Make the Most of Twitter’s New Interface

Last week, Twitter released a new online and mobile interface to try to simplify and make it easier to connect with others. I think it’s also because both Facebook and Google + have recently offered businesses a new way to use their sites to brand themselves online.

As more businesses—large enterprises, as well as small and midsize firms—delve into the world of social media to help market their products and sell their services, the Twitter redesign can help companies reach their potential audience more quickly, as the site now offers greater simplicity, thanks to four menu tabs, which are the same across mobile and desktop devices. –eweek.com

Here are some of the changes happening for Twitter, according to this eweek.com article, that could affect freelancers…

Got a new video for your blog? You can now embed them directly into your tweet. Freelancers will also like the new Connect section where they can more easily find out who has followed, mentioned them, retweeted, or favorited one of their tweets. It will make it easier for everyone to respond to other tweeters out in the world.

A new Discover tab allows users to customize a stream of info based on your location and what you currently follow. The goal is to serve up content that applies directly to a businesses market and interests. Depending on what your niche is, this could be really useful. The more you use the Discover tab, the more relavant your suggested content will be.

Twitter is also rolling out an updated profile section—which puts businesses interests front and center…a great way to promote what you do and who you do it for. They also seem to be urging more hashtag (#) use by suggesting that with the above changes, anything you hashtag will be found by searches and lead them to your business.

Twitter is quickly gaining ground as usage surged in the last six months, from 60 percent in spring 2011 to 76 percent in November. Effectiveness scores also improved across certain key social media marketing channels in just six months, with 60 percent of those using Twitter finding it effective for marketing their business, up from 47 percent in spring 2011. –eweek.com

Of course, the proof is in the pudding, and it will take a while before any results can be calculated. Tech News Daily has a good post on tips on how to use each of Twitter’s new tabs, which might make for some good further reading!