This document provides guidance for newsrooms and reporters on using social media platforms like Twitter. It outlines several key reasons for engagement including reaching new audiences, engaging current audiences, expanding brands, and owning brands. Specific guidance is given for using Twitter, including tweeting content beyond just headlines, using hashtags to build communities, shortening URLs, mentioning others, and updating profiles. Reporters are encouraged to have fun, tweet often, and follow how their content spreads in order to maximize audience and engagement.

1. Rosa Trieu for Truthdig
Twitter: @rosatrieu
twitter and news engagement

2. 4 Reasons why your news room should
actively use social media
Reach new audiences
Engage your audience
Expand your brand
Own your brand
source: http://slidesha.re/15zeQRZ

3. 6 Reasons why your reporters and staff
should use social media
Bring attention and traffic to
your work
Follow up on your story
Build your brand
Talk to people
Find new ideas, trends,
sources
Connect with readers and
viewers source: http://slidesha.re/15zeQRZ

4. • What am I supposed to “tweet”
about?
details about
lunch
love for
Kardashians
rants

5. Think of Twitter as your
own publishing platform

6. Tweet your content, but go
beyond the headline
• Point out things
readers care about

7. Twitter is another chance to rewrite
your headline and make it go viral
“You want a strong ‘clicky’ headline that entices readers: a burning
question, a big secret, a thing-you-need-to-click-on-this-headline-to-
find out. But it should accurately reflect the ideas in the piece, or the
readers will be annoyed.” – Sara Wilson, a senior editor for the Huffington Post
It doesn’t even have to be a headline; you can
grab an interesting, attention-grabbing nugget
from the story, or a question that will make
readers want to click and learn more.

8. 1. Show off the drama

9. 2. Highlight numbers,
data, weird stuff

10. 3.Tweet what you’re reading, your
beat, what you’re working on
• ...even if that means RT (retweeting) your
competitors.

11. 4. Diversify your Tweets
with multimedia

12. Or something profound

13. Use or create #hashtags to
build a community
•#tcdisrupt
•#wjchat
•#emmys

14. Shorten your URLs
• Use bit.ly or goo.gl or other 3rd party
platforms to track your Tweets and get reports
long links are less attractive
and take up space
short links are cleaner AND
can be tracked

15. How do I talk to people on
Twitter?

16. Follow people by subscribing to
lists

17. Or create your own list
(we can help you create a list!)

18. Talk to people directly by
mentioning them with @
• Now your tweet
will be seen by
everyone who
follows you.
watch how other
people will join in
the conversation
too

19. Is anyone even listening?
(yes!)

20. What you can do now...

21. Update your Twitter bio
and @handle
Include your association with Truthdig, something
unique/interesting about you, and keep your handle
simple

22. Tweet.And Tweet often.

23. Use a program like TweetDeck to
organize your Twitter the way you’d like

24. Attribute your source using
“via/by/ht @ source”

25. Follow your content as
it travels
• Look out for reach
• and responses

26. Have FUN!

27. Want more?
• Twitter makeover
• Advanced tools: HootSuite,Tweetdeck
• How do I follow what’s trending? How
do I make a list? How to follow my
beat?
• I hate Twitter, you twatter
• I am interested in other social media
platforms
Want help? We’re here!
Contact Rosa at rosa.trieu@gmail.com