How many times have you heard about uprisings and mass media news that were reported on Twitter first? I can tell you, there are alot of breaking news events that happen and are reported via Twitter first!

More than politics…

Do you remember the political uprising in Egypt several years ago? Twitter was a strong factor in the communication of that movement around the globe. Since then, there have been countless movements that originated on Twitter and caught on like wildfire!

Given our current political climate, we ALL understand the power of Twitter. I’m not about to get all political on you, but no one can argue that the President of the US uses Twitter as his personal news outlet. So, whether or not you used Twitter before #45 took office or not, we all need to have our fingers on the pulse of Twitter. That is, if you want to keep up with what’s happening in the world.

 

 

Why Use Twitter?

Believe it or not, Twitter isn’t just a tool for killing time. It’s a powerful tool for driving targeted traffic to your website and connecting with key people in your niche – but only if you want it to be.

Related Article: Twitter Ain’t Dead Yet 

Twitter is also a powerful news outlet for keeping your finger on the pulse of current events and your marketplace in a way that hasn’t ever been possible before. Social media has completely and totally transformed the way that we not only consume news and media today, but also the way that we share and interact with the world around us.

Traditional media is on the struggle bus trying to figure out its place in the world, now that social media (and especially Twitter with it’s a lightning fast pace) is the number one way people get information. We are seeing a whole new world of media unfold before our eyes  because of the transformational shift in the fabric of this industry. We’re already feeling the effects, as physical media like newspapers and magazine shutter their print versions in favor of digital media.

At the same time, you definitely want to be poised for success by keeping your finger on the pulse of the world around you – and your business. This means using Twitter and all the leverage it has to offer. Here are some tips and tricks to help you do exactly that!

How to Keep Your Finger on the Pulse of Current Events with Twitter

 

1. Identify influencers and follow them religiously

The most impactful thing you can do to stay informed across the board is to find the major influencers in the fields that you are interested in keeping up with. Then follow them and all affiliated accounts on Twitter.

You can do this with major news groups, reporters, and other media groups, but you can also follow your main competitors, their competitors, and other influencers that you want to stay informed with. Click a quick follow on these people and you’ll never be left out of the loop again.

Bonus points for creating Twitter Lists – one for Influencers, the other for Media – so that you can isolate these tweets when you need to make sure you don’t miss them!

Related Article: 5 Twitter Lists Every Entrepreneur Should Be Using

 

2. Use content aggregators to cut through the clutter

Another powerful tactic you’ll want to adopt when looking to stay abreast of everything happening in the world and your market on Twitter: sign up for content aggregator accounts. Use these tools to do the bulk of the heavy lifting for you when it comes to sifting through the flood of information constantly flowing online.

Hold up. What is a content aggregator? A content aggregator sounds fancy, don’t you agree? If you’re a bit puzzled, lemme explain. A content aggregator curates all of the content published around a particular subject, then groups it together and spits it back at you in a neat little package. So you don’t have to scour a gazillion websites by yourself.

Content aggregator websites like Reddit, Mashable, and Alltop (with Reddit being one of the most popular right now) not only allow you to stay up on current news, but also gives you all the angles, tremendous amounts of opinion, and also lets you join in on the conversation about these current events as well.

These kinds of content aggregators can also be a fantastic channel for product/service research, but that’s an entirely different topic altogether!

 

3. Check for trending topics daily

I check Twitter for breaking news day, I mean EVERY DAY. In my opinion, if it’s news it’s on Twitter. To stay current with what’s happening in your industry and the world at large, check what’s trending on Twitter each day.

How to do this WITHOUT scrolling through your news feed: 

On the desktop version, you will see the trending hashtags on the sidebar of the home page. On the mobile app, you can find the trending topics under the magnifying glass on the navigation bar.

I keep up with trending news and topics by visiting this little magnifying glass daily. From knowing who divorced who, to the latest startup IPO, to what’s trending in Instagram news, I typically learn about it on Twitter first.

 

And there you have it, a fool-proof way of keeping your finger on the pulse of current events with Twitter. From pop culture, to political nightmares, to global catastrophes, it’s all there, trending on Twitter, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Dontcha love technology?

Ciao,
Miss Kemya