Briggs Ch. 4 – ‘Microblogging: write small, think big’

Many journalists embraced microblogging sites, like Twitter, because it’s easy exposure, quick and provides a way to get feedback from readers or other journalists. Twitter is one of the most popular microblogging sites at the moment.

Twitter

In the past, people had to wait for journalists to report on events but now they can just microblog it. Microblogging has become a resource for many people. Companies use it to see how many mentions their product is getting. People can gain awareness of tragedies and breaking news in real-time. There is even an award for the best microblogging, as chosen by Twitter users. This is the Shorty Awards.

Shorty Awards

Microblogging also helps young journalists focus their writing since you can only write around 140 characters. Microblogging helps journalists since people can react to it and react quickly. Also, journalists can get to know their audience better since they can see exactly who is following them. However, some still use it as an RSS feed. Public interviews can also be conducted over Twitter and many journalists have said they have gotten tips from Twitter that have led to a story.

Here are some tips to keep in mind while Tweeting:

• Show personality
• Follow the 80-20 rule: 80 percent of your tweets should be tips or have value for the community, 20 percent should be self-promoting.
• Be informative
• Stay relevant
• Ask/answer questions
• Be instructive
• Include a link