twitter alerts: a guide for communicators by rachel miller
DESCRIPTION
A short guide to a new tool, Twitter Alerts, by internal communication and social media strategist Rachel Miller @AllthingsICTRANSCRIPT
A guide for communicators
Rachel Miller
Internal communication and social media strategist
www.allthingsic.com @AllthingsIC
What are Twitter Alerts?
• During times of crisis, disaster or emergency, your choice of communication channel is key
• Twitter Alerts are available to local, national and international institutions that provide critical information to the general public e.g. public safety and law enforcement agencies and Government bodies.
• The tool makes the most of public, real-time and wide-distribution capabilities of Twitter to enable fast and easy dissemination of vital, time-sensitive information.
Rachel Miller @AllthingsIC
Twitter Alerts:• can be published from desktop computer
or a mobile device. • are immediately delivered as notifications or text
messages to all your subscribers. • have a distinct look to stand out in Twitter
timelines and public Tweet links. • are seamlessly integrated into the Twitter
experience, so your audience won’t need to download a separate app or get used to a new service.
• can be retweeted, favourited and replied to.
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• Broadcast critical information on the go
• Makes your critical content easier to distinguish (displays differently in timeline)
• Tip: Remember to encourage your audience to receive your alerts
Why would you use Twitter Alerts?
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Who is using Twitter Alerts?47 Police forces across the UK and Ireland plus Government departments and charities
Rachel Miller @AllthingsIC
What does using Twitter Alerts mean?• As a Twitter Alerts account, you will be
exempted from Twitter’s spam rate limits. While you should only send your highest priority Tweets as Alerts, you will be able to tweet organically as often as the crisis situation requires.
• As a Twitter Alerts account, you will also get access to the Bing-powered automatic translation feature. Users will be able to see translations for your Tweets by clicking on a “View Translation” option.
• No cost attached to using Twitter Alerts, either for you as a publisher or your audience as consumers.
Rachel Miller @AllthingsIC
How to receive Twitter Alerts
Go to the URL of the company you wish to receive alerts from.
For example Metropolitan Police: www.twitter.com/metpoliceuk/alerts
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You’ll see this screen:
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Choose activate alerts
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It will ask you to confirm your mobile number
Your number is displayed here
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That’s it - you’re set to receive alerts to your phone as SMS
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To receive Twitter Alerts as app notifications you need to download from same screen
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Step-by-step guide to using Twitter Alerts if you have already enrolled
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Content creation
Using a specialised Tweet composer, craft a Tweet and tag it as critical from any computer or mobile device.
Note: As an enrolled organisation you’ll see a Twitter Alerts icon on your Tweet composer. Tapping or clicking on this icon will automatically add “#alert” to the body of your Tweet, transforming it into a Twitter Alert.
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Delivery
This critical Tweet will be instantly delivered to your subscribers as a push notification or text message, putting your must-know information directly in front of them
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Distribution
Twitter Alerts will be distributed directly to subscribers’ phones.
Twitter Alerts are designed to draw attention, standing out from other Tweets on your followers’ Timelines and across twitter.com and the Twitter mobile apps.
Rachel Miller @AllthingsIC
Dos from Twitter
• Do use Twitter Alerts sparingly, when conditions merit their use.
• Do include relevant media along with your Alerts, such as photos and maps.
• Do point and encourage your audience, off and on Twitter, to visit your custom “/Alerts” URL and start receiving your Twitter Alerts. You can do this online by tweeting, emailing or otherwise sharing this custom link — or offline by printing or announcing it.
Rachel Miller @AllthingsIC
Don’ts from Twitter
• Don’t send multiple Twitter Alerts restating the same or substantially similar content.
• Don’t use Twitter Alerts for updates that aren’t critical. For example, Twitter Alerts should not be used for general updates about your organisation or fundraising requests.
Rachel Miller @AllthingsIC
How can my company sign up to send Twitter Alerts?
If you think you’re eligible, contact Twitter and complete this form: https://about.twitter.com/products/alerts/enroll
Further reading: https://about.twitter.com/products/alerts/guidelines-faq
Rachel Miller @AllthingsIC
Rachel Miller @AllthingsIC
I hope you found this short guide useful.
You can read more information about
corporate communication, social media and much more via my blog, All
Things IC www.allthingsic.com
Rachel Miller@AllthingsIC