what people are saying in response to your post, and even allows you to conduct polls and surveys, as shown in the picture. We can use Plurk to source for information, or get feedback about certain issues.

It also makes it easier for people to reply to your threads, knowing that their response will never get lost, unlike in what I call the Twitter-mess.

Twitter is great because of the wealth of information it offers, if you follow the right people. You can easily find Tweeters who have the same interests or work in the same field as you do. A lot of people read and share articles relevant to work, thereby making it one of the best social networking service (SNS) for people to share information, and obtain information without having to actively search for it.

Of course, people do Tweet about things not related to work or industries (e.g. for me, social media related things and things that interest me about the PR industry) or simply put, bits and pieces of info that are not useful in any way, but are interesting to read and respond to. For example:

Why it’s important to date in parallel. http://bit.ly/lxt5s

The article, like many others on Twitter, is hilarious. Naturally, people respond, showing their delight, amusement, or agreement with something funny that another Tweeter has posted.

Unfortunately, they respond in manners such as below:

4 hrs after you’ve posted a funny story and it’s not so funny anymore:
I’m sorry, what? What was funny? I don’t remember anymore!

And yonks and 2705 Tweets later, someone replies:
I’d agree too, except I don’t know what you’re agreeing to.

And as always, someone with a delayed laughter mechanism:
I just Tweeted that my pet cat died and I’m really feeling godawful, but that’s okay, just go ahead, continue to laugh at the joke I told 7hrs ago.

I get a lot of such responses, and frankly, my dear, it irks the hell out of me. So here are some lessons that you can take.

Twitter 101: How to reply to a Tweet

Re-using the example above,

Good replies would look like any of the following:

Showing amusement / delight:

That’s so funny! RT @mengwong why it’s important to date in parallel. http://bit.ly/lxt5s

Showing agreement:

I agree, @mengwong! Who could’ve known you could use Physics to explain the Science of Dating, eh?

Showing amusement / delight:

LOL @mengwong! Good article! http://bit.ly/lxt5s

Remember – the whole point of social media is to interact, so don’t kill conversations by giving dead-end answers which leave the person you’re talking to confused, baffled, irritated or frustrated because he/she doesn’t know what you’re referring to!

Link the reply back to the Tweet you are replying to!

And so this concludes today’s lesson for Twitter 101.

So go forth and practise!