What (and) When to Twitter

As a senior PR student, it has been exciting to watch so many freshmen and undergraduate students get into social media. Even though I have been studying public relations since day one of classes, it took me two years to begin to understand why social media matters.

I frequently receive questions about what some social media tools are and what purpose they serve. Some still say that they think Twitter is "creepy" and that blogging "does not make any sense."

Sounds like a generation that has been jaded by Myspace.

Somehow I doubt we'll be watching a Dateline episode of "To Catch a Tweeter" any time soon. On the topics of Twitter and blogging, the two most frequent questions I hear are usually either:
What do I Twitter/Tweet about? (or) What should I blog about?

The most succinct answer I have about Twitter is this: use the 70-20-10 rule. (Thank you, Angela Maiers) Generally speaking:

--> 70% of your tweets should be about sharing articles, tools or helpful links;
--> 20% should be a personal thought or insight;
--> 10% should be personal conversation or responses

If you ever need to send someone a message that applies ONLY to them, a direct message is more appropriate 100% of the time. Simply type "d + their username" followed by your message.

The best advice I've ever heard about blogging comes from Seth Godin (granted, he is host to one of the most widely-read marketing blogs on Earth). Read it here. This was the last article I read before I began blogging in 2006.

Got a question? Please drop me an email at pauljmatson@ gmail.com or follow me on Twitter username: twitter.com/PaulMatson. Please subscribe!