To Tweet or not to Tweet? It’s a question college media providers face as they attempt to determine where to spend their social media promotional time.
Twitter may get left out of consideration on many college campuses because its typical readership is older than the average college student. However, Twitter, like Facebook, still can be a good tool to promote content and engage readers. Some student at your university are regularly using Twitter, guaranteed.
Twitter will garner interest in your college media (the kind you want) only if you use it well. Rachele Kanigel, assistant professor of journalism at San Francisco State University, recently posted on her blog some “Twitter Tips for College Media Organizations.”
While all 23 tips are good, here are some of my favorites (with my spin on them) are:
3. Make it a conversation. Don’t just push out information, make the experience interactive for your users.
5. Report news as it breaks. This is one more way for you to reach your audience. Be immediate. Report the news as it unfolds.
15. Keep private information private. Remember that the account represents your news organization’s views. Don’t insert your opinions or provide information that you wouldn’t print in your traditional publications.
17. Respond to your audience. The interactivity of Twitter is one of the things that makes it work. Use this to your advantage.
When shortening your URL (Tip No. 6), consider using Hootsuite. This allows you to schedule tweets and follow your stats on multiple accounts, including those on Facebook and LinkedIn. Tracking your most popular promotions can help you understand what your audience is interested in knowing more about. Check out this blog on 10 Reasons to use HootSuite.
