Trick or Tweet: Following and Sharing Science News Using Social Media Tanya Lewis Staff Writer, Live Science ICSTI Winter Meeting February 22, Facebook Google+FacebookGoogle+
Talk Outline Why use social media? Social media strategies Absorb, Share, Engage Platforms Twitter Facebook Google+ Summary
Why Use Social Media? Be part of the global conversation Find your audience Promote your/your institution’s work Pitch/generate story ideas Cultivate professional contacts
Social Media Strategies Absorb Share Engage
Absorb… Twitter is the new newspaper Keep up with trends Find story ideas
Share… Share your own content Highlight the work of others Weigh in on news/current events/trends Become an authority
Engage… Cultivate followers/friends/connections Be a part of the conversation Crowdsource Measure your impact
Identify key sources to follow Tweet early and tweet often Share content (e.g. links) Tweet with personality Images are your friend Don’t be a megaphone Organize your feed (Tweetdeck, Hootsuite) Don’t let it swallow you
Cultivate a dedicated audience Be more selective in posts Think outside the page Make use of image-friendly format Measure engagement with “likes” Professional vs. personal use
Facebook for professionals? Target posts to specific circles Measure engagement in “+1s” Use it if it works for you
Summary Absorb, Share, Engage Focus on a few platforms Participate regularly Don’t be overwhelmed
@Questions#?