It’s not as scary as you think!
@ukcochranecentr
#cochranesm
Item B: Sharing Cochrane reviews through Twitter
• Why using Twitter is a good idea!• How to use Twitter effectively to promote
your work and activity:– Basic tweets– Better tweets!– Building a following– Spotting and creating opportunities to
maximise your impact– A few Dos and Don’ts
What we’ll cover
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“There is great power in the conversation. Know the risks and behave accordingly, but do not be so risk averse that you do not participate.”
Faris Timimi M.D., Medical Director for the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media
Why use social media?
• Don’t Lie, Don’t Pry• Don’t Cheat, Can’t Delete• Don’t Steal, Don’t Reveal
(A 12-Word Social Media Policy, Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media, 2012)
• Add value
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Simple rules for using social media
Twitter is like a room full of people you want to network with – a very big one!
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• Self-promotion: target those who may be interested in your work & can use/promote it
• Others want to do this too – you can help each other!
• It’s an opportunity to put on a public display/represent your organisation
• Great for information-gathering• Remember – anyone in the
room could be listening• It’s social, it’s conversational• You might enjoy it!
• You have 140 characters per tweet • At its most basic this will be the thing you
want to say….• …and most often a link too (if you’re
tweeting about a review, for example, you need to give people the link to it)
Twitter: the bottom line
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• Updated falls prevention review: good evidence that exercise helps http://ow.ly/iJJ8a #falls #exercise @AgeUK
# - hashtags
@ - Twitter handle
http:// - link or shortened link
A tweet is built up of…
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• Associate your tweet with a topic
or event #epilepsy #cochranequebec
• Make your tweet searchable by that tag
• Can act as a sub-clause to your
tweet, for added comment, emphasis or humour:
#Cochrane researchers find #Relenza data provided by GSK unusable. http://ow.ly/lGCId #frustrated
Hashtags (anything with # in front)
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Using Hootsuite, a free social media management tool, shortens the links
Shortened link = 18 characters http://ow.ly/iJJ8a
Full link = 74 characters http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD007146/interventions-for-preventing-falls-in-older-people-living-in-the-community
There are other advantages to using Hootsuite too
A word about links
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Performance anxiety
What can I tweet about?
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TWEETING YOUR REVIEW#cochranesm
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This is ok:
Pressure-relieving interventions for treating diabetic foot ulcershttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD002302.pub2/abstract
But this is better:
Pressure-relieving interventions for treating diabetic foot ulcers http://ow.ly/kOY9u #diabetes #diabeticfoot
I’ve added #diabetes and #diabetic foot so people searching for that would find it. I’ve also shortened the link by using Hootsuite
Tweeting your review
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This is better still:
Non-removable, pressure-relieving casts more effective in healing #diabeticfoot ulcers than removable casts http://ow.ly/kOYKi #Cochrane
This adds value by saying something about the review’s findings. It tells people it’s a Cochrane review and a search for #Cochrane will find it.
Tweeting your review
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Build a following
I found the account for @DiabetesUK - I could add them to my tweetI could look at who they follow and are followed by to find similar accountsUsing a hashtag e.g. #diabetes may gain me some new followers
Tweeting your review
• Updated falls prevention review: good evidence that exercise helps http://ow.ly/iJJ8a #falls #exercise @AgeUK
• If you haven’t got space to add hashtags at the end you can put # before the relevant word in the main text of the post
• If you include a Twitter name for an individual or organization they will get an email alerting them to it – a good way to be seen!
Build a following
#’s & Twitter handles in your tweets can attract new followers
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You can highlight different aspects of a review:
Missing data weakens evidence in #Cochrane review of efficacy of fluoride supplements. http://ow.ly/kOZxP #caries #fluoride
Fluoride supplements are better than none in preventing tooth decay in children: #Cochrane review http://ow.ly/kP015 #caries #fluoride
Tweeting your review
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Tweeting your review
Some reviews really lend themselves to multiple tweets:
Home safety interventions effective in reducing #falls: updated #Cochrane review http://owly.org/CD007146
#Cataract surgery on 1st eye reduces #falls in older women http://owly.org/CD007146 #Cochrane
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Build a following
Searching for a hashtag e.g. #exercise or #cataracts can show who is tweeting about these & may bring up some accounts worth following
You can target different audiences by the language you use
Taking antioxidant vitamins won’t cut your risk of getting #cataracts http://ow.ly/ivrBU
No evidence that antioxidant vitamin supplementation slows visual acuity loss or reduces #cataract risk or progression http://ow.ly/ivrBU
Tweeting your review
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It’s fine to tweet about uncertainties…
• Evidence on provision of educational materials to prevent #falls inconclusive http://ow.ly/iJJ8a #Cochrane
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…and to shout about the review’s reach
• Washington Post on #Cochrane falls prevention review: Obama calls it “the most important review of our time” link #falls
• @bbchealth features new #Cochrane review on #probiotics for #diarrhoea prevention ow.ly/lzrtx #CochraneEvidence
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Spot and target a potential audience
• It’s Falls Awareness Week: there’s a designated hashtag – #fallsweek add it to your tweet, & search for the # to see what’s being talked about
• There’s a conference (as above)
• It’s January & icy, time to tweet about falls prevention:
anti-slip shoes can reduce #falls in icy conditions http://ow.ly/iJJ8a #ice #winter
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• I’ve spotted the International Epilepsy Congress, Montreal, I’ve found the designated Twitter account @EpilepsyCongres and hashtag #30thIEC
• I’ve had a look at the programme• I’m ready to tweet some relevant reviews e.g.#Cochrane review finds good evidence lacking on melatonin as add-on treatment for #epilepsy http://ow.ly/kP3Sr #30thIEC
• I’ll also search for #30thIEC to see what people are tweeting about
Upcoming conference
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Build a following
Events are opportunities to reach new audiences and to find new accounts to follow too.
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Build a following
When someone retweets or replies to your tweet, check if you’re following them. If not, perhaps you should!
These will usually be health-related, but not always!
Awareness/Special Days
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Build a following
I tend to follow more organizations than individuals, but some individuals are powerful influencers with large followings – engage with them if you can!
I tweeted…
Health professionals: has a #Cochrane review changed your practice? We’d love to hear!
Take a risk!
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The lifestyle editor from NHS Choices responded:
These conversations followed…
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…and an optometrist
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Build a following
This was retweeted by @MyEyeHealth – they could be worth following! Do theyhave followers I should
follow?
• Caroline Fiennes also commented on the tweet & I started following her. Then this:
…and I made a new connection
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EXAMPLE: Jumping into conversations
#cochranesm
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Jump into a conversation
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Build a following
Engagement is more important than numbers. Increasing your following is good but you can show value & reach by the conversations you’re having.
DO’S AND DON’TS#cochranesm
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Dos and don’ts
DO• Listen, engage, join in conversations• Link often, direct people to useful sites – especially your
own!• Keep it active• Credit others• Keep the tone pleasant and professional
DON’T• Use abbreviated text-talk; cutting corners in your tweets
suggests you might cut them elsewhere!• Allow your tweets to be truncated at the end – people
may miss things
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• Twitter offers big returns for even a small amount of time spent
• Hootsuite makes managing Twitter easier• Keep it active• Aim for a mixture of scheduled and
responsive tweets• Look for people discussing your topics
(events, conversations)• Don’t be scared – give it a go!
Takeaway points
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