Twitter @mentions and @replies

Uses and strategies

Including @username in a tweet is the proper way to:

1) Have a conversation with someone

2) Give credit to your source

3) Talk about or reference someone/something

Yes, these “conversations” are public – there is a different way to send private messages if you need to

Always cite your sources when you can – it’s journalistically ethical and good Twitter etiquette

Doing this “pings” the person you’re talking about, so they are more likely to see your tweet

To recap:

@mentions = Conversations, sourcing

Make sure you’re checking to see who’s @mentioned you!

Although conversations with @mentions are public and will be seen on your public profile, they don’t necessarily show up in your followers’ streams.

Two cases:

1)Your tweet begins with @username*

This tweet will only appear in the timeline of someone who follows both you and the person you’re talking to.

2) Your tweet includes @username somewhere other than the beginning

This tweet will appear in the timeline of anyone who follows you, regardless of whether they follow the person you’re talking to.

* If you want to begin your tweet with @username but still want it to show up in everyone’s stream, use .@username instead.

Remember:

One nuance of @mentions

@mentions can serve as…

We’ll go through examples of each of these applications

1) A broadcast tool improve how you distribute information

2) A reporting tool get in touch with sources

3) A networking tool make connections, develop potential sources

@mentions as a broadcast toolTweet out your story and @mention your sources or subjects. They may RT you and pass your story along to their followers. Everyone loves to be a celebrity!

How do I find their Twitter names?

Use Twitter’s search bar to search for people and organizations by name. Click on “people” to expand the user results.

Use the photo, name and bio to help determine which result is the person you’re looking for.

Over time you’ll start to know the Twitter names of some of your key contacts by heart, just like a phone number.

@mentions as a reporting tool

Step 1: @mention potential subject to request interview

Step 2: After a few @mention exchanges, you will likely move the conversation to “DM” (direct message) to exchange contact details in private

Use @mentions to contact information sources and set up interviews.

If you find someone on Twitter you want to interview

Direct Message = Private conversationDM = Direct MessageLike email, only you and the recipient see a message sent over DM

You can only DM a user who follows you

Send your DM from the person’s profile or from your messages screen.

The messages screen is also where you go to check your DMs.

@mentions as a networking toolUse @mentions to connect with thought leaders and information sources. Respond to things they say and RT things they share to get on their radar.

Remember, every time you @mention someone, they get pinged. It’s like chatting someone up at a conference and handing out your business card.

The more you engage, the more other people will pay attention to you, and the benefits of that are:

-You become part of the conversation – and gain a greater understanding of what the people who matter are talking about

-You gain followers – the more people who know you’re there, the more people have a chance to follow you

-You gain social capital – if you’re doing a good job, the more people you engage with, the more you’ll start to be seen as a thought leader yourself

RT = Retweet

It means you’re forwarding someone else’s tweet to your followers. You might do this if their tweet was: informative, interesting, funny, useful.

You can add your own commentary to the front of the tweet and make small tweaks to conserve characters, but do not substantially alter the content of the original tweet.

To recap:

Retweet= Forwarding a tweet

1) The Built-in RT

2) The MT (Modified Retweet)

Used when you have made substantive changes to the original tweet, usually because it was too long.

Twitter lets you push the original tweet, from its original sender, to your followers.

Put your cursor over any tweet to see this option.

Remember:

Two RT variations