An explanation of some practical applications of @mentions and @replies for journalists just starting out with Twitter

1. Twitter @mentions
and @replies
Uses and strategies

2. To recap:
@mentions = Conversations, sourcing
Including @username in a tweet is the proper way to:
1) Have a conversation with
someone
Yes, these “conversations” are public – there is
a different way to send private messages if you
need to
2) Give credit to your source
Always cite your sources when you can – it’s
journalistically ethical and good Twitter
etiquette
3) Talk about or reference
someone/something
Doing this “pings” the person you’re talking
about, so they are more likely to see your
tweet

3. Make sure you’re checking to see who’s
@mentioned you!

4. Remember:
One nuance of @mentions
Although conversations with @mentions are public and will be seen on your public
profile, they don’t necessarily show up in your followers’ streams.
Two cases:
2)Your tweet begins with @username*
This tweet will only appear in the timeline of someone who follows both you and the
person you’re talking to.
2) Your tweet includes @username somewhere other than the beginning
This tweet will appear in the timeline of anyone who follows you, regardless of
whether they follow the person you’re talking to.
* If you want to begin your tweet with @username but
still want it to show up in everyone’s stream, use
.@username instead.

5. @mentions can serve as…
• A broadcast tool
improve how you distribute information
• A reporting tool
get in touch with sources
• A networking tool
make connections, develop potential sources
We’ll go through examples of
each of these applications

6. @mentions as a broadcast tool
Tweet out your story and @mention your sources or subjects. They may RT you
and pass your story along to their followers. Everyone loves to be a celebrity!

7. How do I find their Twitter names?
Use Twitter’s search bar to search for people and organizations by name. Click on
“people” to expand the user results.
Use the photo, name and bio to help
determine which result is the person you’re
looking for.
Over time you’ll start to know the Twitter names of some of your key contacts by
heart, just like a phone number.

8. @mentions as a reporting tool
Use @mentions to contact information sources and set up interviews.
If you find someone on
Twitter you want to interview
Step 1: @mention
potential subject to
request interview
Step 2: After a few @mention exchanges, you will likely move the conversation to
“DM” (direct message) to exchange contact details in private

9. Direct Message = Private conversation
DM = Direct Message
Like email, only you and the recipient see a message sent over DM
You can only DM a user
who follows you
Send your DM from
the person’s profile
or from your
messages screen.
The messages screen
is also where you go
to check your DMs.

10. @mentions as a networking tool
Use @mentions to connect with thought leaders and information sources.
Respond to things they say and RT things they share to get on their radar.
Remember, every time you @mention someone, they get pinged. It’s like chatting
someone up at a conference and handing out your business card.
The more you engage, the more other people will pay attention to you, and the
benefits of that are:
-You become part of the conversation – and gain a greater understanding of what
the people who matter are talking about
-You gain followers – the more people who know you’re there, the more people
have a chance to follow you
-You gain social capital – if you’re doing a good job, the more people you engage
with, the more you’ll start to be seen as a thought leader yourself

11. To recap:
Retweet= Forwarding a tweet
RT = Retweet
It means you’re forwarding someone else’s tweet to your followers. You might do this
if their tweet was: informative, interesting, funny, useful.
You can add your own commentary to the front of the tweet and make small tweaks to
conserve characters, but do not substantially alter the content of the original tweet.

12. Remember:
Two RT variations
1) The Built-in RT
Twitter lets you push the
original tweet, from its original
sender, to your followers.
Put your cursor over any
tweet to see this option.
2) The MT (Modified Retweet)
Used when you have made
substantive changes to the
original tweet, usually
because it was too long.