Be yourself. And 7 other social media tips worth adopting

Last month I took part in a breakfast seminar hosted by Mynewsdesk. During my presentation, “Tales from the newsroom … and other lessons in social media”, I offered a handful of tips whether using social networks in a personal/individual capacity or as a company/organisation.

Among the tips were these eight:

1. Follow key influencers
2. Retweet and share interesting things
3. Write sells that really do sell
4. Tweet/Post to be retweeted/shared
5. Time your posts
6. Go niche
7. Be funny
8. Be yourself

If you want to  read more about each, Laura McLean has fleshed them out over at the Mynewsdesk blog.

Mastering social media: another reader

Some practical tips, inspiration and how-tos. What more could you need?*

General

Jay Rosen’s 10 Social Media Tips for Journalists

What it’s like to tell a story without social media and why I will never do so again

What social media success looks like and how to achieve it

Social media: copyright and fair dealing

Channel 4 News’s Faisal Islam’s top tips for digital journalists

How charities can use social media for digital campaigning

 

Twitter

Twitter: Advanced search tools for journalists

As Egypt Erupts in Political Tumult, Twitter Translates High-Profile Tweeters

Like Twitter before, Vine is worth your attention

Six reasons why Vine is a killer news tool

 

Facebook

Facebook rolls out Graph Search across US

How to use Facebook follow

How to add a Facebook follow button

 

Google+

How to add Google+ authorship

How to add Google Knowledge Panel

 

*If the answer to the question is “lots”, then have a look at the first social media reader here

Fine without Vine? Think again

For my piece this week over at the Press Gazette, I’ve made the case for using Twitter’s Vine, the app that let’s you film and upload six-second video clips that play on a loop.

Why would you want to do that? Good question:

Just like Twitter, attempts to sell the benefits are not easy. And just like Twitter, when you see some examples you start to get it. Again the creativity comes from working within limits.

There are three examples over on the Press Gazette worth watching and for journalism here are some suggested uses to start with:

Print publications should be using it too – to promote cover art or front page leads; to take readers inside the newsroom, to a press conference or on assignment; to get a word from the editor or the writer of the cover story.

You can read Like Twitter before, Vine is worth your attention here.