The Twitter Tip Jar

This will be a continuing series on what I've learned about using
Twitter. Whether you are using it for fun or business, it makes sense
to learn how to use it correctly.  This tip is meant for those who
have jumped into Twitter and are still learning.

Tip #1:  How to Engage with More People with Your Reply.

Sometimes you want to respond to someone on twitter. If you want to
"mention" the user and comment or answer, then you reply or mention
the person. IF that username comes at the beginning of the tweet, then
place a period (.) in front of the username, and everyone in your
network will see it.  All your followers can then see the conversation
between you and the other user.  Otherwise, only the tweeters
following both of you will be able to see the conversation.

Here's an example: I'm following author John Scalzi. He answered
questions from selected followers during a chat on Twitter. He
answered a question with  ".@Elion_King I wouldn't mind seeing more
humor in science fiction #torchat."  I was able to see his reply to
the question because of the period.  Because I don't follow
@Elion_King in addition to John Scalzi, I wouldn't get to see  a
standard reply. You must follow both to see those.  The period made
the difference.  This is a great way to share conversations with
everyone who follows you.