BES BULLETIN VOL 45:4 / DECEMBER 2014 Why you should be on Twitter

Richard English / Communications Manager / British Ecological Society [email protected]

We at the BES love Twitter. WHY BECOME A TWEEP: HOW TO BECOME A TWEEP: It allows us to hear from and World domination 1) Go to Twitter.com and download Join up and extend your global Twitter to your device speak directly to thousands networking possibilities by millions If you have it on your tablet or phone, of people. It’s not the only you can more easily take a photo/ Network video and share it immediately way we communicate with Don’t be shy, connect with people by our members, but it’s one using their @username in your tweet, 2) Create an account e.g. Hi, @BritishEcolSoc do you run policy Your username could say something with massive reach. intern programmes? about you, whether it’s your name or area of research, e.g. @Bill_ In the past few years, Twitter use has Talk, help, share Sutherland, @WaspWoman become more widespread in our field – Tweet about what interests you. Need and for good reason. People have seen help? Tweet and someone can probably A long username will eat into the 140 its potential for disseminating research on give it. Know the answer to someone’s character limit and give people less a global scale, highlighting opportunities question? Tweet them. Found a tweet room to talk. And no one likes that… to get involved and networking with interesting? Tell them. It’s easy to make 3) Upload a photo to your profile people in different disciplines. a connection People who keep the generic ‘egg’ Twitter is an informal, information Lurk image are less likely to be taken network made up of 140 character seriously. Change it to a photo of messages called ‘tweets’. 274 million You don’t have to tweet – just follow the people you’re interested in, sit yourself for ease of recognition. Unless people across the world are on Twitter – you look like an egg… and they’re not just talking about back and read One Direction. Be your business card 4) Follow people Set up a profile and you can craft your Show your personality; people are less Look at @BritishEcoSoc to see who own newsfeed from tweets of people likely to engage if you have a blank follows us and who we follow; get and organisations you like – by choosing profile. Carve yourself a niche inspiration for people you might want who you follow, you will sieve out the to follow, then look at their followers. extraneous noise for a fully tailored feed. Favourite Click their ‘follow’ button to have their tweets appear in your timeline Much of the breaking news appears Click on the ‘favourite’ button of a first on Twitter – that includes career tweet to store useful links, advice 5) Accruing Followers opportunities – so, chances are, you or contact details will hear things first. Don’t worry about this – you don’t need a million followers. Most people It’s also a great leveller as Twitter allows are friendly and will follow you back you to chat directly with someone you would ordinarily not meet – or not feel 6) Find conversations comfortable approaching. Click on the hyperlinked hashtag or type in the ‘search’ box to join Online communication can be faceless in a conversation, e.g. #ecology, and it might be tempting to dispense #womeninscience, #marine. Use with manners; before you tweet, think the official hashtag when tweeting about whether you would say it to from a meeting, e.g. #BESSfe; that someone’s face. Potential employers way, people can follow proceedings and collaborators might be watching… wherever they are based.

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HOW TO BE A TWEEP AT OUR GLOSSARY ANNUAL MEETING • Sign up before the meeting so you @ Retweet (RT) can build connections ahead of time This identifies a username, e.g. Someone’s tweet that you forward Hello @BritishEcolSoc! People will to your followers; often used to pass • Follow @BritishEcolSoc and use your @username to mention along news, views or jobs @SFEcologie and search for the you in tweets or in a direct message meeting hashtag: #BESSfe Username • Put your Twitter handle prominently DM Your name on Twitter; it is always on your talk or poster Direct Messages are private immediately preceded by ‘@’, e.g. conversations between people who @BESpolicy • Poster sessions will be busy, so let follow each other. They also have a people know other times you will 140-character limit Trend/Trending Topics be available A topic or hashtag that is popular Favourite • Tweet about your talk or poster before at that moment, e.g. #Christmas you are due to present Favouriting a tweet indicates that you like it; you can also use the function to Tweep • Be confident and tweet at specific store information. Find your favourite A Twitter user people you want to notice your tweets by clicking on the ‘favourites’ presentation, e.g. Hello @GMMace. button on your profile. The author Tweet My 09.45 talk on biodiversity directly will see that you liked it links to your project. Be great to chat A message that may contain photos, afterwards. Follow videos, links and up to 140 characters of text • Tweet a photo of where your talk or Click the ‘follow’ button next to their username to have their tweets appear poster will be. Even try a selfie, so Would you prefer a practical Twitter in your feed people can more easily find you 101 tutorial? Richard English, Communications Manager, will be on • Remember that Twitter will not Hashtag or # hand throughout #BESSfe and is easily only help you connect with people This groups conversations and marks bribed with biscuits and cake. at #BESSfe, but also those users keywords, e.g. #fieldwork. Click on not attending the hyperlinked hashtag or type it into Thanks to @ASPB for providing a • Questions for plenary speakers will the search box. Popular hashtagged helpful blog on Twitter use at only be taken via Twitter; this means words are often ‘Trending Topics’ meetings: http://blog.aspb. questions will be succinct, shyer org/2014/06/23/social-media- delegates can participate and people Mention increase-visibility-poster/ outside of the meeting can join in, too Inclusion of another Twitter user in your tweet, e.g. Thank you @BritishEcolSoc Twitter itself has useful guidance: • Keep the conversation going – for a great meeting https://support.twitter.com/groups/ maintain connections you make after 50-welcome-to-twitter# and https:// #BESSfe has finished. Twitter is for life, Reply support.twitter.com/articles/215585# not just Christmas (well, until the Next Big Social Media Thing comes along…) A response to someone’s tweet that begins with their @username. Click the “reply” button to comment on a tweet

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