Tweet, Tweet: A Crash Course in Twitter for Nonprofits

"If the technology is clearly understood," Haydon said, "execution of your social-media strategy is more likely."

One of the simplest ways to explain Twitter is using this equation: IM + B = T, or instant messaging plus blogging equals Twitter. Twitter is like instant messaging in that messages are short (limited to 140 characters) and quick, and it's like blogs in that messages are archived, SEO friendly and everyone can see posts.