Free Twitter tutorial: Even expert tweeters will benefit

The Knight Digital Media Center has posted a great free tutorial called Twitter for journalists, and whether you’re a Twitter expert or you’re still resisting it, there’s a lot there for you.

KDMC’s Scot Hacker and Ashwin Seshagiri have compiled what the center, part of the UC-Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, calls a “complete guide to the art of microblogging.”

“We’ll discuss general concepts,” the pair write, “then take a look at specific techniques for increasing engagement, building a quality network of followees, best practices, and share a ton of tips for effective community building.”

The authors explain how Twitter is very different from Facebook and, in terms of being “a news amplifier,” can be more important for writers than Facebook, even though the latter is much larger.

The key difference is that Facebook is organized around people you know, while Twitter is organized around things you are interested in. Facebook is about finding friends. Twitter is about finding information.

The piece then runs through the basics of getting started and posting on Twitter, using it as a tool for getting as well as giving information, and engaging with other users, many of whom are your potential sources and readers.

It’s thorough and smart, and I recommend spending some time with it, even if you, like me, think you know it all about Twitter.

Disclosure: I’m a graduate of the UC-Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.