Introduction to Twitter for rheumatologists, by Dr. Christopher Collins, MD

1. Twitter Basics
Christopher Collins, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Georgetown University Medical School
Program Director, Division of Rheumatology
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
@RheumPearls

2. Disclosures
• None (I’m not that important)

3. A Brief History
of Twitter
• Created in 2006
• Rapidly gained worldwide popularity, with over
1 billion registered users as of 2014 (284 million
monthly active, 220 million from outside USA)
• 500 million Tweets are sent per day
• 46% of Twitter users Tweet at least once in a
day
http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/twitter-statistics-2012_b18914

4. “Twitter is a big cocktail party that
you are dropping in on from time
to time to listen to what people are
saying and join in.”
- Vineet Arora (@FutureDocs)
Top Twitter Myths & Tips, FutureDocs Blog
http://futuredocsblog.com/top-twitter-myths-tips/
Twitter in a nutshell

5. Twitter Terminology
Twitter terminology
Twitter isn't exactly a foreign language, but it
may seem that way to newcomers. Here's
some basic terminology you'll need to know:
Username: Everyone on the service has a unique
username. In order to talk to someone on Twitter, you
have to address them by their username, preceded by an
@ symbol. ex. @RheumPearls

6. Twitter Terminology
Tweet: A public message posted on Twitter. Your message
can be just text or include links, videos, or photos. ex.
"She tweeted about an interesting abstract she saw at the
ACR.“
Retweet: When you repost a message from someone
else, you're retweeting it. Usually these messages are
preceded by RT.

7. Twitter Terminology
Reply: If you want to reply to someone who has posted
an update on Twitter, just start your message with
@username to direct it at them. Remember, though: this
isn't a private conversation!
Direct Message: In addition to the public tweets, you can
also send private direct messages to anyone who follows
you (though they won't be able to message you back
unless you also follow them).

8. Twitter Terminology
Hashtag: Words after a # symbol are hashtags, which can
be used to track conversations or topics on Twitter. You
can easily search for hashtags to find information or see
which hashtags are trending.
Follow: You follow people on Twitter to see their updates
(similar to friending someone on Facebook), but in this
case you don't need their permission unless their Twitter
account is set to private.

9. Step 1: go to Twitter
http://www.twitter.com

10. Step 2: choose a name
(@something)

11. But what name?

12. • For the narcissist in us all
• Hope no one of the other billion users
has the same name as you
Do you chose your
own name?

13. • How about something that reflects what
you do are who you are professionally?
…or a cool moniker?

14. • Sell that brand!
Representing an
organization or brand?

15. • What I say matters, dammit!
…or do you provide
a service?

16. Some suggestions
As of today, these usernames are
still “up for grabs”
@rheumdoctor
@rheum_doctor
@drrheum
@drarthritis
@doctorrheum
@doctor_rheum
@doc_rheum
@lupus_doc
@lupusdoctor
@lupus_doctor
@vasculitis_md
@vasculitismd
@vasculitisdoc
@vasculitis_doc
@sclerodermadoc
@scleroderma_doc
@rheumproject
@iheartrheum
@iheartfibro
@iheartlupus
@itreatRA
@rheumalert
@rheum_educator
@rheumweb
@arthritis_md
@arthritisfixer
@arthritis_fixer
@lupusfixer
@rheumfixer
@rheum_fixer
@rheum_info
@rheumknow
@rheumknowledge
@rheum_knowledge
@rheumteacher
@rheum_teacher
@joint_doc
@joint_md
@joint_fixer

17. Please no
cybersquatting
Actually hard to do…
• Only one name per
email account allowed

18. The “tweet box”
Composing a tweet

19. Composing a tweet
Remember, you only
have 140 characters!
Characters remaining

20. Hashtags!
Composing a tweet

21. Twitter automatically shortens any url (web-link)
to 22 characters. This will reflected in the
remaining character count.
Composing a tweet

22. Click here and you’re done!
Composing a tweet

23. Re-tweeting
If it bears repeating…

24. Favorite
So you can find it later…
Also serves as a “like” button…

25. The conversation
Start a dialogue

26. The conversation

27. Follow your interests

28. Create lists
• Organize your Twitter followers
• Organize followers based on any grouping method you want.
For example, rheum educators, rheum movers and shakers,
etc.
• Never miss a tweet
• Your Twitter feed can sometimes seem like an endless pit of
updates, because quite frankly, it is.
• Gain potential new followers
• Whenever you add someone new to a public list, they will
get a notification letting them know you have done so.

29. Twitter clients
• Many, many, many
to choose from
• Tweetbot
• Tweetdeck
• Hootsuite
• Buffer

30. How to attract
followers
Be famous!
59 million followers 16 million followers 49 million followers

31. Follow lots and lots of people
(Some of them are bound to follow you back)
How to attract
followers

32. Be the world’s most
INTERESTING
rheumatologist!
• Join a chat
• Post a link
• Spout an opinion
• Tag it with a hashtag!
How to attract
followers

33. Class dismissed