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Dear Gracie,

I use Twitter, but I never use the "Lists" feature. I'm not sure I understand how to use them or why they're helpful. Please explain?

Twitter Twit

******

Dear Twitter Twit,

Five Twitter experts from the ProfNet Connect network weigh in:

What Are Twitter Lists for?

"Twitter lists are a great way to organize people and resources on Twitter," says William J. Ward, social media professor at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Lists allow you to sort out specific users or resources more easily, by separating individual Twitter streams from the fire hose of information on the social network, he says.

A distinct advantage of lists is that you can use them to follow individuals that you might not want in your primary news stream, agrees Lisa Low, associate director of emerging media and digital communications at Texas Tech University. So if you're only interested in someone's tweets for a specific reason, you can include them in a particular list, without following them as an individual, and only see their tweets when you're trying to focus on that particular area.

For example, Ward follows over 6,600 people on Twitter. So to manage his students, he creates a list for each of his classes, so that he can specifically see what each group of students are sharing and help them focus on specific class discussions.

Tracy Bagatelle-Black, account manager at RLM Public Relations, uses Twitter lists to keep track of industries that she's particularly involved with or interested in. Since she's a PR pro, she adds any PR expert who followers her to a "PR" list and any social media expert to a "Social Media" list. She also uses lists to keep track of industries that are relevant to her clients. For example, she created a "Mommy Bloggers" list to see what they are discussing so she can pitch her clients to them appropriately. By using Twitter lists, Bagatelle-Black can see what's going on in any given industry just by looking at the list's tweet stream.

Journalists can also make good use of lists by sorting sources, like companies and experts, according to their industry categories, like "Health Experts" or "Other Business Journalists," says Low.

Lists are also useful for events, says Ward. For a speaking conference in November, Ward created a list of 30 of his fellow speakers so that he can more easily see what information they are sharing leading up to and during the event.

Twitter lists can be helpful if you're looking for employment too, says Bagatelle-Black. When she was looking for a job, she created a "Jobs" list to keep track of any companies she was interested in working for. Since many companies tweet about job openings now, it's a great tactic to find work.

Another practical use for lists can simply be to separate your friends from business contacts, says Felicia Sinusas, director of publicity at Jane Wesman Public Relations. "While you're at work, you can focus on what colleagues are saying, and after hours, you can pay attention to what your closest friends are tweeting."

And finally, lists can help you account for those people who are mostly like to want you to retweet them, or who are most likely to retweet you, says Sinusas. This can help you target and increase exposure.

Creating a List, Adding Users to a List

Ward explains: To create a list, go to your Twitter "Home" page, and click on the "Lists" drop-down tab underneath the status box. Then click on "Create a list" and provide a name and description.

You have the option to make lists public or private, Ward continues. It might make sense to keep a list private, if, say, you're creating a list of company competitors and you don't want anyone but yourself to see that, he says.

When you find someone you want to add to your list, first click on their profile, and then click on the button with the silhouette of a person's head and shoulders and a drop-down arrow (it's above the "Tweet to" box on the right-hand side), says Ward. It's the same button that allows you to mention, block or report the user as well. Then choose the "Add to list" option and pick which specific list you'd like to add them to.

Finding Lists

"I used to keep track of people using TweetDeck," says Bagatelle-Black, "But Twitter lists are even better because people can follow them."

If you're looking for lists by subject, Peter Himler, principal at Flatiron Communications, says his favorite place to look for interesting Twitter lists is Listorious.com. For journalists, he recommends MuckRack.com. But in general, he says, explore who you're following and any of their lists as well.

Twitter's search feature is also a great way to find interesting tweeters, by searching for topics or hashtags. But keep in mind that Twitter's searchable archive (as of right now anyway) doesn't go back very far, says Himler.

Getting Listed

Being included in a list is an "honor," of sorts, says Low, because it means you added value to a topic. (Although she supposes you could request to be added to a list too.)

It's a recognition of one's authority in a particular area, agrees Himler. "Bragging rights, so to speak."

That's also why lists are a way to evaluate the credibility and trust of other Twitter users and sources, says Ward. "People that have been added to many lists are more likely to be judged to be credible and trustworthy if many people have chosen to take the time to add them to a list."

Looking at the number of lists a user has created is also a good way to understand what networks they belong to, and to better understand their thinking and organization, says Ward.

You can see how many times a user has been included in someone else's list by checking out their "Listed" number, Ward continues, which is located near their number of tweets and followers, as well as the number of people they're following.

The more Twitter lists that you're listed in, the more followers you will probably attract, which will add to your online influence, says Himler.

"The best way to be added to a Twitter List is to share great content and to engage with other Twitter users," says Ward. "The other way to get added to Twitter Lists is to create your own lists and share these lists with others as an example of organizing information or sharing great resources."

Bagatelle-Black particularly recommends participating in tweet chats, which are especially useful in the PR field. She's noticed that after she participates in a chat, she'll gain more followers and get added to lists. She also suggests attending networking events, since many professionals create specific lists for events or people they have met in person.

"As Twitter grows in its ability to create conversations and drive narratives, the importance of identifying, following and ultimately engaging influencers by industry or topic will grow in importance," says Himler. "Scouring Twitter lists can be very helpful in this regard."

Gracie