Twitter 101:ONLINE 2009Phil Bradleyhttp://www.twitter.com/Philbradley@Philbradley

What is Twitter?

What does it look like?

Page Elements:

Background

‘Dashboard’

Search, lists, trends

How can librarians use Twitter?Allows you to keep in contact with colleagues, to see what they're doing, what their interests are, read their opinions/thoughts/ideas

Keep informed about developments from publishers; both in terms of what they're publishing, but also events they're running

You can promote what your library service is doing. Attract new users, offer gifts or incentives, increase awareness and have fun!

Provide instant answers and point people in the right direction

Follow links to events, keep briefed on current affairs

Use Twitter as an RSS reader to keep up to date with blog entries

Share photographs quickly and easily, especially if using a smartphone

Ask questions using polls, Re-Tweet for maximum results

Keep involved with conferences even if you can’t attend them with 3rd party sites

Add short (3 minute) audio posts using Audioboo and add in a photograph as well!

Broaden your knowledge of a subject by following the right people/organizations

Ask questions! Answer questions!

Find new people to follow using Twitter search or 3rd party sites like WeFollow

Communicate more effectivelyDiscuss events as they happenSend people Direct Messages

Follow authors

Follow dead people

And more...Networking, both professional, friend to friendNews: new books, closing early, new staffMarketing toolBroadcasting contentUpdating a website via Twitter

AdvantagesFreeFastSimpleEffectiveBrevity‘Always on’Instant information

DisadvantagesMedia hype‘Fail Whale’Brevity (what can you say in 140 characters?)Small number of usersSpam3rd party applicationsViruses

Good practices: profile

Name and avatar

Location, Address, Biography

Tweets

Other (better?) interfaces

TweetDeck

What Twitter is NOT:A time sink (unless you have time to spare)Mr S Fry’s private playgroundAbout breakfast/lunch/dinnerEgo boosting twaddle

Twitter Search

Twitter Search

Twitter Search

But wait!There’s more...