What if? There was a single place where you could: Listen to the community talking Find out what your sources are working on Ask questions & get answers from real people Float story ideas Promote yourself & your stories And never leave your desk.
What is it? Real-time, micro-blogging site Limits users to 140 characters per message Reporting tool Conversation driver Real place for real citizen journalism Business-to-customer tool Person-to-person tool Site with 700 percent growth 2008 vs. 2007
How to start Create your account. Pick your real name or something close Pick a good photo Fill out your bio, this will get caught by search Follow people you know, follow people in your field through search Follow sources
How to use it On your desktop, through your browser. On your desktop, through an app. On your phone, through your browser On your phone, through an app With a text message Write now, tweet later
How to use it Post eye-witness breaking news Connect with sources Monitor what the community is talking about Poll the community Get instant feedback Promote content Make connections, share with friends Lead community conversations Find witnesses Find story ideas (search your beat daily) DON'T ONLY POST LINKS. BE HUMAN
Hashtags # - Hashtags are created around a common topic Make it easier for people to search Make it easier to be fed into a feed Create one for continuing coverage Can be measured: Trending topics each day at: Consistency is key.
What Twitter says " Don't be a robot! Funny quip, business plug, link - have something to say." " Be part of the conversation, not just a tweeter. Respond, retweet, get involved." " Don't follow everyone who follows you." " Interact. interaction is key." " Teach strategic tweeting. Don't treat it like a personal Facebook update." "Watch your spelling."
Advanced Stuff Yes, you can sync up your social media updates. Through Friendfeed, Facebook, etc. Twitpic Retweeting. Link shorteners. Other tools: Tweetdeck Tweetups Presentation by Mike Koehler