Twitter can be an efficient way for scientists and journals to share information, with benefits like engaging specialists, promoting vetted research, and finding interested users, though content should be posted strategically at peak times and in a way that maintains scientific integrity and avoids overt marketing. Proper use of applications and a personal touch can help journals effectively distribute content and establish networks with the scientific Twitter community.

2. “I find Twitter to be the
most efficient method to
consume information.”
Bob Sumner, Editorial Coordinator, Clinical Chemistry
@SumnerBob

4. Consuming
information from
twitter is ideal on
mobile devices

5. Social Network
(where people comment about stuff)
Distribution Network
(where people get stuff)

6. Source: http://networkedblogs.com/nFjYa

7. Who is on Twitter?
• Not just people posting Rex Grossman pics
• Scientists, specialists and technicians of all
disciplines
• Opinion leaders, newsmakers, influential
voices
• (no Rex Grossman)

8. Scientists on Twitter
• Network of thousands
• All eager to share data, information
• Willing to collaborate
• Looking to expand on Twitter’s possibilities

9. Source: http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/07/twitter-library-field-work-combined.html

12. Journal Content = Perfect for Twitter
• Up-to-date, legitimate content that is critical
for specialists
• Research is often vetted for accuracy
• Collaboration is essential for journal
production, same for twitter

13. Honest Marketing?
• Promoting material from your publication
without resorting to marketing tropes
• Using vetted scientific material from your
journal to promote your journal
• Finding interested users, engaging them
without being pushy (they will notice)

16. Tips on posting material
• Utilize posting applications:
– Hootsuite application
• Post to/monitor multiple platforms
• URL shrinking/tracking
• Post scheduling
• Post titles of journal papers with truncated link to
abstract or pdf
– If title is >140 characters, use abbreviations or running title
• Emphasize free content in posts
• Maintain journal’s scientific integrity
– Avoid controversial material/language, unless in debate
format
– All material posted will be associated with your brand

17. Timing
• When should you post your material?
– Peak usage time period usually after work
hours, but there are exceptions
• How often should you post it?
– More than once?
– Dedicated staff member?

18. Twitter distribution method
Emphasizing free content
Reposting material from
members
Posting material relevant to
journal readers

19. Personal Touch
• Update your Twitter avatar routinely
• Answer reader questions and encourage
feedback
• Always provide relevant sources for found
material
• Don’t make the feeds look automated. People
will notice!

20. Even if the rest of pro sports hasn't realized it
yet, this is what's next. The team injects itself
into fans' mornings and afternoons and
evenings and off-days with small blasts of
personality. (The Kings, for example, have gone
from less than 800 Twitter mentions a day to
over 6,000.)
Source: http://deadspin.com/5910962/the-
spunky-genius-of-twitters-lakings-the-
second+biggest-surprise-of-the-playoffs

21. Establish a network of scientists by
following them
• Provides access to the valuable opinions of
scientists
• Following will alert these scientists of your feed’s
existence, encourages a follow back
• The people you follow become a source of
content when you have exhausted all resources
• Many of your journal’s authors and contributors
are on Twitter, be sure to add them to this
network

22. I bet you’re all wondering, what sorts of
answers did I get for the questions I
tweeted above? How many people
inundated me with answers, echoing out
across the Twitterverse? Well, I’ll tell you:
Zero.
http://www.benchfly.com/blog/science-in-the-twitterverse/

23. “We the people don’t want promotions in social
media. It’s not as if we signed up for social
media sites so that we could hang out with
software companies and hotel chains and T-
shirt purveyors and ham merchants. We signed
up to connect with each other, not with
commerce.”
-Jay Baer
http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-research-2/new-research-
americans-hate-social-media-promotions/

24. Wither Facebook?
Pros Cons
• Audience is • Edgerank distributes
exponentially larger posts to fans based
than Twitter on a complicated
• More clicks from algorithim, every one
Facebook than of your fans will not
Twitter see your posts
• Larger character • Doesn’t follow the
posting limits same Honest
Marketing principles

25. Don’t be discouraged by low numbers
• You are contributing to the scientific dialogue

26. Good luck!
• bsumner@aacc.org
• 202-420-6115
• @SumnerBob
• @Clin_Chem_AACC