The document provides guidance on using Twitter effectively, including common abbreviations used on Twitter, how to create a clear bio, what hashtags are and best practices for using them, how to search and drive traffic back to Sheffield Hallam University's Twitter account. It also discusses tools for listening, responding, and scheduling tweets as well as search engine optimization techniques for Twitter content.

1. Twitter Mini Masterclass
Sue Beckingham @suebecks
#tweetupSHU

2. Common abbreviations
@ = precedes any username
RT = Retweet
MT = modified tweet
DM = direct message
HT = hat tip
IMO = in my honest opinion
| = useful separator

3. Getting the lingo
Mention = your name is included in a tweet
Favourites = save a tweet as a favourite
Lists

4. Creating a clear bio
Who you are/represent and a link to your blog/website

5. What is a #hashtag?
A hashtag, or “#”, denotes a keyword or topic on Twitter.
It’s any string of characters without spaces.
Hashtags can occur anywhere in the Tweet – at the
beginning, middle, or end.
By searching for a hashtag you can collate all the tweets
containing it.
Hashtagged words that become very popular are often
Trending Topics.

6. Trending #hashtags
Change to view by
Trends by Town

7. View Trends by Country

8. Hashtags
Local
• #highered
• #ff
• #sheffield
• #university
Specific Areas
• #careers
• #b2b
• #graduates

9. #Hashtag Best Practice
Choosing a phrase and making good use of
capital letters
On the death of Margaret Thatcher
#nowthatchersdead was used but read by many
as #NowThatChersDead

10. #Hashtag Best Practice
Checking availability
#smh = shakes my head

11. #Hashtag Best Practice
Don't over use them - a maximum of two per
tweet
Don't include spaces or punctuation as it will
break the link
Don't make them too long - you only have 140
characters for your message!

12. Searching

13. #Discover
Gathers the tweets that are breaking on Twitter
amongst the people you follow and those they
follow.

14. Advanced Searching

15. Driving traffic back to SHU
Be found in search
It is important to stay active - tweet, retweet
and @reply/mention regularly to gain resonance
amongst your followers so that search results
are up to date.
Include @sheffhallamuni and Sheffield Hallam in
tweets

16. Dan Zarrella 2012
Call to action

17. Listening and responding
Set up alerts to your phone for mentions and DMs
https://twitter.com/devices

18. Dashboards
Hootsuite
http://hootsuite.com/
and
Tweetdeck
http://tweetdeck.com/

19. SEO = search engine optimisation
http://searchengineland.com/seotable

20. SEO = search engine optimisation
Content
#Quality: well written
#Research: the keywords people may use
#Engage: make it interesting
SEO seems like alchemy to the
uninitiated. But there's a science to it!
Search engines reward pages with the
right combination of ranking factors.

21. URL shorteners

22. URL shorteners
https://bitly.com/
1.
2.
3.

23. http://goo.gl/
http://tinyurl.com/
http://ow.ly
URL shorteners

24. Google Alerts
http://www.google.co.uk/alerts

25. Shared Sites: Admin Rights
Agree within your team who has access to the
user name and password
Agree where you will store this information
Use a team email address rather than a
personal one - individuals move on!