At St. Catherine University I teach social media in many classes. Invariably, the first time I project a Twitter screen my students tell me they don’t use it. Of course, it’s my job to tell them why, teach them how, and assist them in developing strategies for their clients. (We partner with small, local businesses, such as Highland Business Association members this term). Our preferred medium is our private class blog. In that blog, I publish tactical instructions for all media ranging from business card design (don’t forget your QR code) to the vernacular of Twitter. I also reference other web writers.

Today, I read an awesome article about using Twitter professionally from the Educational Technology & Change Journal. Here is excerpt explaining the confusion many people feel when they first set up a Twitter account:

If you’ve set up your account and have had some initial experience tweeting, you may be wondering how you’ll sort through and keep up with the constant flow of information and resources brought to you via your Twitter account.

The main Twitter page can be frustrating to use since it presents long lists of incoming and outgoing tweets in non-sortable, chronological order, which can make data consumption a chore.

Ideally, Twitter will become a source of information when you need it, and not just another item on your already lengthy list of things to do. Dashboard applications offer one way to make the process not only more efficient in terms of your time and effort, but also more user friendly so you’ll want to return.

You can read the entire post here. I particularly like the Hootsuite graphic with arrows that identify each section of the navigation screen. It’s just the kind of post I wish I’d written! If you need a more basic introduction to Twitter, read part I in the series:  Twitter for Professional Use — Part 1:  Getting Started.