Because of its simplicity, Twitter has great potential for many different uses and applications. With a little creativity, the possibilities are nearly endless.

A recent survey out of Norway sheds some light on that, showing that tweeting journalists use the service in multiple ways – at least in that country:

• Research (30 percent)
• Private use (29 percent)
• Getting story ideas (23 percent)
• Promotion and branding (17 percent)
• Building network with other journalists (15 percent)
• Get in contact with sources and do interviews (13 percent)
• Get feedback from readers (12 percent)

This list is far from exhaustive. Twitter can also be used to actually cover events, live tweeting from them or documenting a question and answer.

There are many other possibilities as well for creative uses and team projects, such as shared accounts and reaching out to a designated target audience. Twitter can also be used as a publishing platform for headlines and breaking news.

In the end, it oftentimes depends on the individual journalist or organization and what they seek to accomplish. They may elect for a combination of the above, and that’s OK. The many uses help make the service special, and if you can think of a creative one, you’re likely to set yourself apart.