By Jessie Mawson

Twitter Best Practice

280 characters. But aim for less. Short tweets get retweeted more often.

Add links to the article you just read, or to your website… Just copy-and-paste.

Add pictures. A screenshot of the chart/image in the thing you’re linking to, or an original pic from your phone… Embrace the selfie! Particularly if you’re at a special event or with notable people.

Mention people by using their ‘Twitter handle’ ie @jessiemawson (If you’re already following the person, their handle should auto-complete).

Be timely. Tweet as-it-happens. People love to be in the know and up-to-the-minute tweets win.

Use relevant hashtags when you want to be part of a bigger conversation, but don’t go crazy. 1-2 hashtags max per tweet.

Add a comment to your retweets to give them your own spin, or explain why you’re sharing them.

Who Can See What?

Everything you tweet (with the exception of Direct Messages) is visible to any member of the public who looks at your Twitter profile. In addition to this…

Regular tweets: All your followers will see in their feed.

Mentions: All your followers will see in their feed. PLUS the person you’ve mentioned (by using their Twitter handle) will be notified. Example: Saw an amazing doco about Arms Trade with @ClaireMallinson this afternoon. 

Tweeting at someone: By using their Twitter handle at the very beginning of your tweet, the person you’ve mentioned will be notified PLUS anyone who follows both of you will see in their feed. Example:

@JessieMawson thanks so much for the Twitter tips. I’m getting the hang of it now!

Replying to a tweet: The person you’re replying to will be notified PLUS anyone who follows both of you will see in their feed.

Direct Message (DM): Only the person you’re DM-ing can see. You can only DM a person who’s already following you. This method of communication shouldn’t be used for confidential information due to the risk of mistakes.

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Topics:

• Digital Campaigning

Collection:

• Australian Progress

Tags:

• Campaigning - Digital_Virtual
• Digital campaigning
• Social media - Twitter

Language:

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