To Tweet Or Not To Tweet: There Really is No Question

Ask not what you can do for Twitter, but what Twitter can do for you. Many people in the education field – students, teachers, administrators, even parents – question the benefits of participating in Twitter. There are incredible benefits, if you use it right. Twitter can motivate, question, and engage your thoughts, beliefs, and methods. Twitter is a great tool to learn and share what you are doing and amplify your impact as a teacher, school leader, or edupreneur. We can share what we have for lunch or what movie we saw, but at its best, Twitter is a tool for educating the world on complex topics in just 140 characters. So, how do we leverage this tool in the best way? Here are 10 tips on how to make your Twitter presence relevant, intriguing, and expansive.

1. First impressions are important. Your Twitter handle and profile are typically the first thing people see when looking at you on Twitter. Your profile may make or break if they follow you. Make it count.

2. Tweet more than you think. On average 500 million tweets are sent each day. You are competing with those messages. Tweet 6 – 10 times a day and make it special.

3. Your Tweet is your headline. You have 140 characters to grab someone’s attention. Aim to educate, entertain, and inspire, not just inform.

4. If you like it put a hashtag on it. Using hashtags immediately makes your tweet searchable. Research the right #EdTech hashtag to reach the right audience.

5. If you follow them, they will come. What is the best way to increase your followers? Follow more people, but make sure they are the right people.

6. Get your words out there. You work hard on great blog content, you should share it, often. Tools designed to auto-share your blog are a great option. Don’t forget to include the handles of those you reference in your tweet. It’ll likely get retweeted, which means? Greater reach!

7. Timing isn’t always everything. Don’t have time to tweet 6 – 10 times per day? Use a scheduling program. These tools help you get your well crafted messages out around the clock. Take advantage. Fair warning, it won’t replace the instant tweet about breaking news or a great retweet.

8. Share “evergreen” content. Not all your tweets have to be about what happened that day, or week, or month. Evergreen content is a video, article, or blog that is designed to be relevant for weeks, months, and years. Don’t be afraid to share this information. It is never a bad idea to re-share good, relevant information.

9. A retweet can go a long way. Why retweet? It is a great way to get the attention of important people in the space. Show them you appreciate what they have to say, and they will likely follow you back.

10. Videos, podcasts, and photos. Oh My! Twitter has provided this amazing opportunity to view multimedia in your feed. Show your stuff! Insert relevant videos, photos, podcasts, and infographics to your tweet. It WILL grab follower’s attention.

Interested in getting your Twitter account up and running? Need some extra advice on how to get the biggest bang for the, proverbial, buck? Getting Smart helps edupreneurs amplify their impact with biz dev, marketing, and social media services. We provide services from giving general guidance and support, to managing blog content and social media pages. Interested in learning more? Visit our consulting page and shoot us an email, or Tweet!