How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Twitter

Feb 2, 2012

SMUG

What is Twitter?

• Social Networking in 140 characters or less “aka microblogging”

• 300 million users as of late 2011. • 300 million “Tweets” and 1.6 billion searches per

day• At its best, it’s a two-way conversation

So what’s the point?

• Learning• Engaging with your

peers, students, audiences

• Disseminating news• Building relationships

with colleagues, the media, others

Knowing What This Guy is Doing at Any GivenMoment! Okay….not really. But he deservessome credit.

It’s not without Pratfalls

Pratfalls

Ways to Tweet

• Twitter.com• A variety of apps for phone, tablet, and computer:

Tweetdeck, Twirl, Seesmic, Twitterberry, Twitdroid, Twitterfon, Hootsuite and Twitter’s own mobile apps

• Texting from your phone• Do not sync your social media accounts!!!!

Some Thoughts on Censorship

• Twitter said it would “reactively withhold content from users in a specific country -- while keeping it available in the rest of the world.”

• What exactly does that mean? Good Question• What does it mean for Higher Ed? We’ll have to

watch for implications for International Students/Faculty/Programs

Build a Network*

• It’s only as good or as useful as the network you build

• Start following people with similar interests• Converse with them• See who they follow• Keep doing it

*Ideas from @rachelreuben

But I don’t have anything interesting to say!!!

OF COURSE YOU DO!!!!

What should I be tweeting?

• Depends on your account personal or dept.• News• Links to topical articles for your field• Interesting books you’re reading• A conference you’re going to• Live tweet an event/game/lecture/conference• Hold a Twitter Town Hall? Twitter Office Hours?

A supplement to your courses

• Changes your dynamic in your class• Create a course hashtag ie, #ECON432• Post a question about class reading,

encourage discussion, post a link that relates to classwork

• Answer Student Questions

Ways to Maximize your Tweeting

• Use #hashtags. #brockport or #ROC• www.brockport.edu/q or other link shortener• Retweet others if you like what you see: RT• Hold a contest: we gave away mugs.• Create and follow lists.

– @brockportnews/campus-twitterers

SPAM

• Direct Message Spam “Check out this picture, I think it’s you!”

Finding a balance

• Don’t overdo it– Don’t post every thought– Don’t spam

• Don’t underdo it– Don’t ignore the account– Answer any inquiries in a timely fashion

• Engage, Interact, Explore• Take a breath before you Tweet.

Brockport on Twitter

• @brockportnews• @brockport• @ellswortheagle• @bsgbuzz• More at www.brockport.edu/connect

Questions???

• @dtyler321