How to use X (Twitter): a beginner’s guide

Why use X

X is a real-time place to share short updates, join conversations and meet people in your field. It suits quick takes, launches, building in public and following topics as they happen.

Set up your profile

Create an account, then fill in the parts people see before they follow.

• A clear photo.
• A short bio that says what you do and what you post about. Bios are brief, so every word counts.
• A banner and a link to where people can learn more.
• A pinned post that shows your best or most useful work.

How posting works

A standard post is up to 280 characters. Paid plans allow longer posts. You can add images, video, a poll or a link, and you can build a thread by replying to your own post.

Your home screen has two views: For You, which is recommended by an algorithm, and Following, which shows people you follow.

Basic habits that help

• Post a little each day instead of a lot once a week.
• Reply to others in your field with something useful.
• Use one or two hashtags at most, only when they add meaning.
• Say one thing per post.

Plan it

X’s mobile app does not make scheduling easy, so a scheduler saves effort. Content Postiz lets you queue posts, polls and threads, and your AI can draft them from your notes.

Choose a clear angle

X rewards accounts that people can describe in a sentence. Before you post, decide what you will be known for: practical tips about a tool, honest notes from building a company, sharp comments on your industry. Write it in your bio and in your pinned post.

You can change direction later, but a clear starting point makes it easier for the right people to follow you and for you to know what to post.

Pick the right kinds of post

X supports several formats, and each does something different.

• Short posts: a single thought or tip. The most common and the easiest to write.
• Threads: a connected series of posts for a longer idea. Open with a strong first post that makes people want to read on.
• Images and video: they stand out in a busy stream. Add alt text to images so more people can enjoy them.
• Polls: a quick way to ask your audience a question.
• Quote posts and replies: a way to add your view to someone else’s post.

Use the home timeline wisely

The For You view shows posts X recommends, including from accounts you do not follow. The Following view shows posts from people you follow, newest first. Use Following to keep up with the people you care about, and For You to discover new voices.

Follow people in your field, mute topics you do not want and use lists to group accounts, such as customers, peers or news sources, so you can read them without noise.

Join conversations

Posting is only half of X. Replying is how you meet people and get noticed by their audiences. A good reply adds something: a short example, a useful link, a polite question or a different angle.

Spend a few minutes each day replying to people you respect. Over weeks, they begin to know your name, and some of their followers will check your profile.

Build a simple routine

A routine keeps you posting without taking over your day.

• Morning: write or schedule one or two posts.
• Midday: reply to a handful of people in your field.
• Evening: read your replies and answer them.
• Weekly: write one thread on something you know well.
• Monthly: look at which posts did best and write more like them.

Keep your account healthy

Be careful with automation and repeated posting. X has rules against spam, and behaviour that looks automated can reduce your reach or lead to limits on your account. Write your own posts, vary your wording and avoid copying the same text across accounts.

Think about privacy too. Do not post personal details you would not want strangers to see, and review who can tag you and message you in your settings.

Learn from your numbers

Under each of your posts, X shows how many people saw it and how they responded. Look at your best posts once a month. What topic, format and time did they share? Do more of that. Look at your quietest posts too, and drop what does not work.

Write your first ten posts

The hardest part of a new account is the blank page. To get going, write ten posts in one sitting, and do not worry about making them perfect. Aim for a mix: a few tips from your own experience, a question for your audience, a short story about something that went wrong, an opinion you hold, a resource you find useful and a plain introduction to what you do.

Put them in a queue and schedule them across your first week or two. This gives your profile some content for new visitors to see, and gives you time to watch which kinds of post get a reaction. You will learn far more from ten real posts than from planning in your head.

Find the right people to follow

X is only as good as the accounts you follow. Start with people you already admire in your field: writers, builders, customers, journalists and companies. Look at who they reply to and who replies to them, and follow a few of those people as well.

Use lists to organise them. A list of customers, a list of peers and a list of sources of news let you read each group without the noise of a busy timeline. Check in on the lists when you have a spare minute, and reply to the posts where you have something real to add.

Handle criticism and disagreement

Sooner or later someone will disagree with you, sometimes sharply. You do not have to answer every comment. If the criticism is fair, thank the person and say what you will do about it. If it is a good-faith disagreement, you can reply once, calmly, and leave it there. If it is abuse, mute or block the account and move on.

Your tone is part of how people judge you. A steady, polite reply, even to a rude comment, tends to make you look better than the person who started the argument.

Use a scheduler to stay consistent

The biggest difference between an account that grows and one that stalls is often consistency. Most people have good weeks and quiet weeks, and the quiet weeks are when the habit breaks. A scheduler helps because you write when you have energy and the posts go out when you are busy.

With Content Postiz, you can connect X, write posts, polls and threads, and place them in your queue. You can also ask your AI app to turn your notes into a week of drafts. You review and approve them, and nothing goes out that you have not seen.

Review your account every month

Once a month, take thirty minutes to look at how you are doing. Read your profile as a stranger would. Does it still say what you do? Is your pinned post still your best one? Look at your top posts and ask what they have in common. Check the accounts you follow and prune the ones that no longer help.

Then set one small goal for the next month, such as writing one thread, replying to ten people a day or trying a new format. Small, steady changes add up to a stronger account over a year.

Stay safe and sane

Social networks can eat your day if you let them. Decide in advance how much time you will spend on X, and use your scheduler to keep your posting steady without keeping you glued to the feed. Turn off notifications you do not need, mute words and accounts that make you miserable and take breaks when you need them.

Protect your account too. Use a strong, unique password with two-factor sign-in, review the apps that have access to your account and remove any you no longer use.

Frequently asked questions