The US Presidents favorite communication tool, with hundreds of millions of people around the world using the platform, who should you follow and why. If you are trying to build a brand – be it your personal brand or your business – you want to ensure you get the most of the platform in terms of connections & networking, not simply people who are wasting your time. So here are 10 hacks to get more from Twitter and start using it to greater effect.

1. Use the features built into Twitter.

Twitter is a smart social media tool, there are Advanced Twitter Search tools that can search by a range of keywords, names, places etc so you can pinpoint the people you really want to follow. There is also a range of other tools and recommendations that will pop up, review them and follow those that will add value to your day.

2. Browse the following lists of key people who you follow on Twitter.

Check out the people you follow, who do they follow? If you scroll through the lists, you can find out who your influencers are influenced by and start creating a really meaningful network.

3. Search Twitter lists.

There is a range of twitter public lists such as Listorious that can provide you with lists of people you may want to follow. Scrolling through lists saves time and provides ‘like minded people’ all in one place for you to select.

4. Use Twitter directories.

Using directories in Twitter can save you time in the long run as you can search for people based on a range of terms. There is a range of sites by some of the best are Wefollow, Tweepz, Twellow, and Twitaholic.

5. Search location-based Twitter tools.

If you want to find Twitter users in a specific city or area, there are some tools that make it a snap. Like any app, if you want to connect people in your local area, or an area you are traveling to, you need to make it specific. Nearby Tweets, GeoChirp, or Chirp City can provide you with a good starting point, so you really can find the best coffee in every town you visit.

6. Monitor keywords.

Keywords like in most digital areas are very important. Monitter.com allows you to see what keywords the people you are looking to follow tweet, then you can sort through the lists, review the profiles and see if you are keen on following these people well outside your inner circle.

7. Search for hashtags.

Hashtags are used so your tweet can be found. If you use either the advanced search – as mentioned above or additional tools such as Hashtags.org or TweetChat to search for tags you may be interested in and the people you are using them, then you are well on the way to getting more connected.

8. Use social media search tools.

Topsy and SocialMention provide simple search tools so you can search about people tweeting on a certain topic, simply then review their profile and follow if they add substance to your day.

9. Search influencer ranking sites.

Klout, PeerIndex, and Followerwonk provide you access to the key ‘influencer lists’ on Twitter. These sites allow you to find people who are already well connected in areas you want to get involved in and can save you time and hassle in your search for information & meaningful feeds.

10. Review aggregator and search tool listings.

Although Twitter is predominantly about people, review aggregator and search tool listings allow you to search not only by people but for content.  Alltop and PopURLs are good examples of this and can narrow down the results to ensure they are specific to your needs.