Academia meets Twitter

Getting a handle on Twitter for communication and professional growth in an educational setting

Many areas within an educational institution require effective communication in order to help meet objectives.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mullenkedheim/2244574288/

Well thanks, Captain Obvious!

News UpdatesAthleticsAdmissionsMarketing/PRDevelopmentAlumni RelationsEtc.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/goingonsix/505923699/

So what does this have to do with Twitter?

Think of Twitter as a tool that could be a worthy addition to communication tools already in use.

Twitter is...

a free social messaging utility for staying connected in real-time (Twitter.com)a social networking and micro-blogging tool

Yes, but what is it?

connections, conversations, community, and content

For educational institutions, Twitter can be...a cost-effective (free) option to accentuate existing messages;a broadcasting tool to announce relevant information to specific audiences; and a (brief) conversational tool to appropriately respond to relevant inquiries and follow-up questions or comments.

Two Types

Broadcasteruseful if audience knows what they are gettinganother way to push informationworks best if you have good information to givecould fill a need from specific area or topic

Conversationalistprovides a "voice"seen as an authority and sourceROE - return on engagementa way to interact with those interested in the institutionall about building relationships

Twitter is not...

a silver bullet for communication problems."It won't replace crime alerts, regular campus e-mails or our cooperation with local news outlets to help ensure community awareness of important safety issues, but it's an important addition." (quoted source from Univ. Michigan adds voice, text messaging for emergency notification)

Let's Explore

Broadcasterhttp://twitter.com/UOregonNewshttp://twitter.com/georgiasouthernhttp://twitter.com/johnmaedahttp://twitter.com/uwgbtutoringhttp://twitter.com/UofA http://twitter.com/mansfieldisd

Conversationalisthttp://twitter.com/butleradmissionhttp://twitter.com/ECCdistrict509 http://twitter.com/SDSU_NewsTeamhttp://twitter.com/ThunderbirdNews http://twitter.com/MarquetteUhttp://twitter.com/UTAustin

Want to see more?http://twitter.pbwiki.com/Universities

Twitter and Professional Growth

ReferralsCommunity NetworkingCommerceKnowledgeSerendipity

Twitter and Professional Growth :: Referrals

Twitter and Professional Growth :: Community

Twitter and Professional Growth :: Networking

Twitter and Professional Growth :: Commerce

Twitter and Professional Growth :: Knowledge

Twitter and Professional Growth :: Serendipity

Some extras for you...

Related articles & presentation sources Twitter in the mainstreamWhen is Broadcasting OK on Twitter?Is Twitter a Tool for Alumni Relations? The Potential of Intentionally Weak Ties Are you listening?Twitter, Your Free Text Messaging SystemUsing Twitter for Higher Ed10 Reasons to Monitor TwitterQuestion of the day: Should universities tweet?How individuals use TwitterActivating Alumni Networks with Twitter

Contact

Richie Escovedorichie.escovedo [at] gmail.com

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