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Twitter basics

Learn how to use Twitter effectively, gain followers, and create engaging tweets for your personal or organizational profile. Get hands-on assistance from expert Andy Bechtel.

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Twitter basics

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  1. Twitter basics Andy Bechtel, associate professorSchool of Media and Journalism editdesk.wordpress.com

  2. Our plan for today • How to get started on Twitter • How to get followers and what to tweet about • Individual help at end of our session

  3. What is Twitter? • A free social networking site • Sometimes called a micro-blogging site • Has about 300 million active users worldwide • Uses a timeline approach • Let’s take a look: www.twitter.com

  4. How to get started • Consider how you or your organization will use Twitter. What’s your objective? • Consider your username. • Maximum of 15 characters, but aim for shorter. • Consider something memorable and unique. • Remember that you can change your username later if you need to. • Create an account. • Use a profile picture.

  5. How Twitter works • People can follow you on Twitter. When you send a message, they will see that message, known as a tweet. • You can follow others on Twitter. Follow people and organizations who interest you. • A Twitter feed is like a personalized list of headlines or a news wire service.

  6. More about how it works • A tweet may be up to 140 characters in length. • People can forward, or retweet, a tweet that they think is interesting. That can get your message spread in a hurry.

  7. Following on Twitter • Sources of information relevant to you and your colleagues. • See who is following you. Consider following them back. • Think of people you follow as your scouts — and vice versa. • It’s OK to unfollow.

  8. How to get followers • Offer valuable information. • Include links. • Reply to followers when they ask questions. • Publicize your Twitter feed on your website, blog, business cards, LinkedIn page, etc.

  9. UNC on Twitter • https://twitter.com/UNC • https://twitter.com/EmployeeForum • https://twitter.com/ChancellorFolt • https://twitter.com/TarHeelProvost • https://twitter.com/UNCFacGov • https://twitter.com/JoMCParkLib

  10. Fun follows • https://twitter.com/UNCMemes • https://twitter.com/NCcollection • https://twitter.com/DaggumRoy • https://twitter.com/UNCJschoolProbs

  11. What to tweet about • Breaking news, announcements, events • News about your academic area or unit • Job listings • Scenes from daily life • Personal observations • Important: Keep it professional.

  12. Effective tweets • Have a personal touch. Be conversational. • Explain how information will affect your followers. • Use a key detail. • Use a number. • Use abbreviations. • Use a photo, map or chart.

  13. Tweet vs. news headline On July 1, the sales tax in L.A. County was increasing a half-point, to 9.75 percent. So the night before, instead of writing just “L.A. County's sales tax to increase to 9.75%,” I tweeted: “Only 3 more shopping hours until L.A. County's sales tax goes up to 9.75%” It had a huge response! It was RT'd like crazy. —Deirdre Edgar, an editor at the Los Angeles Times

  14. Sample tweets

  15. More sample tweets

  16. Spelling and grammar • They still count, but you can be more flexible. • Minor errors are more forgivable. • Big ones will be noticed.

  17. Maintain good taste (unlike here)

  18. Tracking your traffic

  19. #Hashing it out

  20. Twitter abbreviations • RT = retweet • HT = hat tip • OH = overheard • ICYMI = in case you missed it • #FF = Follow Friday

  21. More on Twitter • Direct messages • Likes (formerly known as favorites) • Trends • Lists • Muting

  22. What’s ahead • Algorithmic feed • Increased character count

  23. Any questions?

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