Facebook and Twitter have just continued to grow and grow. Facebook has grown to more than 412 “likes,” while Twitter has more than 600 followers.

(Make sure that you "like" our Florissant Patch Facebook page or follow us on Twitter @FlorissantPatch.)

Usually, we’ve spoken about the benefits of our Facebook page, and what it can do for you. However, this week, we’re switching gears and talking about Twitter and what it means to you.

1. You’ve got 140 characters to say it.  If you’re new to the Twitterverse, you might be learning that Twitter only allows you to use 140 characters. That means, count your spaces and punctuations in those characters. IF you’re looking to tighten your “tweet,” especially with links, try a shorter such as bitly or tiny.
2. Follow what’s important to you. There’s millions of people, organizations and businesses on Twitter. Follow what really interests you to make sure Twitter is a pleasurable experience. A lot of who we follow are other media outlets, North County and Florissant organizations and St. Louis entities for example.
3. Don’t forget to retweet and reply. While Twitterverse expects to hear a lot from you, make sure that you’re retweeting too. Also don’t forget that if you’re retweeted to thank those who did it. It’s a conversation.
4. Be informed, stay engaging. Twitter is not a place to talk about you. Engage with other folks through conversations. Groups are always having “tweet-ups,” and no one will remember someone who doesn’t converse on Twitter.
5. Experiment with Twitter hosts. While the original Twitter website is good, there’s a number of other hosts such as Tweetdeck and Hootsuite that will help manage not only Twitter but other social media such as Facebook. It also will allow you to schedule your tweets in advance. 

We’re always tweeting and retweeting about Florissant and North County, so make sure we’re one of your first follows, if we’re not one already.