Abby Young-Powell
Kate Day, The Telegraph’s Social Media and Engagement Editor, gives three good reasons why Journalists should make the most of sites like Twitter (this one’s for all the sceptics out there)…
1. Employers judge us on our online presence
Impressing employers has always been about having a good reputation and now this can be easily proven, or undermined, online. After you have applied for a job the first thing many employers do is Google your name. Young people are expected to be web savvy and employers will notice if you are not on social media sites. Likewise, they will take note of how many followers you have on Twitter and how you engage with other users; this doesn’t mean you have to be a Twitter monster to get a job, but it helps.
2. You can understand your readers better
By actively listening and engaging with people via Twitter you can learn what it is that your readers/users/listeners/viewers want. This will help you to gage what news stories are most important to the people who will be absorbing them. As part of her job Kate will listen to what people are saying online and inform her news editor if a particular story needs to be given more attention.
3. You can maintain audience loyalty
Individual newspapers can become like a social club. Many People feel a loyalty to their own paper, which they believe reflects their own political, social or personal views. An online presence can enhance that. By allowing readers to engage with you in conversation or debate you create a community. Readers can engage with each other, re-Tweet posts, Share or Like things and this creates a loyal congregation of readers.
And above all, Twitter and social media is a fun, sociable and entertaining way of interacting with people, so enjoy it!
