Twitter is the latest ‘hot’ social networking tool and it seems like the whole world is getting involved. So just what is it and how useful could it be for your work?
Twitter is micro-blogging. You get 140 characters to answer the question ‘What are you doing?’ That message, or tweet, is then sent to all the people who have chosen to follow you. So it’s a great way to keep in touch with friends and family.
As we have seen recently, it’s also a very efficient way of getting information out about events currently unfolding – eg the Iran democracy protests.
By following other people who are tweeting on topics of interest to you, you can keep up with new developments and this is where Twitter can be a useful tool in your work.
Politicians, government departments and other agencies can all use Twitter to disseminate information about policy releases, new reports and developments. Both Kevin Rudd and Anna Bligh have Twitter accounts to promote their governments’ initiatives, as well as including updates on their personal comings and goings.
You can respond directly to someone’s tweets, thus engaging in a conversation with them about the topic they are tweeting on. Again, very useful for communicating directly with policy makers.
So, why not get yourself a Twitter account? The sign-up process is free and very simple and before you know it, you’ll be creating a whole new network to communicate with.
You can find me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/elldeelosang
