Let's be honest - in this very busy and public world of social networking, sometimes you simply just don't want to share specific thoughts with the rest of the world. Maybe you want to send someone your email address or inform a business of a minor complaint, but you don't want to make your real-life and internet friends aware. The best way to approach personal communication is through direct messaging on Twitter.

When previously direct messaging on Twitter, you could only privately contact another user who also followed you back. Can you imagine how limiting this could be? You could only reach out to people who wanted to hear your thoughts regularly. In fact, you'd need to ask them via a public Tweet to follow you, just so that you could send them a direct message. 

Everything just got much easier.

Twitter just announced changes to its direct messaging system to make communicating between users easier than before. Now, not only can you direct message a group of people, but you can also send a direct message to a user who doesn't follow you, pending they allow for this function.

So, if you find yourself wanting to share your email address for networking, you don't need to ask awkwardly for the person you're sharing it with to follow you. Simply send them a message and share! Similarly, if you want to let a business know about a problem, but don't choose to complain on social media, you can send a brief direct message instead of a public Tweet.

What you need to know about direct messaging on Twitter:

1. Feel free to send a private message to anyone who follows you on Twitter.
2. Now, you can also message Twitter users - regardless of whether or not they currently follow you - if they elected to receive direct messages from anyone.
3. If you wish to receive direct messages on Twitter from any user, you can allow for it on the Security and Privacy page. Scroll to the bottom of the page and check off the box that says "Receive Direct Messages from anyone."
4. Don't worry about anyone you've blocked sending you a direct message. If you've blocked a user, they won't be able to contact you. Similarly, if you chose to block a user after you've begun receiving messages from then, it will restrict their access to contact you.
5. If you have a private account, but would still like to receive messages from all users, you can! Simply activate the option on the Security and Privacy page, and anyone will be able to send you a message. This does not mean that they will have access to your private Tweets, simply that they will be able to contact you via a direct message. 
6. If you delete a direct message, it will disappear from your account (though may still be visible to the other user). Deleting a direct message from a user whom you don't follow will disallow them from continuing to message you.
7. Want to stop a user from contacting you in any form? Simply block them on Twitter. Even if you've enabled the "Receive messages from anyone" option, a blocked user will not be able to contact you.
8. If you cannot see your direct messages, there may be a problem with your account. First, Twitter limits direct messages to 1,000 a day. Once the limit is reached, you'll temporarily be unable to send more messages until the next day. Another reason that you might not see messages is if Twitter has them flagged as spam. This will usually only happen if you're sending the same link numerous times to different accounts within a short period of time.
9. If your account is sending messages to users without your having done so, something is definitely wrong. This usually indicates a user's account has been compromised. It's extremely important to secure your account right away. 

 

If you'd like to receive messages from all Twitter users, don't forget to change your settings to "Receive messages from anyone." If you're trying to contact other users or businesses via direct messaging on Twitter and are unable to do so, it's time to spread the word! Send them a Tweet to remind them of this new functionality. They might not even know it exists!