An introduction to Twitter by U.S. Navy Digital Media Engagement

1. Twitter:
The Basics
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Prepared March 2015 by CHINFO OI-2 Digital Media Engagement

2. TWITTER DEFINED
Twitter is a
microblogging social
media network made
up of messages –
tweets that are limited
to 140 characters.
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3. TWITTER USAGE
• 288 million monthly
active users
• 500 million Tweets
are sent per day
• 80% of Twitter active
users are on mobile
• 77% of accounts are
outside the U.S.
• Twitter supports 33
languages
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4. TWITTER USAGE
As of September 2014,
74% percent of adults
use Twitter.
- Pew Research Center’s
Social Networking Fact Sheet
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5. WHY IS THE NAVY ON TWITTER?
The Navy’s account
provides a means to tell
the Navy story, share
key messages, and
interact with key Navy
stakeholders in real
time on issues of
interest to them. The
account serves as a
public affairs
communication tool.
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6. POSSIBLE TWITTER GOALS
• Disseminate messaging to a wide-
reaching Twitter audience in a
manner that encourages them to
further distribute and share that
messaging with others
• Drive conversations about your
command online
• Identify and engage key points of
contact such as the media,
advocates and influencers
• Insert your command’s story into
relevant conversations on Twitter
• Provide an authoritative official
voice to followers during a crisis
that involves your audiences
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7. GET STARTED
1. Sign up at
Twitter.com
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8. GET STARTED
1. Sign up at
Twitter.com
2. Use your command
seal or logo as your
profile picture
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9. GET STARTED
1. Sign up at
Twitter.com
2. Use your command
seal or logo as your
profile picture
3. Follow the
registration checklist
at
http://www.navy.mil
/CommandDirectory
.asp
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10. TWITTER LANGUAGE
• Like any social media
network, Twitter has
its own style and
lingo.
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11. TWITTER LANGUAGE: Follow
• Subscribe to another
user’s tweets
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12. TWITTER LANGUAGE: Hashtag
• A hashtag is any word
or phrase
immediately
preceded by the #
symbol. When you
click on a hashtag,
you'll see other
Tweets containing the
same keyword or
topic.
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13. TWITTER LANGUAGE: Mention
• Mentioning other
users in your Tweet
with the @ sign
followed directly by
their username is a
mention.
• A mention also refers
to Tweets in which
your @username was
included.
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14. TWITTER LANGUAGE: Retweet
• A Tweet that you
forward to your
followers is known as
a Retweet.
• Retweets always
retain original
attribution.
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15. TWITTER LANGUAGE: Favorites
• Favoriting a Tweet
indicates that you
liked a specific Tweet.
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16. TWITTER LANGUAGE: Best practices
• Present information in a timely, intriguing way.
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17. TWITTER LANGUAGE: Best practices
• Use tweets to communicate during a crisis or breaking
news situation.
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18. TWITTER LANGUAGE: Best practices
• Do not use all 140
characters.
• Save approximately
20 characters to allow
other users to quote
or comment on your
tweet.
• Photos, video and
links count against
your character count.
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19. TWITTER LANGUAGE: Best practices
• Engage with key-
stakeholders by
tagging their handle
in your tweets to
build relationships
and gain followers.
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20. TWITTER LANGUAGE: Best practices
• Incorporate global trends and topics into your tweets by
using popular hashtags when appropriate.
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21. TWITTER LANGUAGE: Best practices
• Create your own hashtags to communicate key words,
themes and messages that relate to your mission.
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22. CONTACT
U.S. Navy Digital Media Engagement
703-614-9154
SocialMedia@Navy.mil
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