Twitter Lists

Twitter lists let tweeters create and subscribe to, well, lists of followers (#duh), but the true benefits of lists and how to maximize the feature to its fullest potential isn't all that obvious. How does one manage friends and stay on top of the latest going-ons worldwide on Twitter, you ask? Lists are the answer, and we've got the essential tips, tricks, and resources to get the max out of Twitter's most undervalued feature.

Why Are Lists Useful?

• Two obvious reasons — First, because a list separates tweets of, say, your friend eating a hot dog for lunch, from tweets about breaking news and second, because it keeps you on top of those developments with a curated set of tweeters close to the action. Using lists to organize friends and subscribe to timely topics or particular themes are their most basic use.
• Two not-so-obvious reasons — Did you know that you can follow a user's tweets without actually "following" them on Twitter? Or, that you can keep tabs of your favorite people in one place and privatize it? Because with lists, it's all possible.

Read on for more power tweeter pro tips for lists.

Last week, Twitter announced it had revamped its suggested users list. The list, used mainly to suggest accounts to follow after a new user signs up, is also a great way to find new content. Until last week, it was just one long list of suggestions, which was tough and time consuming to weed through. However, the new list is much easier to navigate.

Suggested users are broken down into 20 different content categories like "Entertainment," "Food & Drink," and "Sports." Instead of being chosen at random, accounts included on the suggestions list are compiled with an algorithm, selecting active and engaging accounts, which will be refreshed and updated frequently.

Besides being a helpful tool for new users, it's a great way to find more interesting content or people to add to your own lists. And speaking of Twitter's relatively new lists feature, check out my must-follow list, full of geek and techy content.

One of my biggest gripes with Twitter is that I have a hard time keeping up with everyone I follow. I love to follow my favorite blog updates, but I also love to read what my friends are up to, as well as follow breaking news updates. So I'm overjoyed by the most recent news out of Twitter HQ: lists!

According to a recent Twitter blog post, the feature will be rolled out soon, and it allows you to sort the accounts you follow into groups — for me, my favorite tech bloggers, favorite comedians (Eugene Mirman, anyone?), and best friends. Lists you create are defaulted to public (though you can make them private), and you'll be able to subscribe to other users' lists — a great way to discover new users.

The blog post doesn't give a date, but they've already been testing the new feature with a small group of Twitter users, so hopefully we'll see its release in the next week or so! Do you think you'll use this feature? How will you divide the accounts you follow into lists?