so this is mass communication?

At the Edelman Digital Bootcamp, I presented a number of social media assignments that I have worked into my traditional PR classes. This assignment is one of those assignments.

Related note: I previously posted on the topic of teaching through Twitter, Dr. Karen Miller Russell posted a write-up of 48 hours of Twitter & Dr. Mihaela Vorvorneau outlined her method for using it as a teaching tool.

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This assignment is ideal for PR Writing, Administration or capstone Campaigns courses.

In this assignment, students experiment how a presence application/microblogging tool such as Twitter could be used by an organization as a means to communicate with publics. Twitter, which limits all postings to 140 characters or less, seem to be fun solutions for providing a more human image of an organization, provide unique marketing opportunities if “coupon codes” or Twitter-only specials are announce on it and might be most appropriately used during a crisis to quickly move information from the scene of a crisis to headquarters, media outlets and citizens simultaneously (see Red Cross use of Twitter during 2007 California Wildfires as an example).

If this assignment is used in a writing class, professors could ask students to write 10 tweets as a part of the assignment (not actually posting on Twitter but simply writing the content). If this assignment is used in a capstone campaigns class, students could be encouraged to use Twitter as a campaign tactic aimed to building communities and informing publics on the campaign or a particular event.

Directions to students: Twitter is a microblogging site that requires each update to be 140 characters or less. It begins by asking, “what are you doing?” which is why some call it a presence application as well. Twitter is fun, addictive and represents an excellent opportunity for companies to build communities and inform their publics. The best tweets will display a human voice, include others in the conversation and offer unique information that couldn’t be found elsewhere. Don’t use Twitter as a way to reiterate a standard press release – use it to engage your publics and share urgent information with them (if in a crisis).

> Learning objectives

• Apply Web-writing composition techniques
• Practice properly targeting and engaging publics

> Layout and content recommendations

• Indicate the organization’s name at the top of the page
• Compose tweets, indicating time and date items would be posted on Twitter
• Keep tweets to 140 characters or less

> Tips and resources

• Keep it real: be honest and forthcoming in your tweets
• Don’t simply shill releases or products – tell stories instead
• Be transparent – don’t lie about who you are or why you’re writing about a particular topic
• Write it from a first-person perspective and make it conversational
• Try to humanize the organization
• Use the “tinyURL” site to take long URLs and turn them into small ones (it redirects you to page)
• Make the company logo the profile icon to continue branding (make sure it looks good at that size!)
• Involve others on Twitter by replying to their tweets and following others
• Consider using during a crisis to simultaneously release information from the scene of a crisis back to headquarters, media and publics simultaneously
• See these resources for additional tips
  • http://www.pr-squared.com/2007/09/prsquareds_social_media_tactic_2.html
  • http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/10/in-disasters-ev.html
  • http://overtonecomm.blogspot.com/2007/10/red-cross-uses-social-media-tools-to.html
  • http://stephensonstrategies.com/2007/10/01/new-on-youtube-use-twitter-in-emergencies
  • http://teaching.mrbelshaw.co.uk/index.php/2007/09/27/3-scenarios-for-using-twitter-with-your-students/
  • http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/2699/a-professors-tips-for-using-twitter-in-the-classroom
  • http://onlinejournalismblog.com/2008/02/15/teaching-students-to-twitter-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/

> Grading rubric

When grading the Twitter, consider how well it fits into the nuanced community of Twittering. Notice the CNN breaking news account – while we know CNN is reporting news 24-7, they only tweet “breaking news” once every 2 or so days so. Think of it as the boy who cried wolf; don’t over saturate your audience and only put engaging and meaningful information up. If it is overly promotional, only containing links to press releases or product related material then it is very bad Twitter content (e.g., D or C for a letter grade). However, if it begins/responds to/continues a conversation, offers information/resources related to the company’s industry (but isn’t promoting a specific company or affiliate product) or tells a “behind the scenes” type story then it is likely excellent (e.g., A or B for a letter grade). Promotional material (e.g., “Registration now online for event!” or “Next five people to walk into Smoothie King and say ‘ssooooo smoooth’ get a free smoothie”) from time-to-time is acceptable, but the Twitter account should be much more than that.

> Example

The Red Cross Twitter account is a good example of an organization, who has used Twitter to communicate during crises (fires, tornadoes, etc).

Other good organizational Twitter accounts:

• http://twitter.com/UGAprssa
• http://twitter.com/Poynter
• http://twitter.com/franklinpolice
• http://twitter.com/CICM
• http://twitter.com/converseon
• http://twitter.com/technorati
• http://twitter.com/socialmediaclub
• http://twitter.com/cnnbrk
• http://twitter.com/EDB_Lindsey
• http://twitter.com/EDB_erin

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