Live-tweeting is great for breaking news, meetings, and sports and entertainment events. Not everything is worth live-tweeting: Is it something people want or need to know now?
GETTING STARTED
- Look for an event hashtag. (If there isn’t one, you can create it.)
- Collect the Twitter handles of speakers or news-makers.
- If possible, pre-write tweets that you know you'll need, like introductory posts.
Example: .@ChiefExecBear is the founder of @buildabear and helped fund @B4SSTL. - Look for opportunities to take photos or videos.
- Capture what’s going on as well as what’s being said or done.
Let people know what you’re going to be live-tweeting or covering.
BEST PRACTICES
- Remember the 5 Ws (and that H).
- Add to the story. Share your observations from the event.
- Always include attribution. When possible, quote speakers directly.
- Don’t take information out of context.
- Talk to yourself. Reply to your previous tweets to connect them.
- “Pix or it didn’t happen” is a real thing.
- Tag speakers, groups, organizations and companies.
- Use the .@ trick. When starting a tweet with a username, lead off with another character (a period is typically used) to make sure everyone who follows you can see the tweet. (Otherwise, only people who follow you and the person you mention will see it.)
- Check facts — you’re a journalist.
- Tweet consistently, but wisely.
- Retweet others, and answer questions from followers.
- Be professional.
- Feedback will help tell you how many people are paying attention.
- Is the event over? Let followers know.
TIPS FROM TWITTER
