This document provides an overview of Twitter, including what it is, common terminology used on the platform, how to set up an account and profile, finding people to follow, getting followers, best words to use in tweets, different uses for Twitter, how newspapers like the North County Times use it, and how journalists can utilize Twitter in their work. The key points are that Twitter allows for quick communication through short messages, important elements include your username, profile, followers, and who you follow, and it can be used for networking, news aggregation, questions and answers, and more.

1. North County Times
It's time to Twitter!

2. What is Twitter? Twitter Terminology
● Messages = updates = Tweets
● Feed = your stream of messages
● Twitter is a service for ● Followers = people who read
people to communicate your tweets
● Following = people whose
through the exchange of Tweets I read
messages normally ● Profile = your public page (www.
limited to 140 characters twitter.com/username)
in length. ● RT = retweet, sharing someone
else's message
● MT = sharing someone's
● Instant updates from message after modifying it
friends, industry experts ● hashtag = # symbol used to
and celebrities and what's group Tweets, or internal
dialogue
happening around the ● DM = direct, private message
world. shared between two people
● @ = symbol before a user's
name
● d username = how to send a
DM

3. Twitter Basics
● Choosing a username: A good username is the same, or similar to, your
own name. If users have already claimed those names, try adding an
adjective or descriptor, such as @handsomejohn or @johntheterrible. If
you prefer for people not to know who you are, you can choose a name
that's a bit more generic. (Most NCT accounts have NCT in them) Your
Twitter name has power and influence on search engine optimization
(SEO), which translates to how close to the top of a search results list you
appear in a search engine such as Yahoo! or Google. Limited to 15
characters.
● Settings:Where you choose the background of your page (theme), upload
an avatar (photo), choose privacy settings, set up your mobile device,
notifications, Facebook options and check what apps have access to your
account.
● Profile:Short biography, 160 characters, that describes you and what you
do. This is also crawled by search engines. It can include links.

4. Finding People to Getting Followers
Follow
● Be authentic. Post things you
● Use Twitter's "suggested would enjoy reading. Include
follower feature. links.
● Browse categories of interest ● RT other people. It's like paying
and follow their suggestions. a compliment.
(You can always unfollow later) ● Register in wefollow.com
● Import friends from other directory
services like email accounts, ● Post a good photo, username
Facebook, YouTube, etc. and bio so people know who you
● Check lists of people you follow are.
● Use services like wefollow.com. ● Interact with others. Be
tweepsearch.com, justtweetit. engaging. Answer questions, be
com, followerhub.com, helpful.
famoustext.com ● Create lists and publicize them.
● Check recommendations on ● Participate in relevant chats.
"Follow Friday" ● Create "retweetable" updates -
short, short links, use top 20
words...

5. Words to Tweet By
20 Most RT-able words 20 Least RT-able words
● You ● Game, Watching
● Twitter ● Going
● Please, Help ● Haha, Lol
● Retweet, Please Retweet ● But
● Post ● Work
● Blog ● Home
● Social ● Night, Bed, Sleep
● Free ● Well
● Media, Social Media ● Gonna
● Great ● Hey
● 10 ● Tomorrow
● Follow ● Tired
● How to ● Some
● Top ● Back
● Blog Post, New Blog Post ● Bored
● Check Out ● Listening

6. Uses for Twitter
Options are infinite! It's still such a new technology people
are still discovering ways to use it.
● Keep in touch with people in your industry and friends
● News aggregator, or news service
● Exchange ideas with like-minded individuals
● Keep tabs on events via hashtags #ona11
● Monitor developments in breaking news
● Ask questions
● Conduct polls, share video and photos
● Search for information on breaking news events

7. How the NCT uses Twitter
● We push our headlines
● Follow locals and other news outlets
● Interact with followers for news tips,
customer service and story ledes
● To follow sporting events, promote
coverage through widgets

8. Journalists and Twitter
● Keep up with chatter (Trending Topics)
● Solicit sources (must form relationships first!)
● Search for sources, unfolding events, people checking in at
locations, tweeting about meetings, etc. (Tweetbeep)
● Give readers insight into your work, or your beat
● Keep tabs on official sources (@darrelissa)
● Other uses? Storify, Networking, Muckrack.com
● TwitterStories.com