Oracle of ONE1

In my role as a Red Cross representative, I work with a number of Public Health agencies. At a recent meeting, I mentioned Twitter and stated my opinion — that all public health Public Information Officers should be using Twitter.  I got a bunch of blank stares and not because of disagreement or boredom but because out of about 30 representatives only one or two had any idea what Twitter was.

What follows is both a quick overview of Twitter and my reasons why I believe public health should be using twitter. The information is directed to public health agencies but others may find it useful as well.

Twitter Defined

Twitter is a cross between social networking, instant messaging, and micro-blogging. You make yourself publicly available. This means you may follow people and be followed by people. Followers see all of your messages and you see all the messages of the people you follow. Messages are limited to 140 characters which means they must be concise. Shortened URLs pointing to more detailed information is encouraged.

Twitter Community

In general, twitter users are active, informed, and interested. Many Twitter experts refer to the media as a conversation, meaning it has a give and take approach. Those who only give or take are dropped. Twitter users are interested in their community and take the effort to spread important information to their followers.

Information Dissemination

Twitter messages, known as tweets, have the potential for an exponential rate of dissemination. Why? The encouraged practice of retweeting allows a message to reach not only your followers but your followers’ followers and beyond. Retweeting is the practice of sending a received tweet to your followers. It has been shown from a number of recent disasters that Twitter is the quickest means of spreading information.

Topic Tracking

Hashtags are a convention that allows a tweet to be categorized into topics. The recent Italy earthquake has the #terremoto hashtag. Anything with this hashtag is likely related to that earthquake, http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23terremoto. There are also hashtags such as #pistachio and #flood09.

Public Health Information

Many times, public health has the need to disseminate information that is accurate and timely. In times of disaster, rumors are rampant and reliable sources of information are valuable. Also, information is slowed down by the disaster circumstances and any and all means to circumvent those blocks should be used.

How to Twitter

Twittering is a relatively simple process. One, sign up for an account at http://twitter.com. Two start following others. Three start sending tweets. Tweets may be viewed and sent via many methods, including: the twitter website, desktop applications, iPhone applications, Blackberry applications, and others.

How Often to Tweet

During non public health emergencies, tweeting about once per business day would be appropriate. It is important to establish yourself as a reliable source of information and to gain followers.

What to Tweet About

Tweet about the things important to public health. That may be immunization clinics, children’s health topics, anti-smoking information, and others.

Are Other Agencies Using Twitter?

Yes, definitely. At the end of this article, in the Resources and References section, are links to directories listing government agencies and American Red Cross chapters using Twitter. In our area, the Milwaukee Police Department is using Twitter. There are many health agencies using Twitter. The CDC has at least 1 account at CDC_eHealth.

Engage Your Followers

Twitter also has three special message types. These are the retweet, the reply and the direct message. Retweets were covered earlier. A reply is a public message sent in reply to another user (often a follower). A direct message is a private message sent to only a follower. The reply and direct message allow a sort of conversation to occur. This conversation is one of the strengths of Twitter.

Reach

Twitter has international reach. That being said, it can be used in a very local manner. People have a tendency to follow both the best and the local in their interest areas. As an example, about 50% of my followers are from the Milwaukee area.

Media Connection

In our area, the Journal-Sentinel is making a concerted effort to have their reporters fluent in Twitter. Those reporters follow users whom they believe may offer news. Public Health is certainly one of those that would be followed by local media. This is a connection between the news maker and the news writer that I do not believe has existed before.

Conclusion

I strongly suggest that Public Health should be using Twitter today. In order for Twitter to be most useful to Public Health during an emergency, Public Health needs to establish itself as a reliable, accurate, and engaged user.

Resources and References

• Twitter FAQ
• Twitter Help Resources
• Retweet: The Infectious Power of Word of Mouth
• GovTwit Directory
• Social Brand Index
• 100 Twitter Tools to Help You Achieve All Your Goals
• American Red Cross Chapters on Twitter
• Twitter and Microblogging for Public Health
• Thoughts on: Twitter, Public Safety, Law Enforcement