HOW TO

• Simple system that allows for 140 character posts (text + links)

• Started in 2006 (Wikipedia)

• Followers; Following

• Public posts; direct messages (only for those following you)

• Been described as status updates on Facebook

• 1,382% growth, 7 million unique US visitors (Mashable,3/16/09)

• 4489 local users - 31% increase over Mar. (Mastermaq, 5/5/09)

• The Colbert Report (4/3/09) Co-founder Biz Stone calls Twitter the

messaging service we didn't know we needed until we had it. (7:09)

• What do people use Twitter for? #naitinservice

WHAT IS TWITTER?

• Go to www.twitter.com

• Click Get Started – Join!

• Insert info & include full name

• User name can be whatever you choose

• Create your profile

GETTING STARTED

• Go to Settings in top right corner

• Account: Bio (Be as descriptive as possible – be personal even if

using for business), URL (blog, Flickr acct, YouTube, website),

location

• Don’t protect tweets (public forum, defeats the purpose)

• Devices: Get direct messages (DM) sent to text

• Notices: Emails sent for DM and new followers

• Picture: Upload a profile pic (Max size of 700k. JPG, GIF, PNG)

• Design: Template or other image

GETTING STARTED cont.

• @: To send a public response to a user ex. @dibegin

• RT: Retweet or reposting information ex. RT @NAIT Convocation is

this weekend…

• Twoosh: Using up exactly 140 characters

• Hashtag: Keyword with # preceding it ex. #yeg #followfriday

• Use of TW

• Origin of the tweet

• Trending

LINGO AND ORIENTATION

ONLINE

• Twellow.com

• WeFollow.com

• TwitterLocal.net

• Search.Twitter.com (including keywords/hashtags)

• Find People (top right)

• Follow people following others you’re interested in

• Use hashtags

OFFLINE

• Tweetups + social media meetups

GET TO KNOW PEOPLE

• Don’t follow everyone

• Ratio of followers to following

• Location

• Business vs. personal profile

• Profile picture

• # of tweets

• @ replies to users

• Content within tweets

• Legitimacy of account (especially with high profile people)

SHOULD YOU FOLLOW BACK WHEN OTHERS FOLLOW YOU

• Tweetburner.com (URL shortener)

• 11 best url shortening services (TopRank blog, 1/8/2009)

• Twitpic.com (pictures)

• Twiddeo.com, 12Seconds.tv (video)

• Twhirl.org (desktop application)

• 140 Twitter tools (Mashable, 5/24/08)

• EverythingTwitter.com

• RSS feed/widget into Facebook, FriendFeed, blog

• Smartphones

TOOLS

• jdarrah @dibegin twitter tip(s): don't misspel to muchh - credbility suffrs; tweet

regularly, don't overload; share meaningful ideas, some personal

• DebraWard @dibegin Don't block your updates/profile, include bio & geo

location. Use a picture (of some sort). Twitter is conversation join in!

• akomuzikera @dibegin if you're gonna be using twitter, don't grow a much bigger

head like ashton kutcher #yeg

• JonSymons @dibegin my tip: going to tweetups and meeting twitterers in person

makes it way interesting to use

• alexismac @dibegin behave on twitter like you would in person. if ur a jerk,

stay a jerk. if ur kind, be kind, & don't expect instant mktg #yeg

• bruceclarke @dibegin Use search to find people Tweeting items of

interest to you, review their Tweets and then follow if you like what

you see.

ADVICE FROM TWEETERS

Follow one anotherwww.twitter.com/naitwww.twitter.com/dibeginwww.nait.ca/socialmedia