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What is Twitter?. Real-time information network News, sports, entertainment, shopping, etc. Personalized “feeds” User-selected content Only information from who you “follow”. What is Twitter?. What is a Tweet?. Burst of information 140 characters or less Opinions, links, photos, videos
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What is Twitter? • Real-time information network • News, sports, entertainment, shopping, etc. • Personalized “feeds” • User-selected content • Only information from who you “follow”
What is a Tweet? • Burst of information • 140 characters or less • Opinions, links, photos, videos • Usually publicly visible • Other users subscribe (“follow”) • Tweets displayed in chronological order on “timeline”
Why do people use it? • News • Opinions (giving and receiving) • Interacting with friends, celebrities, legislators, public figures • Most say: “to stay informed” • 1/3 of adults under 30 get news from social media (34% TV, 13% print)
Why do people use it? News – Before everyone else
Why do people use it? News – Before everyone else
Why do people use it? Organizing/Grassroots
Why do people use it? The most popular tweet ever:
Egypt • Protests organized on Twitter • Over 200,000 protestors:
Egypt • 1 week before: 2,300 tweets/day • Next week: 230,000/ day • Internet blocked 4 days later • 18 days after first tweet: Mubarak resigns
Terminology • Retweet (RT): Sharing someone else’s tweet with own followers. More = further reach. • Hashtag (#): Symbol in front of word or phrase. Identifies subject matter. • Trending: When a particular hashtag is being used frequently, that topic is “trending”
Terminology • Handle (@): Username, symbol in front. GAO = @ABAGrassroots • Direct Message (DM): Between individuals, not public (except for mistakes) • Modified Tweet (MT): Same as retweet, but original content is edited • Hat Tip (h/t): Acknowledge originator of content
Advocacy • News/Information: “Inside the beltway,” articles, charts, RT’s, etc. • Education on ABA issues/legislation: Letters, articles, websites, facts, other groups/tweets, etc. • Increasing issue relevance: using hashtags, joining other groups, live tweeting, Q&A, etc.
Advocacy • Driving constituents to take action: write letters, phone calls, op-eds, tweet & retweet • Communicating directly with legislators: 100% in Senate, 90% House. Mentions, retweets, etc. (e.g., ABA Day) • Internal information: Keeping track of ABA issues and staying on top of current issues
Best Practices • Length: Leave room for RT, comments and handle; Under 100 = 17% higher • Frequency: 3-7 per day; relevant, but not overwhelming • Timing: 11AM-6PM; FB: weekends & lunch, Twitter: mid-week and leaving work; Hootsuite • Pictures: More RT’s • Stay Current: Late= Irrelevant
Best Practices • Voice: Professional, but human; Talk with, not at; NO: OMG, <3, , foul language, harsh words; spelling and grammar important (rare exceptions) • Interacting: Respond to all questions; interact with followers & other organizations; RT’s are gold • What NOT to Do:
What NOTTo Do “I thought I was posting on my personal account!”
What NOTTo Do Insensitive/Inappropriate:
The Future • Be on the look out for relevant content: articles, charts, quotes, facts, websites, pictures, etc. • Let us know when an issue is “hot” or when we should stay away • Future advocacy around single issue: coordinated effort with traditional advocacy, grassroots and social media