The “@” before the username signals a reply to a tweet. Search these replies to find out who is sending you information in the public twitter stream; use “@” to reply in return so that the recipient knows you are talking to them. At http://tweetoclock.com, you can determine what time a given person is most likely to be active on Twitter, and then tweet accordingly; this is especially useful if you are trying to get the attention of someone who is not following you.
One goal is to get your tweets retweeted—meaning that your tweet is re-sent out by your followers to their followers, and so on, allowing your message to exponentially reach more people (if it’s interesting or funny enough, that is). Then, when non-followers read your message, they may be tempted to check out your home page and follow you if they like what they read.
There is some cloak of privacy on Twitter. You can communicate on Twitter using a direct message (a DM) that is seen only by its recipient. To send a DM, however, the person on the receiving end must be following you back.
In addition:
- If you decide you don’t want a person seeing what you have to say, you can block them from following you (although they can still see your tweets in searches, just not real-time)
- You can protect your profile from searches and make your tweets visible only to followers you have approved. Doing so ensures a higher degree of privacy but reduces the number of your followers; that’s because people like to check you out before they sign up to follow you and your tweets.
You can learn much more about how Twitter functions, and how to establish an account, under “Twitter Basics” at http://support.twitter.com. First, however, read “Steps 1 through 8 to get yourself started with Twitter.”
Steps 1 through 8 to get yourself started with Twitter
- First, think about how, and why, you plan to establish an identity on Twitter. Are you a health care professional, or a bass player or a closet comedian—or all three?1 The point is: Decide now what your goal is in taking the next step.
- Visit www.twitter.com and click on the yellow “Get Started Now” button
- Enter your name. What you enter will appear on your Twitter home page, but not on your tweets. Many people choose their real name; some pick a pseudonym. Don’t count on a pseudonym to provide anonymity, however—it’s not hard for someone to figure out who you are on Twitter.
- Choose a username (15 or fewer characters). Consider using a version of your name or the name of your practice, or a creative identity that supports your professional message. Make the username professional, accessible, and identifiable—think “business casual.” (Your Twitter homepage will be twitter.com/[username].)
- Upload a photograph of yourself for your home page. People (tweeps) are more likely to engage with you on Twitter when there’s a face behind the messages.
- Add a biographical statement to your home page. In capsule form, describe who you are and what you bring to the “Twitter table.”
- If your practice has a Web site, include a link to it.
- Follow some people, jump into the Twitter stream, and start swimming!
Reference
1. Grindrod KA, Gavura S. Pharmacy 2.0. Canadian Pharmacists J. 2010;143(3):122-125.
Twitter is like a…giant cocktail party
You know: You circle the room, and you have social permission to drop in on any conversation. You show your personality; you’re willing to engage. And you absolutely have something interesting to say, because no one wants to listen if you are only talking about yourself or only have one thing to talk about.
In short, you’re here to try to forge relationships.
For physicians interested in promoting their medical practice or “brand,” one strategy on Twitter is to divide your tweets into four (roughly equal in terms of volume, as a guide) categories:
- General medical information that’s related to your interests (although, if you read a fascinating article on a medical topic out of your left field, like keratoconus, send it along). You can tweet facts from your experience or from journals, or tweet links to authoritative, reputable Web sites that offer relevant medical information. Ask other experts whom you follow for their opinion on breaking stories in the media and medical literature. Follow organizations, associations, and journals so that you have instant access to breaking news to retweet to followers.
- Your specific message. Talk about topics on which you’re an expert; give information that’s exclusively yours. Provide a link to your practice blog or Web site, and to relevant articles in your area of interest. Tweet about what makes you, or your practice or your “brand,” special.
- General conversation—anything but medicine. Demonstrate that you have other interests; that you’re not one-dimensional. Tweet about top news stories, sports, last book read, or a favorite TV program. If you are less interested in Twitter for business purposes, then increase your general conversation.
- Retweeting. This is definitely a “do-unto-others” thing. Add a comment to the retweet to make it personal.