Are you looking for a primer on Twitter? Do you work in the human resources profession? If so, this recent presentation to the Northern California HR Association (NCHRA) is what you've been looking for.

1. NCHRA Webcast June 4, 2010 Twitter 101 For HR Professionals

2. So listen… while the deep throated warbler is yapping away take amoment tothink of Twitter just like any other tool – you will get out of it what you put into it. Agenda 2

3. Getting Started 3

4. So What Is Twitter? “What we have to do is deliver to people the best and freshest most relevant information possible. We think of Twitter not as a social network, but it's an information network. It tells people what they care about as it is happening in the world.” ~ Evan Williams, Co-Founder A “micro-blogging”platform Born from Short Message Services (SMS) Limited to 140 characters 100+ million users ~2 billion “tweets” per month 600 million search queries per day 4

5. Before You Get Started… For personal reasons, such as … Your (crazy) friends rave about it You have hobbies and outside interests You’d like to expand your network You seek a faster source of breaking news For professional reasons, such as … You’d like to meet interesting HR professionals You have best practices to share You’re seeking answers to questions Access to content, webinars, conferences, etc. 5 …. ask yourself why you’re joining?

6. Setting Up Your Account Step 1: Point your browser to http://www.twitter.com Step 2: Click on “Let me in” Step 3: Complete the four questions: “Full Name”: This is your real name and it is searchable and visible. “User Name”: This is the name people will use to follow you. Keep it short. “Password”: Private and of your choosing. “Email”: Is private but can also be searchable (if you allow it). Step 4: Agree to the terms of service Step 5: Click on “Create My Account” Step 6: Celebrate your new life purpose and stick your tongue out at naysayers (this part is optional) 6

7. Your Profile Name: The “full name” you entered upon registration Can be anything you’d like it to be Location: Can either be dynamic or static Helps to build a sense of localization and community Web: The primary non-Twitter destination of your choice Often includes websites, blogs, LinkedIn profiles, etc. Bio: You have 160 characters to include anything you’d like. Think of this as your Twitter resume 7

8. Learning the Lingo 8

9. The Basics “Tweet” Refers to a single message “Tweeted” – Can be a verb (alternate use is “Twittering”) Following/Followers When you “follow” someone, their tweets will appear in your timeline When they “follow” you, your tweets will appear in their timeline @[username] This is how you communicate directly with someone on Twitter It’s also how you see who’s been communicating with you “I had a great time @hrwest!” would be seen by: All my followers @hrwest’s account holder Anyone who searches on “hrwest”… … and you can click on “@hrwest” to go directly to thatuser’s account 9

10. The Basics (con’t) Reply Used to respond to an individual user’s tweets Simply click on the “Reply” button available after each tweet Direct Messages The private messaging platform of Twitter (not searchable) Only effective if both parties are following one another Referred to as “DM” or “DMing” someone Retweets Used when you’d like to broadcast someone’s tweet to your followers Two options: 1) You can click on the “Retweet” button available after each tweet 2) You can highlight the message and copy and paste it into your “What’s happening?” field Typically appears as – “RT @[username] [tweet]” 10

11. More Advanced Concepts Hashtags A method of tagging a concept, theme or event within a tweet Appears as – “#[hashtag]” For example, the HR West conference hashtag was “#HRWest” Each Thursday night a radio program called “#HRHappyHour” is held If clicked on, triggers a Twitter search for all tweets containing that hashtag Commonly used to drive community, affinity and collaboration Short URLs Because every character is precious, several URL shortening services have emerged Takes a very long URL and converts it into a “tiny” version Some have the ability to track how many people clicked on a particular link Common services include: Bit.ly Tinyurl.com 11

12. More Advanced Concepts (con’t) Lists A means of organizing followers Can use whatever criteria you prefer If clicked on, only shows the tweets for those users Tweetups Either spontaneous or organized gatherings Typically have an associated hashtag Follow Friday Used to advise your followers on who you admire (and often why) Leverages either “#ff” or “#followfriday” in the tweet Represents an explicit endorsement 12

13. Etiquette and Engagement 13

14. Remember – It’s About Relationships Be Authentic There is only one you so let yourself shine Attempt to achieve a balance between the personal and professional Like email, tweets can be misinterpreted without context Followers Don’t feel obliged to follow everyone who follows you Seek a balance in your following-to-follower ratio Don’t be afraid to “unfollow” someone (for any reason) Take It Offline Reach out to just one person a week and request a chat Locate fellow HR pros in your area Attend a Tweetup 14

15. Common (Yet Disputed) Etiquette Followers If someone follows you AND you follow them back Send them a DM (“direct message”) and thank them for the follow Avoid the temptation to subscribe to auto-DM services They will see everything you tweet (so keep that in mind) Retweets If one of your tweets is “RTed”, try and thank those people publicly Feel free to add color commentary to the RT Without comment this is your implied endorsement of that user and their thoughts or content Try and lift one another up to the benefit of the community 15

16. Twitter’s Most Powerful Feature - Search 16

17. Three Different Types of Search Find People Located in the top navigation bar A great way to locate specific individuals or organizations Can also invite by email, scan your address book or get suggestions The Search Bar Located on the right-side navigation Simply enter any characters and click the magnifying glass http://search.twitter.com One of the most powerful search engines online Click on “advanced search” to be presented with a litany of options Includes words, people, places, dates and attitudes 17

18. Real World HR Examples 18

19. Recruiting – An Obvious Application 19

20. Stay Current on Legislative Changes 20

21. Embrace New Industry Voices 21

22. Other Benefits to HR Professionals Seek Peer Advice and Review Monitor Vendors and Consultants Track Analysts, Pundits and Thought Leaders Identify Local, National and Virtual Events Build (and Monitor) Your Employer Brand Access Surveys, Research and Benchmarks Share Best Practices and Successes Promote Corporate Social Responsibility/Philanthropy Enjoy Free [Everything]! 22

23. Thank you! Contact Information Mark Stelzner Principal, Inflexion Advisors 415-658-7460 mark.stelzner@inflexionadvisors.com http://www.inflexionadvisors.com http://www.twitter.com/stelzner http://www.linkedin.com/in/markstelzner 23