Entering the World of Social Media – Twitter 101

For those who are new to the social media revolution, Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length. So are you still wondering what that means?

The debate has started about social media and its’ uses in public relations. An interesting blog post from Bill Sledzik entitled Are Social Media Changing the DNA of Public Relations offers one perspective. Whether we like it or not, the evolution of public relations is moving toward using social media as a communication tool to help create an online community for gaining immediate feedback.

This does not mean the fundamentals we learned in PR 101 are gone, just that our methods for communicating need to be modified to address emerging markets and strengthening relationships. Social media, including Twitter, is a trend that allows 24/7/365 access to your community and provides immediate feedback on ideas and information presented.

To help you get started on Twitter, take a look at the sites below.
· Social Media Start Kit -- Twitter … Amber Naslund (@ambercadabra) does a great job introducing you to Twitter and terminology you’ll need to know.
· You're on Twitter -- Now What? … Valeria Maltoni (@conversationage) goes into more depth about Twitter and what it means.
· The Thoughtful User Guide -- 14 Ways to Use Twitter Politely ... Margaret Mason’s (@maggie) 14-point guide to improved tweets; there is Twitter etiquette to keep in mind.

The best way to use Twitter is to jump in and get involved in conversations. See you in the Twitterverse.