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Twitter 101

 Confused about how or why to use Twitter? Check out this '101' Blog for everything you need! 

NCPERS is excited to use Twitter to communicate valuable information to our members, especially while we're hosting one of our educational conferences. However, we recognize that the world of social media can be large and confusing. Therefore the following breaks down the basics of Twitter to help get you started.
 
Twitter 101
 
Twitter is an information network made up of 140- character ‘tweets'. It is an easy and fast way to discover the latest news related to subjects that interest you.
 
Through Twitter, information is shared immediately. People use it on computers, tablets and mobile phones.
 
The best way to begin using Twitter is to ‘follow' other Twitter accounts that interest you. You can follow NCPERS on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/NCPERS
 
Why use Twitter?
 
Tweeting is a great way to communicate with other NCPERS members, share information and connect with like- minded people. It is also a terrific way to share knowledge at conferences; if you can't be in every session, or attend the conference as a whole, you can use social media and twitter for education.
 
How do I get started?
 
If you don't have a Twitter account, go to http://www.twitter.com and enter your name, your email address and choose a password. Twitter will send you a confirmation email and you will need to confirm the account. Once that is done, you are all set!
 
Retweet, reply, and react: Retweet messages you've found and like, or @reply with your reaction to someone's tweet.
 
Once you've begun with your own tweets, consider ‘mentioning' other users in your tweets (@twitter username). This will help to draw more eyes to your tweet and can even begin a new dialogue.
 
#Hashtags: the # symbol, called a ‘hashtag', is used to mark keywords or topics in a tweet. It was created organically by Twitter users as a way to categorize messages. For example, #publicpensions; #retirementsecurityforall; #AnnualConf14. Don't ‘spam' #with #hashtags. Don't #over-#tag #a #single #tweet.
 
NCPERS will be tweeting at the Annual Conference & Exhibition in Chicago, IL from April 26 - May 1. Make sure to follow #AnnualConf14 for educational updates!  



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