So How Do You Get Started?

February 24, 2010 Danielle Hatchett Social Media Manager, AFL-CIO Facebook: www.facebook.com/aflcio Twitter: www.twitter.com/aflcio

What is Twitter?

  Free online service that allows you broadcast short messages to your friends or followers Combination of various forms of communication like e-mail, instant messenger, blogs, and RSS feeds. Difference is that posts, or tweets, are restricted to 140 characters or less.

What Is Twitter?

 Evolved from simply answering the question, “What are you doing?” into   Shared links to interesting content on the web Conversations around hot topics   Shared photos, videos, music Real time accounts from people who are in midst of a newsworthy event (like a convention or conference), crisis or natural disaster (Haiti, Iran Elections)

Twitter Statistics

   Twitter has 1.5 million active with a median age of 31.

users Towards the end of 2009, the average number of tweets per day was over 27 million. Average number per hour was 1.3 million.

Tuesday is the most active day for tweeting, followed by Wednesday and then Friday

Getting Started

    Claim your Twitter handle (i.e. twitter.com/aflcio) Completely fill out your user profile Create your customized background    Twitter has a few templates you can choose from Several applications you can use to create your background: http://mashable.com/2009/05/23/twitter backgrounds/ Know some HTML? Design your own.

Promote your new social media presence (e-mail signature, website, blog entries, cross promotion)

Start tweeting!

    Jump in and get started to give your account some authenticity Remember that you only have 140 characters so make them count!

To automatically share blog entries  Twitterfeed (www.twitterfeed.com) To share links  Set up an account with Bitly ( www.bitly.com

how many clicks your link received ) which allows you to shorten your URLs and track

Anatomy of A Tweet

Anatomy of a Tweet

Retweeting or “RT”

   Twitter users share the best links, tweets and gems they find from others they are following Important to do in order to build community and not just appear to be putting out your own content Connect with people and let them know you’re there (gain followers!)

Anatomy of a Retweet

How do I build community?

   Twitter lists Directories of progressives    Tweet Progress ( www.tweetprogress.org

) Can also sign up for a Twitter mentor here Union Twibe ( www.twibes.com/group/union ) People who use #p2 or #topprog hashtags in their tweets AFL-CIO Blog Post: Social Media: New Tools Aid In Organizing (list of unions on Twitter) http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/09/29/social-media-new-tools-aid in-organizing/

What is a hashtag?

    A community driven naming convention on Twitter to help spread information while also organizing it. Favorite tool of conferences and event organizers If everyone agrees to add a certain hashtag after their tweet, it becomes easier to find that topic in search (search.twitter.com)  #hcr, #health– health care #p2 and #topprog (progressives)  Create your own  #aflcio   #aflcio09 (convention) #aflciojobs (jobs initiative)

 If you do nothing else after this presentation:

Please claim your Twitter ID!