A bare-bones, basic look at Twitter and how students can begin to use it effectively in their transition from professional students to professional public relations practitioners... advertisers... news reporters... photographers...
2. What is Twitter? A “micro-blogging” site… which literally means each “tweet” is a miniature blog post. A way to express yourself personally: Professionally:
5. What is Twitter? You can see what’s going on in the world: Or in the region:
6. Twitter Glossary “@”: This symbol goes in front of a name. If you use it, it will show up in the “@yourname” section of the person referenced. (e.g. @shmelanie hey!) would show up in this section: Use this to talk to someone directly or make it a link for other people to connect with them.
7. Twitter Glossary “#”:the hashtag mark. Used in ongoing “Twitter Chats” Although some hashtag conversations may not be “active,” this tool is helpful for following conferences, events, etc., that you are unable to attend. It is a way of marking your tweets, sort of like a filing cabinet. It makes it easier for you to find things, as well as other people. Reference to Chicago Home and Housewares Conference Reference to a scheduled “Twitter Chat” (#internchat) “Filing” Tweet into “PRSSA” category on Twitter
8. Twitter Glossary Direct Message: Use to send short, 140-character messages to a single person Use when the information is personal or could be considered pointless in an “@name” Tweet[e.g. “@shmelanie, when are we going to go to the par-tay later?] Can only be sent to people who are following you.
9. Twitter Glossary Follow: The Tweets of people you follow will show up on your homepage. Everyone can see who you follow.So… be careful.This can be positive or negative for you. The people you follow are notified when you follow them. You can “unfollow” peopleat any time.
10. Twitter Glossary “Retweet” or “RT” : Used to share information received through a third-party Common uses: Sharing news articles Sharing amusing tweets Replying to a comment to put it into context It’s like a Tweet citation; you give credit to the person who posted it originally
11. Twitter Glossary Short URL: A way to condense long URLs into a smaller format. Helpful because you only have 140 characters total. Can use sites like: http://www.bit.ly http://www.hootsuite.com http://www.tiny.cc Use these whenever linking. Turnshttp://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=searching+for+the+mega+shark&aq=0&aqi=g3&aql=&oq=searching+for+the+me into http://bit.ly/cSYDPy
12. Getting Signed Up Select a username. Most recommend simple first/last name combo. Can be changed later if necessary. Upload a photo. Helps put a face to a name and looks professional. Insert Location & Bio: People in your area can find you based onyour bio andyour location.
13. Where to Start? We Follow:http://www.wefollow.com Allows you to search and add celebrities (guilty pleasure) as well as industry leaders. Twellow:http://www.twellow.com The “Twitter Yellow Pages” searches based on biography and location. Search your interests. UWO Journalism Blog Will have updated list of relevant Tweeters for each Journalism industry The “followers” and “following” lists. Sort of like Amazon.com’s recommended list… “if you liked so-and-so, you may like them…” Can be hit and miss. ReTweets and Follow Friday. You can add people who frequently get “RT’d” as well as people recommended in a “Follow Friday”
14. Twitter Etiquette Avoid! Posting derogatory comments Poignant grammar mistakes Extensive personal conversations (use Direct Messages) Excessive “me-tweets” (e.g. what you ate for breakfast, the fact you’re still tired even though you napped, how annoyed you are at the fact you have to go to work) Have a “protected” tweet default Do! Retweet valuable info Thank people for retweeting your info Let your personality show Engage with others Participate in Twitter chats Update more than once a week
