It’s not the best time to expound on Twitter’s benefits for writers. The hot takes on journalists’ ill-informed initial tweets about the Covington Catholic video are still sizzling. The day I wrote this, New York Times technology reporter turned opinion writer Farhad Manjoo wrote that Twitter: “prizes image over substance and cheap dunks over reasoned debate, all the while severely abridging the temporal scope of the press.”
And yet. There’s a lot writers can do on Twitter without wading into controversy or having it become a giant time suck. December was my 10-year anniversary on the platform. Here are the top five ways I use it:
1. People.
Track down people you already know who are on Twitter and follow them to see what they’re saying and sharing. Follow Twitter users who share an area of interest – find them by doing a search (see instructions below). Follow sources. Follow editors you work with and those you’d like to work with. Follow news outlets or magazines to track what they publish – I do this and it’s turned my Twitter feed into a headline news service. This is the fun part, the part where you can decide what you want Twitter to be for you.
2. Lists.
You can use apps like TweetDeck to lump the accounts you follow into specific categories (sources, editors, cities, etc.) and to manage multiple accounts. I prefer Lists, a function built into Twitter that does pretty much the same thing. Lists can be public (everyone can see them) or private. If you don’t want to go to the trouble of creating your own, you can subscribe to lists made by other people – like me. I’ve got 22 lists, including lists for apps for writers, freelance marketplaces, writers, and Portland.
3. Chats.
Twitter chats are hosted conversations on a pre-determined topic at a designated date and time. Some happen every week or month. Others are related to an event, like an NFL football game or SCOTUS decision. Use the chat hashtag (#CHATNAME) to keep track of the conversation. A chat moderator announces when it starts, sets rules, poses questions, and troubleshoots. I recommend the weekly #FreelanceChat run by @MichelleGarrett, which covers freelancers of all kinds. Here’s a 2017 list of more chats for writers.
4. Search.
When I need a specific type of source, I prefer Twitter to Google. Use the Search function to look up names and phrases. Add a hashtag to find a thread on a specific topic, ongoing conversation or conversations in an older chat. For man-on-the-street sources, add “you” or “I” to a search phrase, as those words often show up in tweets that people share about things they’ve experienced. For example: to find furloughed federal workers, use search terms “I” and “furloughed federal employee.” See? BTW, you can save searches, which is handy if you search on the same terms a lot.
5. DMs.
Use the direct message (DM) function instead of email or SMS to send a private message. You can DM anyone who follows you. From the main nav bar, click on Messages > New Message > and type the name of the person you want to communicate with in the message window. I’ve used DMs to introduce myself to sources, set up and conduct interviews, chat with editors, and catch up with friends.
Want more? I wrote these a few years ago so some info might be dated, but the basics should be the same:
- A writer’s guide to getting the most out of Twitter
- 3 ways to use Twitter to follow an event
- Dear WordCount: How do I join a Twitter chat?
Photo originally posted to Flickr by Jamiesrabbits.