Dear WordCount is a periodic advice column that answers your questions about writing, blogging and running a freelance business.
Dear WordCount:
Do you actually read Twitter because it’s fun and interesting, and not because you think you ought to? Do you get it on your mobile device, or do you just go there and scroll down through the endless list of disconnected tweets?
Please help me understand why it’s popular.
Thanks,
Jennie Phipps
Dear Jennie:
I use Twitter and don’t consider it a waste. Here’s how or what I use it for:
Following the news – I use Twitter’s Lists feature to set up what amounts to daily news feeds for topics I write about. You can see my lists here. I cover business and finance for a couple publications, so I set up a business and finance list. I also write about people over 40, so I have a boomer list set up for that. Because this blog tracks the media business I set up a media list. I also have list that’s like a headline news service, another to keep track of what’s happening in Portland and so on.
Gathering research – I use the Search feature as an Google search alternative to research topics I’m reporting. The Saved Searches feature is great for keeping up with topics I track on a regular basis. If you’re at a conference or interested in a conference that people are tweeting from you can search on the hashtag, save it, then read the tweet stream like a live blog of the event. I use this to keep track of what people on Twitter are saying about the blogathon by creating a Saved Search for #blog2011.
Finding work – Two years ago, I used Twitter to say hi to a magazine publisher. She said hi back, I pitched a story idea, she liked it, gave me the editor’s email address, I wrote her and wound up with an assignment. In my experience, that doesn’t happen often. It’s more common that I use Twitter to crowdsource a story, like when I wrote about social games for SecondAct.com. I identified myself as a reporter and asked people over 40 who liked to play Words With Friends to contact me. And boy did they.
Soliciting story ideas – I also follow a lot of public relations people on Twitter and add them to my lists so any news they have flows into those streams. Just the other day I saw something from a PR guy at a company that produces reports on a subject I’m writing about. I followed him, sent an @reply message asking him to follow me back and send me a DM so I could ask him a question in private. When he did, I introduced myself and asked if he knew someone at the company I could interview and gave him my email. I interviewed one of the company’s division presidents within the week.
Promoting my blog – As some people here know, I also use it to promote the WordCount Blogathon. I also use it to promote posts as soon as I write them. Over the past year, Twitter has become the No. 1 source of incoming traffic to my blog, and I heard several other writers say the same thing at the 2011 ASJA writer’s conference last weekend.
Staying connected on the go – I routinely check out Twitter from my smartphone; I use a Droid, but there are Twitter apps for the iPhone and BlackBerry, and you can add your Twitter account to Flipboard and other iPad apps.
Hosting live chats – I hosted my very first live chat on Twitter for the blogathon wrap party close to two years ago. Last year so many people turned out, I decided to host monthly chats to get to know other freelance writers, learn about writing tools and trends and build up a community for this blog. At first I was intimidated: would anybody show up – they did. Would Twitter crash and leave me stranded – yes, but only once and we rescheduled. These days, news organizations want editors who can also function as online community managers: showing them you can host an online chat is one way to get a foot in the door. Here are some tips on how to host a live Twitter chat.
I know many writers and bloggers are still learning Twitter. Here are some previous posts that delve deeper into the basics:
- There is no such thing as a dumb Twitter question
- Twitter true confessions: I was wrong
- A writer’s guide to getting the most out of Twitter
- The use and abuse of Twitter to flog your blog
- Guest post: Blogging and Twitter, the perfect match
- Lessons learned from a year on Twitter
- Williams wants Twitters’ List feature to ‘go nuts’
- My TwiTip guest post: When 1 Twitter account isn’t enough
And here are more:
Susan K says
As a 2011 WC Blogathon participant, I’m new blogging and twitter, so this article is very timely. I, too, have wondered about the benefit of twitter. I also liked some of linked articles that address twitter etiquette (e.g. twittering about others ~75X vs 25X for yourself, not doing autoresponses, etc.).
I’m actually not a journalist, so I think that may be why I don’t understand twitter (not researching stories, looking for story ideas). Nonetheless, this provided an interesting insight into twitter for me. Thank you for sharing your perspective.
Michelle V. Rafter says
You’re very welcome. I think that many of the ways journalists use Twitter could be applied to anyone who needs to track current events or wants to use it to search for information – or just find people to play Words With Friends!
Michelle
Alexandra Grabbe says
I really admire all you do, Michelle. I find it hard to find the time to even read Twitter. I am trying now, through the Blogathon, to use it more. Proves to be a quick and easy way to find posts of interest.
Michelle V. Rafter says
Thank you.
MVR
Anyes - Far Away In The Sunshine says
Michelle, this clarify a lot for me in regards to how useful Twitter is, I am starting to get a better grasp of it and I love how useful it can be. I feel very lucky to have decided to take this WordCount challenge as it is making me blog in a totally different way, once more Thank you 🙂
Michelle V. Rafter says
So glad you’re finding the blogathon useful. Would love to know what other topics you think I should write about this month.
M
Heather says
Very helpful info. One question: How does a Twitter list differ from a Google Alert?
Michelle V. Rafter says
Google Alerts lets you sign up to have bulletins sent to your email inbox whenever news or blog posts are published that include specific keywords that you ID’d. Twitter Lists exist only on Twitter; you set them up by following people, newspapers, companies, etc., and then grouping followers into categories by subject, e.g., news, sports, gardening, celebrities, etc. From Twitter, you can click on a list and read only what the followers you’ve grouped into that list are saying, so it becomes a mini news feed on that subject. Make sense?
Michelle
Liz says
Michelle, great thoughts and ideas for me to consider as I get more accustomed to using Twitter (thanks to #blog2011)! I’ve been trying to get Twitter working on my Blackberry, no luck yet. Full disclosure: I know it’s user error. Thanks for all you do.
Sawyer says
Thanks so much for clearing this up. I was just thinking about twitter and what it’s good for, and up pops your blog post, complete with other great links I will explore ASAP.
The blogathon is so much fun, but at the same time more consuming than I thought it would be, but in a good way.
BTW, who is that adorable pooch on your avatar? When I click on it to enlarge the picture, it brings me to your webpage.