Lifestyle

Top Tips for Twitter Beginners

Published

5 years ago

April 29, 2020

Are you just getting started with Twitter or you buy twitter followers cheap? Wondering what to do there? You’re not alone! Every day I get questions and puzzled looks when I mention it. The feeling “I don’t get it” still looms large for many. That’s OK; Twitter has a language and rules all its’ own, and takes time to “get.” I promise, it’s not you….it’s Twitter. Feel better now?

You may wonder: Is Twitter worth my time? How can I benefit from using it?

Here are a couple of reasons my answer is yes: One, It’s the fastest news and information source on the planet. Just follow your favorite local and national news and info sources. Find them by doing a search in the bar at the top of your profile, follow a few, and you’re good to go. I love local traffic alerts from stations that I have set up to text to my phone; this has saved me valuable commute time. Two, Twitter is a great way to get customer service help quickly. Who’s your cel phone provider? Do you shop at big box retailers like Target? The big names are all there. Local companies are getting in on the act; here in Charleston, Piggly Wiggly has a great Twitter presence. The reason companies are so responsive there is because unlike a call or email, your complaint is in a public timeline, meaning everyone can see it. Smart retailers address these quickly. In addition to these services, I like being part of a medium that offers lifesaving info to a worldwide audience during a crisis. During the recent natural disasters in Haiti and Japan, Twitter was a critical first source of vital info during the aftermath and recovery. This fact alone should tell you that, used well, this medium has much more to offer you than the mundane “This is what I’m doing right now” tweets.

Here are my Top Tips for Twitter Beginners:

Start with the right mindset: Think of Twitter as a conversation. Listen first, then respond. Keep tweets short and to the point, and let your personality shine. Ask questions, offer answers. Twitter’s a great back and forth medium; often, the “cocktail party” of social media conversations.

Pick a few topics of interest: Search for them, and follow users whose tweets on those subjects are interesting. How do you determine this? Click on a user name. Their profile will appear to the right of your stream from your home page. If their tweets have personality, variety, are conversational, and have links to good info, follow them. You can also do a search on people you know. In addition to Twitter itself, tools like Twellow are great for this purpose

Upload a picture of yourself to your profile. People want to know who they are talking to; this personalizes that experience for them. Spammers and bots often have no pictures. You don’t want to be confused with one of them. For backgrounds, you can choose one of Twitter’s, or create your own. Both are easily done in the account set-up process under “Settings.”

Know the rules and etiquette: Here are a few of the most important:

(1.) When you see a great tweet, don’t send as yours alone – retweet it (RT) to give proper credit.

(2.) Thank those who RT you.

(3.) Answer people who directly mention you by mentioning them. For example: @lizdeloach how can I check for tweets directed to me? Answer: “@djones click on the word ‘mentions’ just above your timeline.”

(4.) Check into Twitter, and your mentions, once or twice a day, and spread out your tweets. Don’t be a feed clogger!

Hashtags: Understand and use them wisely: They are a way of categorizing and searching for info on any topic, person, place, etc., with the # symbol in front of a word or phrase. Your city probably has a hashtag – ours is #chs. It’s used for tweets with Charleston related info. If I tweet something with a hashtag, it appears in search for that hashtag with all tweets containing the same hashtag. Be sure to use these when relevant, and not just to get a tweet into a certain list. Want to start a hashtag on a topic you like? Tweet a question or info with one, and see who else is talking about the same subject.

These are just a few tips.

I hope they help you create a meaningful and worthwhile experience there. There’s a lot more that I can help with, too. Questions? Leave them in the comment section below and I’ll gladly answer!

Lifestyle

The Future of Social Dancing: How Latin Dance is Adapting to a New Generation

Published

5 days ago

August 21, 2025

Michelle Langton

Latin dance thrives on connection. The music, the partner, and the crowd all feed one another.

Today, that connection is shaped by a younger, digitally fluent generation, and few understand the shift better than Damian Guzman, founder of Bachata Sensual America (BSA). From prize-winning festivals to late-night socials, Guzman and BSA show how the scene is evolving without losing its roots.

Streaming steps, viral beats

A decade ago, beginners to Latin dance hunted for grainy DVD tutorials; now they unlock entire combinations on their phones. TikTok loops, YouTube shorts, and Instagram reels have compressed learning into snack-sized bursts.

Many of the artists signed on with Bachata Sensual America meet dancers where they scroll, posting slow-motion breakdowns and “follow-along” drills that rack up thousands of views. This approach addresses two key Gen Z demands: instant access and a clear path from screen to floor.

By allowing newcomers to practice at home before facing a packed room, the online channel lowers the fear barrier while seeding a desire for in-person connection.

Festivals as entry points, not finish lines

Digital discovery is only the first act. For many people, their real baptism happens at multi-day events where practice hours blur into sunrise socials.

BSA’s flagship Houston Bachata Sensual Festival returned on May 2^nd, 2025, with a follow-up week slated for Bachata Sensual Festival Chicago, September 4^th-9^th, 2025. Both weekends pair technique labs with mental-wellness talks and DJs specializing in bachata, mirroring the playlists in dancers’ earbuds.

That balance of skills and community is why independent reviewers named BSA one of the “Top Latin Dance Festivals in the United States” for 2025. Yet, for Damian, awards matter less than the message: a festival can feel world-class without pricing out college students. He keeps passes tiered, encourages volunteer shifts that offset costs, and prepares bootcamps for absolute beginners, ensuring the dance floor reflects the same diversity he sees online.

Teaching culture, not just choreography

Bachata’s recent boom owes much to its European reinvention. Damian experienced that surge firsthand while earning one of the first U.S. instructor certifications in the Bachata Sensual style. He returned determined to give American dancers the same blend of precision and musicality he had experienced abroad.

BSA classes devote equal time to connection cues, body mechanics, and the genre’s Dominican roots. That trifecta resonates with younger students who want authenticity, not just a viral dip.

“In class I tell people, ‘Technique is how you respect your partner; musicality is how you respect the song,’” Guzman said during a recent podcast. The line distills his mission: elevate standards while keeping the dance welcoming.

Building inclusive, mindful spaces

Generation Z brings new expectations around consent, identity, and mental health. BSA’s code of conduct spells out everything from appropriate touch to gender-neutral role selection. Security staff mediate conflicts quickly, and workshop leaders open sessions with grounding exercises to calm nerves. These actions might sound small, yet they remove friction that once pushed many newcomers away.

Damian argues that such policies go beyond ethics; they future-proof the scene. Normalizing role fluidity in Latin dance widens its talent pool and invites richer musical interpretations. By acknowledging anxiety and overstimulation — common concerns for digital natives — events can retain dancers who might otherwise retreat after their first crowded social.

Latin dance has never stood still, and its next evolution is already spinning under disco lights from Houston to Helsinki. With a phone in every pocket and a festival on every calendar, the gap between discovery and mastery keeps shrinking.

Damian Guzman and Bachata Sensual America illustrate what happens when tradition listens, adapts, and leads with purpose. The result is a scene ready for whatever beat the next generation drops — and a future where social dancing feels more connected, inclusive, and alive than ever.