re: Explaining Twitter - One of Three Places for People

April 3, 2009 · · Posted by Greg Lloyd

Update: Steve Buttry Information Content Conductor of Gazette Communications posted an excellent tip sheet: Leading your staff into the Twitterverse for a workshop he'll be leading for the American Society of Newpaper Editors. It's an great introduction to Twitter which covers linking, following, tools and ethics. I believe Steve's advice is just as valuable for neighborhood (Facebook) and workplace (Enterprise 2.0) microblogging. Steve writes:

Journalists need to use Twitter. Even if you don’t understand its value or usefulness immediately and even if some of the content is frivolous, journalists can use Twitter for a variety of uses:

  • You can monitor the activities and discussions of people in your community or on your beat.
  • You can connect with colleagues and share ideas with them.
  • You can “crowdsource” stories by asking your followers for story ideas or information.
  • You can quickly find people who witnessed or experienced an event.
  • You can drive traffic to your content.
  • You can improve your writing as you learn to make points directly in just 140 characters. (I tell my staff that if a lead doesn’t fit in a tweet, it’s probably too long. It really helps me write better leads on my blog and columns.)

For top editors, using Twitter has added value:

  • It can help change your newsroom culture.
  • You communicate to your staff that you are changing and trying new things.

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