Tweeting for good: It’s easy

This article is written by Kat Song, Director of Communications & Digital Strategy, Science & Technology Policy Fellowships, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

• The problem: Many public servants don’t participate on Twitter, where a fair amount of policy communications happens.
• Why it matters: Twitter can be a great way to help educate people and combat misinformation by contributing factual information and real-life stories.
• The solution: Give public servants easy tips and encourage them to start tweeting.

Like some well-known politicos, many people hit the “Tweet” button far too fast or too often. But on the other hand, there are others with expertise and valuable experience who are reluctant to join the conversation on social media.

Tweeting can have a positive effect on the development of good public policies.

If that’s you, maybe your reluctance is simply inexperience. You might feel a lack of know-how, and what’s with all the hashtags, tagging, and other stuff? Do you really have to learn a whole new lexicon to dash off a tweet?

Not at all, tweeting is easier than you think and public servants can be fantastic candidates for contributing to meaningful discourse on social media. Tweeting can have a positive effect on the development of good public policies. A tweet that gains traction has the potential to educate many people on an issue, or help move the needle in support of a course of action. Twitter also connects you with other thought leaders in your space, and it can also be a handy way to curate news when you follow your chosen reporters and outlets.

To help you feel more comfortable about the prospect of tweeting, here are a few basic tips. (And encouragement, too: get out there and tweet!) The more you tweet, the easier it gets. Your organisation or agency probably has guidelines for staff on social media, so be sure to be cognisant of those.

1. Goals

The goal of a tweet is to be (1) seen, (2) liked and shared, and/or (3) commented on. Social media is a vibrant two-way communication channel. You want people to (1) learn about your point of view, (2) have that view propagated, and/or (3) elicit thoughtful responses (comments) that generate online dialogue and can even help you hone your views and communication.

2. Profile check

When we go food shopping, we often check labels to see what we’re consuming. When someone who doesn’t know you sees your compelling tweet, they may check out your profile to see who you are and then retweet and/or comment on your tweet. So make sure your profile states who you are and where your expertise lies. The profile of Apolitical’s co-founder is a fine example.

3. The lede

Similar to the opening sentence of a news article (aka the lede), make sure to pique people’s interest immediately so that they’ll read the rest of your tweet. You might:

• Feature an interesting number or stat: “6 Tips For a Tweet That Counts.”
• Ask a question or be humorous: “What did your family argue about over the holidays?”
• Make a call to action: “Vote yes on question 2.”
• The example below makes an appeal to a resident’s pride in their city:

4. The body

The rest of your tweet should convey your top point(s) succinctly. You have 280 characters, so make them count. Are you trying to tell folks how effective the COVID-19 vaccine is? Give them your top message and include a link to learn more. Are you inviting people to a webinar on mental health? Tell them what they’ll gain from it and be sure to include time, date and link. Or include a good quote.

5. Sprinkle liberally

Adding at’s (@) and hashtags (#**) **to your posts will boost their visibility and potential for being shared.

• When you tag people or organisations by including their username, they will be notified of your post and may decide to share it and/or comment. In the tweet above, I tagged the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellowship program by typing in “@AAAS_STPF.”
• Adding hashtags to your post makes it easier to find. For instance, people interested in misinformation can search it up and find the tweet below:

6. They’re worth a thousand words

Everyone knows that images catch attention faster than words, so include a photo, video, or gif. If you’re tweeting a link, you often won’t need to find a separate image to attach to your post because many links automatically feature a preview of an image associated with the page you’re linking to (see the second example).

That’s it! Stay calm and tweet on. I hope to see you out in the Twitterverse. Connect with me @KatSongPR.

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(Image Credit: Unsplash)