Understanding Twitter:
A guide & “tweetorial”
Brian LeDuc Spring 2011
This guidebook & presentation are designed to:
Introduce and describe Twitter as a social networking tool
Describe the common terminology and jargon within Twitter
Provide examples of how twitter can be used
Provide resources for future learning
What’s in a Tweet? Twitter 101
by Brian LeDuc
Through the great post by Ed Cabellon on Social Media & Authenticity and a really thought-provoking Terms to Know
conversation between Jeff Lail and Eric Stoller on #SALive on Social Media & Professionalism, it appears we’ve
begun a second wave conversation about the #sachat identity brought about most directly from James Frier‘s Paper.li
post. The take home is that the community has been discussing around the idea for a while (and as Eric
Handle Favorite
mentioned, it appears to happen when a wave of new users join the community).
@ Mention @ Reply
It’s hard to sit down for the first time with 140 character limit and know what you want to say, consider how
Retweet Hashtags
you’re coming across, be genuine open and honest, contribute, AND feel respected, appreciated and valued
after seeing a fantastic presentation about the potential for professional development, community, Following
networking, and the like. When I created my account in July 2009 it was to interact with a few fellow student
Lists
leaders on my campus about Orientation, and 99% of my tweets were of no value to anyone outside of these
4 people. That being said, I remember sitting down for the first time once I found #sachat and how
intimidating it was, because that’s what I was thinking.
What I’ve found since (and continue to remind myself), is the space is MEANT to be a conversation. That’s
Twitter. Search anything, see something you’re interested in, intrigued by, disagree with, etc., and engage. I
would suggest watching at first, looking for context, and learning the tool itself before you engage- but it’s up
to you how and if you engage the conversation. In fact, besides teaching the tool and providing examples, if
someone is telling you “how,” they’re limiting you both. The genius about Twitter is the simplicity of the tool
itself for the sake of the value of the conversation.
Notice the very intentional reference above- look for what you’re interested in and engage it. If you’re not Make sure you fill out
interested, don’t follow, and if you don’t want to engage, then watch. Decide for you what you want your all of your info so you’re
social media use to be, and go after it. I like following people who inspire me, folks who talk about or are searchable!
interested in student affairs, technology, music, news, and social media/marketing content. There isn’t going
to be a right or wrong way to use it, but you joined the space for a purpose, so go after it!
The relationships will come the same way they do when you walk into a social of people you’ve never met- the
advantage (and what makes it overwhelming) on twitter is that you get to be a part of (or at least see) what’s
happening in many of those conversations. The difference between an experienced user and someone who just
joined is approach to getting info- same approach (if I may) to engaging students; to answer the question- what value
are you adding?
Own what you tweet. It’s on your profile, it reflects (at least in part) who you are and what you’re about. You’re
entitled to (and this is intended for you to) interpret it however you would like. I am constantly able to look back at
my tweets and see how my “online self” has grown, changed, and (hopefully) evolved- complex as my own growth
and change in approach; but it’s all me. I’m not going to decide if you’re “right” or “wrong” for putting out content,
I’m not responsible for owning that- but you are; so stand behind it.
These dynamics will always converge on hashtags, with levels of users, different backgrounds, different perspectives,
experiences, you name it. Sarah Craddock nails it. Forgot How
to Tweet?
Twitter would be an incredible (and magical) forum if it were able to break through all social problems & constructs-
while this is completely unrealistic, in some ways, it’s an equally opportunity sharing ground. Part of what makes it
great is that regardless of if it’s your 1st tweet or your 4,001st, if I’m following you, it will (likely) show up in my feed.
But I’ve never looked at my time in the community as a marker of being “worthy” of the conversation. That may be
equally naive as it is millennial (thanks, Strauss-Howe), but my questions go overlooked if I asked the wrong person,
or ask at the wrong time, or ask it in a boring way. From what I’ve seen, content wins. There are users who get more
replys, or do a better job of engaging- but looking above, you can bet they’re having great conversations, bringing
more value and found their niche as well…
I’m still not sure how I bring value to my followers- most of the time I’m sharing highered/tech/apple/google
articles/blogs, facts, infographics, etc. that I think are cool because I use my profile in a circle of mostly student
affairs pros interested in tech- but I like reading their content and I like to share mine. Ironically, I am followed by a
lot of folks spamming to bring more traffic to their page, or general spam accounts. Nonetheless, the space is still Then just send
new and exciting to me and I’ve yet to really find my niche, but continuing to think about how I use social media is me an email
what pushes me to try new things, look for new people and ideas, reflect, engage, grow through the tool, and let it
grow on me.
The bottom line is there is no formula for success- if someone’s selling it, I’m not interested. I did want to share the
few observations that continue to hold true for me over time, and the tips or considerations that make the
difference. That’s not to say that you should be using it mindlessly- you wouldn’t create a program without planning
out the outcomes, the consequences, or knowing what you want it to look like; same should be true for social media-
but write your own definition, and make your account YOU.
Frequently Asked Questions & More Tweesources
Student Affairs Professional Development & Twitter:
What is #SAchat?
Who would I be interested in on Twitter from Student Affairs?
Twitter in Higher Ed
Twitter & “Chats”
Twitter Chat Schedule
What can I use to participate in a chat on Twitter?
“Third Party” Twitter Applications: iPhone/Droid Applications:
What are "other ways" to see Twitter? (TweetDeck) Twitter App
What are "other ways" to see Twitter/Using Twitter on Campus (Hootsuite) TweetDeck App
“Who to Follow” Disclaimer: I don’t mean that. EchoFon App
What SA Organizations are on Twitter? Seesmic App
I'm looking for interesting folks to follow...
Okay, I get this Twitter Stuff, how about BLOGS?