Here Are 8 Useful Things You Can Do On Twitter Besides Tweet

Everyone uses Twitter differently.

If you're Kanye West, you use Twitter as a tool to have a conversation with yourself about yourself while everyone else watches. Those who aren't as self-absorbed as Mr. West, typically use Twitter to voice random opinions, share content, and connect with friends throughout the day...

We still love Kanye — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) March 31, 2016

But, did you know there is more to Twitter than just tweeting?

Here are 8 useful things you can do on Twitter besides just tweeting:

Build your personal brand.

Sure, there are a bunch of other components that make up your personal brand aside from a Twitter account, but a Twitter account is a great way to start mapping out your vision.

Clean up your image with a simple bio update, a grown-up profile photo, resourceful links, and carefully designed tweets that let society know you're done being SoSexy2004 from your vomit-inducing high school days.

Enhance your professional network.

Some would say "that's what LinkedIn is for." I say bullshit. I've connected with more people on Twitter for work-related reasons more than I have on any other platform.

Unlike other social media channels, Twitter cuts out all the fluff and shows users the real you in realtime. This makes it easier to build long-lasting professional connections over real, genuine conversation rather than kiss-ass endorsements people send out just to have users return the favor.

Hey, you never know, it might lead to a real career opportunity.

Online shop.

Believe it or not, Twitter serves as a great tool for online shopping. Why spend time trying to search for products on individual online stores when you can search for deals, products and nearby sellers all on one platform?!

This goes right back to Twitter being more of a powerful search engine than people might think. The platform's realtime search results allow for endless findings with the most relevance.

And who knows, that one Twitter search for the most sought after "Yeezy Boosts" could actually lead you in the right direction. Believe in the power of the search tool...

Discover new music.

Want to see something cool? Type #NewMusic into Twitter's search field then hit enter. You'll be delivered a timeline full of new music ranging from mainstream, major-label artists to underground, unsigned hype in a matter of seconds.

This makes it easier to stay on top of newly-released music throughout the day without having to visit a bunch of music blogs directly. 

Spy on the scene at different places before you ever leave your house.

This is perhaps one of my most favorite uses for Twitter. If you have somewhere to be, say, some kind of event or something, Twitter can give you a better look at the scene before you decide if you really want to leave your house or not.

Even if you never planned on actually attending the event, you'll basically feel like you're there by seeing everyone's tweets, photos, videos and live streams.

Stay up-to-date with your favorite sports and TV shows.

I haven't watched any of the NBA Finals on an actual TV this year but I'm all caught up on what's going on in the legendary Stephen Curry/LeBron James rivalry.

How? By simply relying on a plethora of GIFs, photos, videos and player statements all published on Twitter.

Doing this thing where I'm only watching sports through Twitter for the entire year. So far, super convenient. — Rob (@robanthonyc) June 9, 2016

At this point, I'm not sure if owning a TV is even necessary anymore. Whether your favorite TV show is on, or you're missing Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Twitter will sum it all up for you as if you never left your couch.

Now you can get some of your life back and still be in the loop. Take advantage!

Never watch the news again.

I can't remember the last time I actually sat through a news broadcast. Thanks to Twitter's nifty "Moments" feature, I now know that anything I'd ever need to know about going on in our batshit crazy world can be found on the platform just minutes after it happens.

At that point, the news on TV is no longer "news" when it was posted on Twitter three hours ago.

The best part? You get to control what kind of news you absorb rather than having to sit through a 5-minute segment about something you couldn't care less about.

Simply use it as a search engine.

Overall, there are many different advantages to using  Twitter and most of them start with the use of one thing - its search feature.  Sure, Google will always be the mother of all search engines, but Twitter gives you a good look at what's going on right now and allows you to share these interests with your network instantly.

Whether you want to see what a specific dish at a restaurant looks like before leaving your house, or you want to witness that nasty dunk LeBron threw down late in the fourth quarter, Twitter is a great way to live at your own pace without missing a thing.