Having taken Media Writing with Mary Ingles, I had the luxury of completing this Twitter assignment last semester. Before then, I had no true desire to enter the Twitter universe, feeling that it was nothing more than a waste of time. But as the assignment went on and as I continued to gain more knowledge about Twitter, I began to understand its true value as a social media tool.
When I discovered that we would be completing the same assignment for Public Relations Writing, I was glad that I would have another go-around with Twitter. I hoped that it would be a chance for me to learn even more about this ever-growing tool.
Much of my first run with this assignment last semester consisted of tweets about what I was doing, what sports I was watching, what was on my mind and a bunch of other random blurbs. I was not utilizing Twitter for all that it was worth. I was treating it more as a chance to declare to the world aspects of my life when there were more creative reasons to tweet. The problem was that I did not fully realize this…..until now.
One thing I have found to be really enjoying about Twitter is posting links to articles that might interest other “tweeple.” Whether it is an article about a sports figure, an entertainment scene, a global crisis, or even a technological breakthrough, I have gotten into the habit of placing the links on my tweets. This is one area that I find heavy value in Twitter because it is a two-way street: not only can people take a gander at the articles I tweet, but I can read up on articles that my fellow tweeple are sharing. It can be anything from breaking news to random interviews. The best part about it is that I don’t have to go to numerous websites to read find these articles. They are right there for me on my twitter feed, waiting for me to read them. Ever since I have developed this habit, I repeatedly check Twitter for new articles while continuing to post those that I feel I should share with everyone. It truly is a valuable source for all that is going on right before our eyes.
In reading the article “Twitter for College Students,” there is one tip that really stands out to me: remembering that your tweets (unless protected) are viewable by anyone with the Internet. The tip goes on to say “keep it clean” and “avoid profanity.” Over the course of the time I have spent on Twitter, I have been following many athletes, news reporters and many more professionals. For them, and even for every single “tweep,” it is crucial that their tweets are appropriate. Any mishap or wrong step in a tweet can be seen by just about ANYONE and it can potentially result in heavy consequences (depending on the situation). Therefore, it’s critical that people are always aware of what they are tweeting about and making sure it’s appropriate and clean.
What is interesting is thinking of the various opportunities Spaulding Clinical Research, my client, can use Twitter for its Public Relations efforts. Spaulding Clinical has recently created a Twitter name and plans on making great use of it. Some of the reasons they will use it will be to tweet about events that are coming up that they are sponsoring, to tweet about clinical studies they have announced or ones that are upcoming, to tweet about any new company news that has evolved (with links to news releases), and to allow people to inquire about the various events and clinical studies Spaulding Clinical will be involved in. The opportunities Spaulding Clinical has with Twitter seem to be limitless at this point.
While I plan to continue to follow everyone that I am currently following on Twitter, there are five people/organizations that I will heavily be tuned into:
· My brother Matt Wessel (mwess) – being brothers, we have many of the same interests. His tweets cover topics that I am heavily interested in, so it is always interesting to see what he has to say.
· MarquetteU – this organization is constantly tweeting updates about events, stories, people and more around Marquette’s campus and around the world. It’s a great source of information to keep myself on top of what is happening around me.
· Bucks – the Milwaukee Bucks are my favorite sports team in the area (besides Marquette of course), and I will continue to follow them to stay up-to-date on all the important information and news surrounding the team.
· BreakingNews – I love using Twitter to discover any breaking news around the world, so this Twitter account is right up my alley with everything it provides.
· ESPN – being a die-hard sports fan, I will continue to follow ESPN for all of the up-to-the-minute news, scores and information it provides.
· And for a bonus sixth person/organization, I will continue to follow Mary Ingles for any insightful tweets she provides.
It feels good to have gotten this all off my chest. Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it!
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