This document provides an introduction to Twitter, including what Twitter is, how it can be used, and tips for getting started. It defines key Twitter terminology like @mentions, retweets, and hashtags. It also discusses how Twitter can be used for professional purposes like brand engagement, customer service, and teaching/learning. While noting potential downfalls like expectations of 24/7 support, it emphasizes that Twitter use should be thoughtful and consider professional identity and guidelines. The goal is to help people thrive online by developing network know-how and filtering information overload.

1. Introduction to
… by @Reedyreedles
Peter Reed
Lecturer (Learning Technology)
Institute for Learning & Teaching

2. Any Active Tweeters?
Why?
What do you want from today?

3. Today
What is Twitter?
Terminology
Why use it?
Who uses it?
How can I use it?

4. What is Twitter?
Micro blog
140 Character limit
Follow / Be Followed
Additional Functionalities

5. Making Connections
Your Friends &
Family
People with
Shared Interests
People you’d like to
know

6. Static or ‘On the Go’

7. As a News Service?

8. Brand Engagement
http://www.nestivity.com/the-top-25-most-
engaged-brands-on-twitter-today/

9. Brand Engagment

10. And Customer
Services

11. And Customer
Services

12. Twitter @
Ideas?

13. Some ‘Official’ Accounts

14. Some ‘Official’ Accounts

16. Some ‘Official’ Accounts

19. Theoretical Underpinning
Chickering & Gamson’s (1999) Good Practice in Undergraduate
Education
1. Encourages student-faculty contact
2. Encourages cooperation among students
3. Encourages active learning
4. Gives prompt feedback
5. Emphasizes time on task
6. Communicates high expectations
7. Respects diverse talents and ways of learning

20. Research Suggests….
Lots of positivity around use of Twitter in edu.
“Twitter helped students feel more comfortable
asking questions they may not be comfortable
with asking in class”.
Junco (2011)

21. Research Suggests….

22. Downfalls?
So we’ve seen examples of Twitter to support
customer services and teaching & learning.
Can you see any downfalls or cautions to using
Twitter?

23. Downfalls?
Students might expect 24/7 support
What about Professional Identity of students,
individual staff and corporate accounts?

24. Recognise?

26. Think…
Don’t be scared by the downfalls.
Just think about how you use Twitter and
present yourself/department.

27. http://www.liv.ac.uk/media/livacuk/corpcom
ms/pdf/social-media-guidelines.pdf

28. 1. Attention
2. Filtering
3. Participation
4. Collaboration
5. Network know-how
(adapted from Rheingold 2012)
‘Information overload’ or ‘filter failure’?
How to Thrive Online

29. Let’s Take a Closer Look…

34. Terminology

35. @mentions
Tweet directed at a
specific individual.

36. Retweet
RT Shares someone
else’s tweet with all
of your followers

37. Retweet
MT – Modified Tweet
Shares someone else’s tweet with changes to all of
your followers

38. #hashtags
The # symbol is used to mark keywords or topics in a tweet,
which are then used to categorise / search tweets.

39. Tips for starting on Twitter
Decide how you want to use Twitter
Personally? Professionally? Combination?
Follow people
You’ll be more informed about what’s happening.
People frequently follow you back.

40. Remember, Twitter is only one way
to develop an online identity

41. Demo
follow someone
new tweet
direct messages
discover
notifications
hashtags #meded