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2. DIVE IN Follow people and
organizations you want to get to
know. Then immerse yourself by
tweeting about the latest news
in your field, retweeting others’
posts and applauding psychologists who publish important new
research. “When you mention
somebody, they’ll often retweet
you if you’ve said something nice
about them,” says Amy Lynn
Smith (@alswrite), a communications strategist who helped with
President Obama’s 2012 campaign. “That kind of reciprocity is
what makes Twitter successful.”
3. PARTICIPATE IN ONLINE
EVENTS Join Twitter chats or
consider hosting one yourself.
Career
One in five U.S. adults now uses Twitter, finds a 2015 survey by the
Pew Research Center. Along
with LinkedIn and Facebook,
Twitter is a social media platform that’s also a valuable
tool for netting jobs and other
opportunities; a 2014 survey
by Jobvite found that half of
employers surveyed used Twitter
for recruiting.
Because it offers the chance
to meet other professionals
and share timely information
in an informal, open-access
environment, Twitter is also
an important tool for science
communication.
But merely having a Twitter
handle won’t grow your professional presence—you need
unique skills to get and hold
people’s attention. Here are eight
ways to maximize your Twitter
network:
1. IDENTIFY YOURSELF To help
people—and search engines—
find you on Twitter, make sure
your profile includes your real
name and a link to your website,
as well as a high-quality photo
and a few words about your areas
of expertise. Find great examples
at Twitter’s best practices blog:
https://blog.twitter.com/2015/
tweettip-twitter-profile-best-practices.
The National Institute of Mental
Health hosts chats regularly—
find a list at
www.nimh.nih.gov/
health/twitter-chats/ index.shtml.
4. LIVE TWEET Attending a
conference? Let other attendees
know you’re there by tweeting
top talking points, or discussing
sessions including the conference
hashtag.
5. USE GRAPHICS Tweets
with photos and video have
engagement rates—likes,
retweets and clicks— 35 percent
higher than those that don’t,
according to Twitter.
6. BE MODEST Talking about
your work builds credibility. Too
much self-promotion, though,
can be off-putting. “If it’s your
intent just to share all the
wonderful things you have done,
Twitter will ignore you,” says
Benjamin Miller, PsyD, of the
University of Colorado School
of Medicine, who uses Twitter to
share health policy news.
7. DON’T DISAPPEAR—OR
DELUGE Most followers
appreciate regular engagement,
according to a 2012 report by
Salesforce, a data analysis firm.
Posting one to four times per
day is optimal; more than seven
times daily and your readers
may tune out.
8. HAVE FUN Let your personality shine to help followers
get to know you. Humor helps;
think cocktail party conversation.
“It’s not called social media for
nothing,” Smith says. Remember,
though, that screen grabs are forever, so stay professional. ■
8 WAYS TO NETWORK
BETTER ON TWITTER
Your next job or grant may be 140 characters away
BY STACY LU
● For more tips
on using Twitter
effectively, visit
#learnsocialmedia,
an ongoing chat.
And be sure to follow
@APA_Monitor to stay
on top of practice
news and psychology
research.
