Creating Your Digital Brand: Twitter
Twitter is a social media site that was developed in 2006 as an online social networking service to promote online news with messages known as "Tweets." Unique to twitter, these "Tweets" are limited to only 280 characters, promoting the expression of only what you need to know.
Keeping this in mind, pharmacy as a health profession and multiple specialties within pharmacy practice have taken to this social media network to promote practice, research, and education. Numerous individuals have shared their expertise in their respective fields, which has indirectly created a social media presence for themselves. Want to create your digital brand while staying up-to-date within your current or future specialty? Create a Twitter and start "Tweeting"!
Click below to find out more!
Twitter Basics
Creating a Twitter Account
- Go to http://twitter.com and find the sign up box.
- Enter your full name, phone number/email address, date of birth, and a password. Click “Sign up for Twitter.”
- You must verify your phone number with a code that will be sent via text message. Enter this verification code in the box provided.
- Select a username, which will be your unique identifier on Twitter (make sure it is professional).
- Click “Create my account.”
How to Make the Most of Your Twitter Account
Below are some tips that will maximize the effectiveness of your Twitter profile!
Biography
Even if your biography is only 140 characters, it can make a difference! Explain who you are, what you do, and consider providing professional accomplishments while also giving a look at your personal side. If you have a website, provide the link to that page.
Profile Image
If building a personal brand, it may be best to utilize a professional headshot. Twitter recommends using an image that is 400x40 pixels in size.
Cover Photo
Consider using a cover photo that promotes what you do or visually represents your brand. Twitter recommends using a cover photo that is 1500x500 pixels.
Follow Your Twitter Analytics
Tracking your Twitter metrics can help you make more insightful decisions about what content to post and gain more followers.
You are able to track:
- Tweet impressions
- Top Tweet and Top Media Tweet
- Audience interests
- Profile visits
- Engagement rate
- Number of tweets linking to you
- Demographics
Use Hashtags
Create your own custom hashtag to build a conversation around a topic. If you run a webinar or Twitter chat, create a hashtag to promote the event. To get the hashtag to spread, encourage conversation and ask people to share stories around it.
Engaging Followers
Use these tips on how to not only engage your followers, but gain new ones!
Develop Creative Content
Use Twitter polls and ask questions:
- Audience can share their opinions, thoughts, and views
- Share the results with your audience and retweet the most interesting answers
Use visual content in your tweets:
- People are more likely to engage with Tweets that include visuals, such as GIFs, video, and images
Develop a themed content series:
- Develop a series that is linked together around a common theme
Popularity of Tweets
Popularity of tweets is influenced by:
- The popularity person or brand
- The categories of tweets, with health, technology, and sports being the most popular
- The language in the article (whether it is emotional or objective)
- The mention of celebrities, famous brands, or notable institutions
Retweeting:
- A tweet containing the phrase “Please Retweet” is more likely to be retweeted multiple times than one that does not
- The most retweetable words include “you,” “Twitter,” “please,” “retweet,” and “post”
How Many is Too Many?
Timing of tweets:
- Most retweets occur around 3 PM EST on Monday to Friday
Number of posts:
- No magic number, but post at least once per day
- Posting too much may cause some people to unfollow you
Pharmacy / Medical-Related Twitter Accounts
Now you have set up your first pharmacy-related Twitter account, follow these organizations and journals for a kick-start on your learning!
General Pharmacy/Medical Accounts
- @ACCP
- @PharmacoJournal
- @JACCPJournal
- @ACCPpostgrads
- @ASHPOfficial
- @SIDPharm
- @IDSAInfo
- @Sanfordguide
- @CLSI_LabNews
- @MAD_ID_ASP
- @Contagion_Live
- @InfectDis_Ther
- @Pharmacy_Today
- @TheAJPE
- @US_FDA
- @NIH
- @CDCgov
- @accpchest
- @nationallipid
- @AACPharmacy
- @JAMAInternalMed
- @TheLancet
- @bmj_latest
- @NEJM
- @MayoClinic
- @HarvardHealth
ACCP PRN Accounts
Tips on Who to Follow
- The organizations/journals listed under the "Pharmacy/Medical-Related Twitter Accounts" section will often “retweet” or “like” personal Twitter accounts from practitioners that tweet great information. Following the pharmacy/medical-related accounts can give you ideas of who to follow based on your interest of what is “retweeted” or “liked,” and then following the personal account that posted the original tweet.
- Get your name out there! Tweeting valuable clinical information will catch the eyes of the many clinicians and researchers on Twitter. They might follow you, so give them a follow back!