7 Ways Twitter Can Boost Your Work in 2022

Back in 2015, I thought Twitter might be on its way out. There was nothing new or cool about it compared to other, rising platforms and I figured it would go the way of MySpace. But, former President Donald Trump changed all that. Without him and his infamous tweets, I don’t know where Twitter would be now. Even though he’s no longer tweeting (because he was banned), it experienced a resurgence that has continued to this day. 

The platform got another boost in 2022 when Elon Musk became interested in purchasing it. Musk, the richest man in the world, also became very active there and began speaking out on free speech issues, which have seen their own resurgence with the prevalence of social media.

That said, Twitter has retained its relevance and it’s an important tool for writers, media personalities, policy groups and politicians. In fact, 88% of journalists use Twitter regularly and 192 million people login in daily for news and more. 

As someone who has been active on the platform since 2008, working in politics, policy and writing, I have a real insider’s look. I’ve also been working on social media training and management for over a decade. In light of this, I’m sharing some of my top tips for using Twitter to your advantage when you work in politics, policy, or communications of any kind. 

1. Optimize your account. Be sure your profile photo, image header, bio and website look professional and represent why you are there. Use keywords in your bio to ensure you are searchable (for both SEO and Twitter search) and your reason for being there is clear to those who find you.

2. Create Twitter lists. Twitter can be a firehouse of information if you follow too many people. Simplify the experience by creating Twitter lists based on topic or expertise. Then, when you are seeking information on particular topics, you can simply check out individual Twitter lists, rather than following everyone on the main timeline.

3. Make your account compelling. Chances are you, you have information you want to get out there. You can make your tweets more compelling by ensuring each tweet is educational or helpful in some way. This could be done by tweeting out bits of data, breaking up the tweet into listicle form, using spacing between lines for readability. Make your tweet easy to read with short chunks that have a big impact in your issue area.

4. Build Twitter threads. If you have helpful information to share, one useful way to share it is by creating a Twitter thread. This is done by creating a series of tweets connected to one another. Twitter makes it easy to thread your tweets together by offering a connector tweet after each one. Examples to include in a thread might be a list of important points, sharing a longer story, or relevant pieces of a policy paper.

5. Engage well. Like most social media platforms, Twitter works best when you engage. By using simple functions like replies and quote tweets, you can engage with the people, politicians, organizations and companies that matter in your field. Replying to important tweets can gain you the right type of attention.

6. Live-Tweet. By live-tweeting during relevant and important events in your industry or the world, you can engage in a national conversation and get your thoughts or information out there to a larger audience. Many people tweet during the State of the Union, for example, sending out links & commentary with hashtags when the President mentions a related issue area. It’s a simple, free opportunity to be part of the conversation. 

7. Connect with relevant people. One of the best places to connect with those in your issue or career area may be Twitter. Often, people are quicker to respond to a tweet or Direct Message than an email. Email inboxes are cluttered and overwhelming. A Twitter DM can feel quick and easy to respond to. For questions, quotes or things like invitations to be on a podcast or scheduling a phone call, you can have your best luck on Twitter.

These are just a few ways you can utilize Twitter, whatever area you work in. Though the majority of Americans don’t use it regularly, those interested in politics, policy, journalism and communication do. Tweets can make news and reach people that matter if that’s something that’s important to the work you do. Don’t neglect this important platform.