Twitter 101: From @ to #

Twitter Basics, From @ to #

Lynsen@smallact

annie@smallact.com

Agenda

• What is Twitter?

• Why use Twitter?

• How do you get started?

• Twitter glossary

• Examples: Police departments using Twitter well

What is Twitter?

• Twitter is a website which lets you send and read messages called tweets.

• Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters.

• Users “follow,” or subscribe, to various people’s tweets so they can read their updates.

Or, possibly...

Stephen Nolen, chief information officer in Shawnee, Oklahoma, said he has heard Twitter referred to as "a police scanner for the digital world," because those who have an interest in police and firefighting can stay informed through the site.-CNN, March 13, 2009

But what if people start flocking to crime scenes?

"It's no different than the media showing up and broadcasting live feeds from the area, citizens in the area that call their friends or post video from their cell phones on YouTube," said Lakeland, Fla. Police Assistant Chief Bill LePere. -CNN, March 13, 2009

Why should we waste our time with Twitter?

If done well, Twitter can help your org...

•Encourage citizen cooperation with police efforts, even helping to solve cold cases.

•Keep the citizenry informed in the event of a crisis.

•Justify your work in the face of budget cuts (examples to follow).

A Dutch police department asked for tips on cold cases — and 75% of leads came through Twitter. -Change.org, May 20, 2010

But we don’t have time to do it well!

"We think the police department has an obligation to get information out to the community through whatever means or mechanisms we have at our disposal," said Lakeland, Fla. Police Assistant Chief Bill LePere. "Traditional media releases, expecting the local print media to pick it up and run it in the newspaper tomorrow, is 24 hours too late." -CNN, March 13, 2009

But we don’t have time to do it well!

• Twitter has plenty of time for your organization.

• Do you want to create an account when times are good, or when a crisis or major event hits?

• Miriam’s Kitchen (@miriamskitchen)

• Jan-Michael (@aspanlink)

Twitter: It’s about relationships.

• "Big American cities have found success in recent years with community policing — sending cops to walk beats rather than drive cars, to attend community meetings rather than just make arrests. And Twitter could be the next big beat." -Change.org, May 20, 2010

How do we get started?

• Have your purpose ready

• Get internal buy-in

• Create a profile

• “Lurk”

• Experiment with messaging

• Interact

...and measure (and learn)

Etiquette

• Be personal, and be a (professional) person

• Provide value more than you promote yourself

• Offer helpful tips, useful information the public needs to know (great examples coming later)

• Thank people who say nice things

• Answer questions

How do I get people to follow me?

• Find people talking about your topic in your region, and follow them

• Post messages with hashtags related to your organization (i.e. #PGPD, #PGCounty)

• Post useful content

• Google “Twitter directory” and add yourself to as many as you can in related categories

• Include your Twitter handle on stationery, email signatures, etc.

Ideas for Tweets

• Thank people!

• Facts, stats and trivia

• Mission success

• Event promotion

• Photos

• Questions

@username

Direct Message (DM)

Follow vs. Follower

Retweet (RT)

Hashtag (#)

Twitter 101: From @ to #

Technology

Twitter 101 : Twitter for Teachers

Twitter 101

Twitter 101+