Twitter

What is Twitter?

Twitter is a social media site that allows users to send messages containing information in a brief and concise way. These messages are called tweets. Twitter helps the user hone his or her writing skills. With only a space of 140 characters, a tweet is an excellent example of what writing for digital media entails because it forces the user to write pointedly.

What does Twitter do?

Tweeting allows users to access information quickly. A twitter feed has become a source for information about friends, the weather, entertainment, and news. By following sites such as USA today, Huffington Post, and The New York Times, a twitter user can stay updated on what is happening in the world.

Not only has twitter become an aggregator of news and information, it has also become a way for users to share and report their own news. Twitter allows users to participate in breaking news stories. Both journalists and non-journalists are using twitter to report significant current events.

What can Twitter do for you?

Twitter has been called a micro-blogging site because it offers specific information about the user. Twitter can help jobseekers develop their own personal brand by allowing them to follow and interact with businesses or employers.

Over the past few years, employers have looked at potential employees’ presence on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter during the hiring process. Veronica Fielding writes, “It's becoming more common for recruiters and hiring managers to value a candidate's presence on popular social networks, in addition to traditional qualifications such as a strong resume and interview skills.”

The Hashtag

Twitter is known for its use of the hashtag, used in order to categorize the user’s message or connect it to relative subjects. Hashtags become especially important in order for members of a group to post similar material to a thread that is connected by a common hashtag.

Communication then, becomes easier when elements such as subject hashtags are employed, making connections and visibility of posts easy among users. The most important aspect of Twitter is arguably conversation among users. The hashtag then, facilitates these conversations by linking users from all over the world with similar text subjects. Also, more unique hashtags narrow the focus of the message and allow for those who use the same subject words or phrases to connect.

It is important to note, though, that not all hashtags are created equal:

• Depending on who the user/student is attempting to appeal or connect to, some are better than others
• According to Vanessa Doctor, there are several ways to make the hashtag trend
• Additionally, It is possible to claim a hashtag, which reverts to a landing page, allowing for further branding of self

Regarding Writing for Digital Media, the use of hashtags is crucial to the connections of groups or like-minded students who wish to relate their thoughts to others. Because writing on Twitter must be brief, hashtags assist in quickly “summing up” what has been relayed in the Tweet. Specifically, because of hashtags, the engagement within a classroom setting of individuals using Twitter can be much more successful, as students communicate ideas for the course to their peers and professors.

As Twitter is always evolving, it is important to consider that the definitions and abbreviations of hashtags are also changing. And, as always, it is always imperative to remember Twitter etiquette and the basic do's and don'ts of hashtags.

External Links

• Twitter
• Writing skills
• Twitter feed definition
• Participation in current events
• Personal brand
• Twitter creating stronger resumes
• What are Hashtags?
• Introduction
• How to Find the Best Twitter Hashtags
• How to Get Your Hashtag Trending
• Claim Your Hashtag
• Hashtags in the Classroom
• Definitions of Hashtags
• Twitter Etiquette
• Hashtag Do's and Don'ts

References

• Doctor, Vanessa. "Basic Twitter Terms You Must Know." Hashtags.org, 21 June 2012. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.
• Fielding, Veronica. "Improve Your Job Search with Social Networking." CareerCast. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.
• Guiseppi, Meg. "Amplify Your Personal Brand with Twitter." CareerCast. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.
• Hyatt, Michael. "12 Reasons to Start Twittering." Intentional Leadership, 4 May 2008. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.
• Ingram, Matthew. "The Twitter effect: We are all members of the media now." Gigaom, 25 April 2011. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.
• Ingram, Matthew. "David Carr on newspapers, Twitter and Citizen Journalism." Gigaom, 14 Sept. 2012. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.