What is Twitter?
Twitter is considered a "micro" blogging (140 characters or less) service that allows friends, family, and co–workers to communicate based on short and frequent answers to the question, "What are you doing?"
Twitter works over multiple networks and devices, including mobile texting, web browsers and instant messaging. The first prototype of Twitter was built in two weeks in March 2006 and launched publicly in August of 2006.
What is Twitter Like?
Users who sign up on Twitter decide who they want to "follow". This could consist of family and friends, business associates, or even celebrities who have a presence on Twitter. You'll be notified every time someone you are following posts a "Tweet" - the term for a Twitter post, so it's very possible that getting involved in Twitter could be very time consuming. However, Twitter reminds users that you are not expected to respond to any updates unless you want to. So how much your day is occupied with Twitter is really up to you.
What Does Twitter Cost?
For the moment, using Twitter is free (except for any charges you might incur if you receive Tweets via text messaging). The company hasn't announced any plans to start charging for the service, but it remains to be seen.
How Does Twitter Relate to Social Media?
Twitter is considered a social networking tool - meaning essentially that all content is user-generated and that Twitter offers opportunities for networking, or "staying connected" with others. For business owners, Twitter can be an additional free outlet for promoting the business. Such business use might involve Tweets about a sale, a new product or a link to a new article on a website or blog. The possibilities are generally endless - except for the short character length limitation.