1. How to Become
Twitter Literate
Marissa Wasseluk
New Media Associate
@marissapaige

2. Today’s GOALS
• Understand the anatomy of a Tweet and basic
functions of Twitter
• How to create Twitter lists that are useful and
focused
• Crafting effective messages with twitter
• How to easily add twitter to your daily workflow
• Tips to help you listen and monitor online
conversations about your organization, program
or issue.

4. What is Twitter?
• Micro-blogging platform
– Links to items on the internet
– Collects comments in real time ???
– Answers the question,
“What are you doing right now?”

5. Twitter is like…

6. WHY Twitter?
• Tweet speaks to all
• Immediate, wide reach
• Listen & monitor audience
• Find new conversations

7. WHY Twitter?
• Reach out to influencers & build relationships
• Creates online interactions around real world events
• A well-maintained Twitter presence can frame your
organization and its leaders as major players

8. Getting Started
• SIGN UP!
• Add an avatar picture
• Add your bio
• TWEET!

9. Getting Started
• SIGN UP!
• Add an avatar picture

10. Getting Started
• Search
• Save a search
• Follow people who have conversations you
want to listen to

11. Retweet/ Screen names
Modified tweet
Hashtags
Shortened
URL

12. What’s a HASHTAG?
How does it work?

13. Twitter To Do’s
• Choose a memorable, screen name
– Choose your name if you can!
– Use as few characters as possible
• Have an interesting bio
– Make sure it accurately represents your brand or
what you’re currently doing.

14. Twitter To Do’s
• Have a good profile picture
• Add your location

15. Twitter To Do’s
• Talk to people!
• Add commentary to shares
• Retweet + respond

16. Twitter To Don’ts
• Don’t Sell too much
• Don’t Be too repetitive
• Don’t mass-follow looking for follow-backs
indiscriminately

17. An Effective Tweet
• Spell things correctly
• Be grammatically correct!

18. An Effective Tweet
• Link to updates & resources from your blog or
website
• Call to action
• Open questions

19. An Effective Tweet
• Find the screen names of people & places you
mention in your tweets
• Spell out important items
• Every tweet you send has its own URL &
embed code

20. The Magic & Power of RT

21. The Magic & Power of RT
• A “RT” expands your reach!
• Don’t be afraid to ask for a RT
• MT = modified tweet

22. HOW TO: Make a List

23. HOW TO: Make Tweeting Easier
• Link your Facebook&Linkedin Accounts
• Use a third-party client to streamline your
workflow
• Make Tweeting a part of your daily routine!

24. RECAP
What you should be
doing on Twitter

25. 1. Create a personable avatar and profile
2. Use hashtags but make them short
3. Search, Listen & Follow
4. Retweet relevant tweets to your followers
5. Always reply to tweets directed to you
6. Create lists

26. Think Before You Tweet!
• Are you posting from the right screen name?
• Is everything spelled correctly?
• What’s the main idea of this tweet?
• Ask yourself, “Is this useful? Would I click on
it?”

27. Q&A
Marissa Wasseluk
New Media Associate
@marissapaige