I have to admit, I originally thought Twitter was a useless place full of what [crazy thing] that [pop star i don’t care about] did ten minutes ago combined with destructive ramblings by internet trolls. Full GenX disclosure: I remember when the internet wasn’t a thing and using floppy disks to play Oregon Trail was cool. BTW, everyone should experience the dissatisfaction of finally successfully hunting an 894 pound bear just to be told they can only carry 100 pounds of virtual food back to their dysentery-stricken family. Creative OT epitaphs were my jam.

I got started on Twitter at the recommendation of a senior colleague whose invaluable career advice I deeply appreciate. While Twitter as an infotainment source or soap-box never resonated with me, it made more sense when I viewed it as a professional forum. I’ve come to realize it’s an excellent way to:

1. Keep up with scientific advances
2. Promote the science of my colleagues (or occasionally myself)
3. Seek real-time feedback/information (new ideas, conference happenings, etc.)
4. Interact with colleagues in a “hallway chat” kind of way

This last use case was the impetus for this blog post, as we’re all grappling with ways to retain a sense of community following our recent thrust into virtual communication. Now more than ever, I get a charge out of seeing posts from my Vanderbilt “family.” Especially the ones where they let their hair down a little and leave a few Easter eggs of their personal life cleverly nestled in there.

So how do you start?

1. Make a profile. Add *opinions are all my own* or similar disclosure to your bio so your institution’s social media police don’t get you.
2. Search for and follow people and groups you know (your institution’s name is a good first search). This is also a good way to build followers. Note: following someone doesn’t require they accept your invitation like LinkedIn or Facebook, so keep that in mind.
3. Learn the “rules” from a Twitter pro (aka not me), ideally someone you know IRL so you can see how their personality comes through online. Pro-tip: aim for the right curation/creation ratio, likely 20% or less creation. This was key for me, as I’m much more comfortable promoting others (curation) than myself (creation). It’s ok to sit on the sidelines for a while to get the lay of the land before you dive in and start tweeting/re-tweeting.
4. Check out these blog posts for more science Twitter how-to:

https://edgeforscholars.org/professional-success-in-social-media/ 

https://edgeforscholars.org/improve-tweets-using-healthcare-hashtags/

5. Check out this Nature article for more Science Twitter guidance: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00535-w

6. Start re-tweeting and commenting on posts from your colleagues. Ease into posting your own content, ideally with images included.

If now isn’t the time for you to embark on a Twitter experiment, I hope you continue to find community engagement in whatever ways work for you. Happy hour by Zoom? Old school phone call?

Let me be clear: I am still pretty new to Twitter myself and am unlikely to ever reach influencer status, so if you have additional tips or (gasp) corrections, please share in the comments section!

More Resources

Conversion of a Social Media Skeptic

Professional Success in Social Media

Not that Kind of Network: Tales of Developing a National Reputation

Follow this guide for a quick reference of using social media to engage and interact during conference season (whether in-person or virtual).

Pre-Conference Tweeting

1. Set up your social media account, or refresh your current profile. That means -> Nice looking and current headshot, focus of research in profile including your field and institution, and a brave readiness to be yourself (with the kind of filter you would use in a job interview, with the Dean, for example).
2. Follow the conference and any organizations that sponsor the event. Follow others that share interests. Like posts and retweet anything that relates to the conference.
3. Share relevant professional content of your own. Mentoring tips, lab advice, writing progress, or generally supportive anecdotes.
4. Add your Twitter handle to your business card or other online profiles.

Live-Tweeting Tips

1. Use the conference hashtag* on EVERY tweet you send. It’s not redundant, it helps.
   

   *BEFORE using any hashtag, do a quick search on Twitter to be sure you are engaging in the correct conversation. Bonus: Searching the conference hashtag brings up related posts, offering new accounts to follow and opportunities join the Twitter conversation of other conference attendees (hooray for virtual networking).

2. Check event site for any specific live-tweeting rules for sensitive topics and pending publications.
3. Tweet your own research and ask others to take pictures and Tweet as well.
4. Ask permission from each presenter BEFORE they begin so that you are clear what is okay to share publicly, and respect their decision if they say ‘No’. Either way it’s a great chance to meet them (and get their Twitter handle).
5. Use Twitter handles for presenters as well as their full name and title of their paper.
6. Be clear when using direct quotes versus paraphrasing.
7. Avoid sharing personal details shared during a talk and stick to the academic thread of their topic.
8. Take pictures of the event and the folks you interact with. Tag them and follow each other. If online, screenshots can work in a similar way, or a selfie of how you are viewing from home. (Just don’t forget to put on your pants and clear away the week’s worth of coffee cups off the desk.)
9. Don’t let Tweeting distract you from participating at the conference.

Post Conference Wrap Up

1. Check out your notifications and follow up by answering any questions, liking comments, and seeing who has shared your Tweets.
2. Search for other posts from the conference hashtag and like/retweet the ones that you like.
3. Follow up with anyone you met (either in-person or virtually) to connect by following them and sending a direct message to say hello.
4. Write a short post on Edge for Scholars about any key takeaways from your conference experience and how you felt using social media to connect with other researchers.

Helpful hint – If you hover over the icons in the Tweet it will tell you what each one will do, but here it is from left to right:

Upload an image, upload a GIF (searchable options appear), create a poll, choose an emoticon, schedule tweet for a specific date and time in the future, tag location.

Additional Resources for Academic Tweeting:

Twitter 101: how to follow people and discover topics

20 Essential Twitter Rules You’ve Probably Never Heard

But wait, there’s more! Twitter-rific Articles on Edge for Scholars:

Twitter for Scientists

How to Choose a Lab and Mentor According to #AcademicTwitter

Professional Success in Social Media

Finding Community on Twitter: Why I Plugged In

Conversion of a Social Media Skeptic