Twitter 101

Christy Hammond

What is Twitter?

Micro-blogging Platform

140 character limit in each tweet

Originally started as a “What are you doing” social media platform (think just Facebook’s status updates), but now it’s much more

Over 6 million users

Started in 2006

Twitter Usage

Median Age: 31 19% of online adults 18-

24 20% of online adults 25-

34 Slightly more diverse &

more urban than general population

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Basic Twitter Terms

DM - direct message

RT - retweet

#topic - hashtag used for threads

@username - reply to another user

TinyURL.com - a website that shortens the URL so you can fit it in your tweet

Twitter and the News

Great for breaking news & providing unique content

US Airways crash

Mumbai attacks

Inauguration Day

Presidential Debates

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Reporters Using Twitter

Rick Sanchez - CNN anchor (link) John A. Byrne - BusinessWeek Editor-in-Chief (

link) Jim Schacter - NYT Digital Initiatives Editor (link) Julio Ojeda-Zapata - Technology Writer/Columnist

for St. Paul Pioneer Press (link) Colonel Tribune - Chicago Tribune ambassador (

link)

Example: Ron Sylvester

Court Reporter for the Wichita Eagle Tweets about jury selection, comments made

during the trial and more On Feb. 24, federal judge approved him

tweeting during a case Newspaper website inserted his Twitter feed

on his blog (What the Judge Ate for Breakfast) Follow him @rsylvester Over 800 followers

Twitter & Social Media Branding

Comcast Cares (link) Customer Service Giving a personal face (Frank Eliason) to the brand Resulted in plenty of media attention (link)

Dell (link) Offered a special holiday promotion Got over $1 million in sales

Methods: Prize Giveaways, Unique Content (pictures, stories, links), etc.

Top 40 Brands on Twitter (link)

Personal Branding

Make connections with people in your field

Show that you know your stuff

Point you to articles and blog posts you wouldn’t have found otherwise

Gives you an online presence (i.e. if a prospective employee googles you)

Sports & Twitter

Athletes: Shaquille O’Neal, Lance Armstrong, Natalie Gulbis

Teams: Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Suns, San Diego Chargers, SF Giants

Leagues: PGA, IndyCar Schools: University of Iowa, University of

Michigan Super Bowl Twitter Usage (link)

How to Use Twitter Effectively

Focus on quality, not quantity Promote your blog posts, ideas Interact (most important)

Ask Questions Retweet other people’s interesting tweets Share links to articles & blog posts

Don’t spam people or use auto DM feature Don’t share too much personal info (avoid

stating what you had for breakfast, etc.)

Why should you tweet?

If you want to go into a communications career, knowing social media is becoming increasingly important.

Can develop your personal brandMakes you practice writing conciselyOpens your eyes to new topics &

reading materials

How do I get started?

Go to Twitter.com

Sign up for an account

Create a bio, upload an avatar, and select a background

Start tweeting

After you have some tweets up, start following people

How do I know who to follow?

Search Twitter for names or brandsUse directories like Twellow.com to find

users with similar interests & hobbies (ie. CNN, hockey, social media, etc.)

50 people to follow to help with your job search

You can follow me @ behindthejersey