Using Twitter
For Twitter training and info see Using Twitter on CCL Community
Twitter tool on national website available at cclusa.org/tweet
Madison Area CCL Twitter Page at https://twitter.com/MadisonCcl
Twitter Handle for Madison Chapter page @MadisonCcl
Download available for CCL Social Media Toolkit
Below are some notes from a Twitter Workshop provided to the Madison CCL Chapter by Craig Thompson
What is Twitter?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QihQbOdno1I
How do I sign up for Twitter?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0xbjIE8cPM
Who should I follow?
Suggestions are in italics.
You only get followers by starting small and building a network, and you only get retweets if you have followers that like what you have to say.
What's the etiquette for using hashtags and twitter handles?
Hashtags are topics, indicated by using a "#". Hashtags can be used in sentences or at the end when it's relevant, for example:
A twitter handle is a person or organization's account, for example, "citizensclimate". You can tweet directly to another account to make sure they see it by using the "@". When tweeting to another twitterhandle, you can put the twitter handle wherever it makes sense, usually at the beginning of the tweet or in context, for example:
What hashtags (topics starting with "#") should I use?
How do I shorten a link so it fits in my tweet?
Final thoughts
If you start your tweet with their Twitter handle, put a period in front of the handle so your tweet will be seen by others and possibly retweeted. If you use #climate, people who follow that hashtag will see your tweet and possibly retweet.
If you want an active twitter network, you'll have to build it. Tweet regularly. Put your twitter handle on business cards, Facebook, Google+, wherever. The modern day is one where everyone must self-promote.
But if you don't want an active twitter network, that's okay too. You can still serve the cause.
Tweet away!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QihQbOdno1I
How do I sign up for Twitter?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0xbjIE8cPM
Who should I follow?
Suggestions are in italics.
- CCL @citizensclimate
- Senator Baldwin Office: @senatorbaldwin
- Senator Johnson Office: @senronjohnson
- Representative Pocan Office: @repmarkpocan
- Your friends and family
- Twitter is first and foremost a social medium
- Unless you're a celebrity, Twitter etiquette is that when someone follows you, you usually follow them back, though this is not firmly established, so don't get offended if they don't.
- The number of followers that person has
- The number of times it gets retweeted
- The number of times it gets favorited (to a lesser extent)
You only get followers by starting small and building a network, and you only get retweets if you have followers that like what you have to say.
What's the etiquette for using hashtags and twitter handles?
Hashtags are topics, indicated by using a "#". Hashtags can be used in sentences or at the end when it's relevant, for example:
- More storage progress: Tesla says it will double capacity of home battery buff.ly/1dwAsp6 #climate #solar
- Pls RT: Sign up for Congressional #Climate Message Day, June 22, so we can price carbon. buff.ly/1KZstPx
A twitter handle is a person or organization's account, for example, "citizensclimate". You can tweet directly to another account to make sure they see it by using the "@". When tweeting to another twitterhandle, you can put the twitter handle wherever it makes sense, usually at the beginning of the tweet or in context, for example:
- @JayFaison1: Thx for stepping up on #ClimateChange! Have you seen @CitizensClimate's market-based solution? youtu.be/9oyguP4nLv0
- CCL mentor @samdaleyharris talks citizen empowerment on@Thom_Hartmann youtu.be/DLquJAQGots #climate via @YouTube
What hashtags (topics starting with "#") should I use?
- CCL regularly uses
- #climate
- Other popular ones
- #climatechange
- #ActOnClimate
- #SpeakUp4Climate
- #Wind
- #Solar
- Or something else!
- If it's the topic of the tweet, just put a # in front of it. Sometimes a topic catches and just becomes popular e.g. #bringbackourgirls, #blacklivesmatter
How do I shorten a link so it fits in my tweet?
- If you're tweeting from an app, some apps do this automatically for you. But if not, Bitly is a popular link-shortening website.
Final thoughts
If you start your tweet with their Twitter handle, put a period in front of the handle so your tweet will be seen by others and possibly retweeted. If you use #climate, people who follow that hashtag will see your tweet and possibly retweet.
If you want an active twitter network, you'll have to build it. Tweet regularly. Put your twitter handle on business cards, Facebook, Google+, wherever. The modern day is one where everyone must self-promote.
But if you don't want an active twitter network, that's okay too. You can still serve the cause.
- Follow persons of interest to stay informed
- Tweet directly to them about a topic they just tweeted when you want to be heard
Tweet away!