The document discusses the emergence and growth of Twitter as a social media platform. It began in 2006 as a SMS-based service called TWTTR to share thoughts and locations but has grown significantly, with traffic increasing nearly 1000% from 2008 to 2009. The document provides guidance on how organizations can use Twitter for purposes like PR, event promotion, and customer feedback. It outlines best practices for setting up an effective Twitter profile and strategy, such as personalizing profiles, following others, engaging in conversations, and using hashtags. It also discusses how to monitor Twitter analytics and cautions against unprofessional uses of the platform.

1. To Tweet or Not To Tweet:
Are you talking to yourself?
Joanna Blackburn
Web Marketing Manager

2. What we’re going to cover
• The Emergence of Twitter
• The Basics of Getting Yourself on Twitter
• Why Tweet at All? Using Twitter in your area of work
• Maximising Twitter Power – Using the Tools
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• How NOT to Use Twitter
• Taking it forward

3. Is Twitter all it’s cracked up to be?
• Started in 2006, from a company called Odeo Group, based in
San Francisco
• Originally called TWTTR, it was an SMS short code used to
share thoughts, location and other useless information
• Initially meant to be a personal “person-to-person” service
• Today, it’s rumoured to be worth over US $250 million
KACHING!

4. The numbers don’t lie

5. Twitter Stats
• Twitter traffic has increased by a whopping 974% in 2009 from
2008 stats – and this only measures traffic on the main site, and
not those who access Twitter on mobiles or other applications
(Tweetdeck, for example)
• And it’s not just traffic. Time spent on the site was less than 10
minutes in 2008 to half an hour in 2009.
• In the US, one in five Americans tweet.
That’s a LOT of tweets!

6. And it’s not just for the ‘young-uns’

7. Enough of the history lesson. Let’s see how
you can use Twitter in your own area of work.

8. Why Tweet At All?
• Press and PR
• Promoting Events – and getting delegates to participate
• Programme/course promotion
• Getting feedback for a service or proposed change
• Advertise jobs
• Crisis Communications
• Develop relationships with stakeholders
Can you think of anything else?

9. The Basics
Personalise Your Profile Show Off Your Brand

10. Follow – and be followed
Courtesy of Hubspot

11. Watch your tone, but keep it personal
• Don’t just use Twitter as a
broadcast tool. Get some
conversations going!
• Be open with your followers –
build trust and engagement
• When appropriate, ask for
feedback to encourage repeat
visits and develop ongoing
relationships

12. BTW, u’ve only got 140 chars! :(
• But that’s not an excuse to
use text speak
• Use URL shortening tools
(bit.ly, tinyurl, etc)
• Don’t waffle (you can’t,
anyway) – be precise and to
the point
• No need to use the 140
characters if you don’t have to

13. Encourage Feedback
• People out there have great
ideas you can use
• No matter of great you think you
are, there’s always room for
improvement
• People like to know that there’s
an actual human being behind
your tweets

14. Monitor what’s being said
about or to you so you can
respond, if needed
CONVERSATION
NOT
Broadcast

15. Get a Good API to Manage Your Tweets

16. Maximise the distribution of your content

17. Your Reap What You Sow
• Follow others and encourage
others to follow you
• Engage in conversation with
those you follow
• Retweet (RT) where appropriate
• Maximise Twitter Tools
(hashtags, lists, trending topics)

18. Use the tools available

19. Monitor your Tweets
• Use Tweetburner (or
similar)
• Monitor URL performance
of click throughs – good to
see interest in a news item
or event, for example

20. Monitor your Tweets
• Tweetstats.com can quickly
graph your tweets
• Monitor frequency of tweets
• See how many retweets and
replies you make
But more importantly, have a
nosy at what competitors are
doing

21. Monitor Your Tweets

22. How NOT to Use Twitter

23. How NOT to Use Twitter
http://www.mobiadnews.com/?p=3778

24. How NOT to Use Twitter
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/jun/22/twitter-advertising

25. If you do mess up…
• Respond appropriately It’s her fault!
– and QUICKLY
• Apologise to each
individual if possible
• Remove offending
and/or inappropriate
tweets
And don’t do it again.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eusebius/3569837488/

26. Are you confused yet?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/doug88888/3843456676/

27. Yes, you’ll need to work at it to make Twitter work for you
• Like any application, you’ll only get the best out of Twitter if you
learn how to use it right
• Don’t use Twitter in isolation, ensure it’s embedded in your
marketing, communications and PR strategy
• Sit down with key colleagues and discuss whether Twitter is
right for you – and who’s going to manage it day to day
• Maximise Twitter tools (hashtags, lists, trending topics) to get
the best results
• And always, Always, ALWAYS evaluate

28. Until next time, take care of yourselves and each
other…
Thank you for listening.
Joanna Blackburn
j.m.blackburn@salford.ac.uk
0161 295 4779
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thebusybrain/2819978026/