Twitter for Students: Build Your Online Image Part 2

Ready to continue developing your online image? Keep reading if your answer is yes! Last month we explored Facebook and the intricacies of having an account and how to tailor it to your advantage. This week: Twitter.

The social media world has pretty much stolen the term ‘tweeting’ from the animal kingdom – mention it in conversation and most people will realize you’re not talking about impersonating birds!

What’s so great about Twitter? Its speed for one thing – on your phone or iPad, wherever you are, as soon as something catches your eye you can ‘tweet’ about it and share with all your followers (and the rest of the online world) within seconds.

However, there is more to using Twitter effectively than just posting a tweet. This platform is a great way to have a say, influence others, make new contacts and even interact with potential employers. Here are few tips on managing yourinternet usage to ensure you can get the most out of it, have fun, and build an effective online image.

See also: Facebook for Students >

1) Choosing a Twitter name

A Twitter name comes in the format @name, using up to 15 characters. Many users choose some variation on their own name, such as @MoynaaA – but if someone else has already taken your name, you may need to get more creative with your Twitter name. You could add an attribute that says a little more about yourself, such as @LaurainLondon, or @Merlintheartist. Remember this is going to be the first thing other users see, so make sure you don’t choose a Twitter name that might put people off and tarnish your online image! Generally, keep it simple.

2) Adding an image

Similar to Facebook, adding an image to your profile is important to give other users a better idea of who they are interacting with. Putting a name to a face can add more to a conversation, and having a bright or distinctive online image may also help your tweets stand out more when other users scan their feeds. Unlike Facebook, where you can have hundreds of images of yourself and multiple albums, Twitter accounts just show a single image. So make it a good one, and make sure it projects the kind of online image you’d be happy with anyone seeing – friends, professional contacts, complete strangers – because it will be publicly visible.

3) Introducing yourself

The ‘Bio’ section is your opportunity to sum up who you are, what you do and what your interests are. Twitter as a platform is known for its emphasis on keeping it short – and the same applies here. 160 characters won’t allow you to spill your life story, so the key is to make it catchy, and make sure you include your main interests. Remember other Twitter users will be glancing at this when they decide whether or not to ‘follow’ you, so use this opportunity to ‘sell’ yourself to those you most want to connect with. 

4) Deciding who to follow

An important aspect of using Twitter is picking other users to ‘follow’ – meaning you’ll automatically see all their tweets when you log in. Friends are one obvious starting point, especially if you know they’re likely to be sharing news or pictures you’re interested in (and maybe the odd bit of gossip, via private message).

Next, you may want to follow celebrities, companies, brands or organizations you admire. And if you don’t have specific people in mind, you can search by topic – such as ‘environmental issues’ or ‘studying abroad’. Twitter will also regularly suggest people you may be interested in following, based on their similarity to those you already follow.

There are lots of different things you might get from following someone. It could be an individual who regularly posts comments that make you giggle, or maybe it’s an organization advertising internship opportunities you’re interested in. Maybe it’s a quick way to get the latest sports scores, or keep up to date with celebrity news or current affairs.

5) Tweeting effectively

Of course Twitter isn’t just about passively following; it’s about actively engaging in discussions – both by posting new tweets and responding to others. Some people have a habit of tweeting about every second of their lives – this may be interesting for some, but unless you’re a big celeb, you’re unlike to get many interactions from this! Make your tweets interesting, engaging, and – why not – funny! If you’re posting a link, make sure you give people a reason to click on it.

Warning: avoid being rude. This doesn’t necessarily mean avoiding saying anything at all controversial – after all social media is about having your say. But insulting people may land you in trouble – and remember others, including potential employers, will be able to see what you’ve said.

6) Hash tags #

Hash tags help Twitter users find tweets on a particular topic, and mark their own tweets as belonging to it. When you log in, you’ll see a list of currently trending (ie. popular) hash tags, which can be an interesting insight into what people are talking about! For example, #AlexFerguson was recently all over twitter on the day the football manager announced his retirement (TopUniversities joined the debate by highlighting his eight degrees). You can also start your own hash tags and tag other users to tweet them. This could be useful, for example, if you’re involved in a campaign, or organizing an event.

7) Final Twitter tips...

• For really dedicated Twitter users, the TweetDeck app is really helpful. This allows you to do things such as managing multiple accounts, scheduling tweets in advance, and keeping track of your Twitter interactions.
• Remember Twitter is used by millions who are constantly tweeting, so make sure your voice doesn’t get lost. If you want to make an impact, try to tweet every few hours – memory is short-term on Twitter!
• To make your tweets more engaging, use the TwitPic app to upload pictures and videos. Images definitely have the power to attract people’s attention more than anything else!

Twitter is definitely a must for anyone who wants to be ahead of the game – today news is often spread first and fastest on platforms like Twitter, and it can also mean you’re the first to hear about job or internship openings, competitions and so on. As a student, you can get a lot out of Twitter - useful connections, information and fun - and as a graduate worker, you’ll almost certainly need to be proficient at using this kind of platform. So now is a good time to get started!

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• Facebook for Students >
• Why do students use social media?
• See the latest trends in international student mobility and social media usage >