I’ve spoken to quite a few people who say they watch the weekly #nhssm chat, which is great. Some people have also said they find it difficult to know how or when to participate, often because they don’t use Twitter on a regular basis for conversations.
It’s understandable that people might want to just listen and read, but it would be great if a few more people felt confident to contribute.
If you’re new(ish) to Twitter, or #nhssm, or even talking to people live online, then here are a few pointers:
1. #nhssm is for everyone, regardless of what you do for a job, where in the world you are, or your level of social media knowledge. If you’re interested in the NHS and social media and have something to contribute: go ahead and tweet it (with the #nhssm hashtag, of course).
2. Suggest a question or topic to discuss in advance. You can tweet @nhssm before the chat on a Wednesday. All questions or ideas welcome!
3. Always use the #nhssm hashtag if you’re responding to a tweet from the chat, even if it’s not directly related to the topic being discussed. Using the hashtag helps connect everyone and allows new topics and ideas to be identified.
4. It’s good to have as complete and up-to-date profile as you can. This helps tell people more about you, and whether you’re tweeting in a personal or professional capacity.
5. #nhssm is social. Often, conversations might be light-hearted or jokey. But bear in mind that it’s sometimes easy to mis-judge someone’s meaning in 140 characters. Think twice before being too subtle or sarcastic.
6. Likewise, exclamation marks and capital letters may come across the wrong way SO USE WITH CAUTION! Sorry, didn’t mean to shout there.
7. If you’re not sure what a word or acronym means, don’t be scared to ask. One of the downsides of a chat that often involves lots of people from the public sector means that the odd acronym slips in.
Useful links to general guidance on using Twitter:
http://ashinyworld.blogspot.com/2011/01/some-random-twitter-rules.html
http://www.marypetto.com/twitter-101-how-to-language-and-etiquette/
Anything else about chatting on Twitter that you’re not sure about? Leave a comment here, or tweet @nhssm
Thanks, this is really helpful. I should feel a bit more comfortable about joining in next time.
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Hi,
I just found this site while looking for information about NHS social media campaigns – I work in social media and social business strategy, hence my interest. I think it is fantastic and a great resource and will definitely be listening in (possibly participating) on future #nhssm chats if they still happen on Weds evenings.
What a fantastic resource this site is: especially the thinking behind it and the community it is developing. I am particularly interested in social media governance and the infrastructure that supports and empowers people/employees to use social media.
Keep up the good work!
Louise (@pinkyandnobrain; @BLOOMWorldwide)