Show More Appreciation, With Twitter

The odds are stacked in your favor if you are looking for any artist or journalist on Twitter. While some may not be as interactive as others, most will have an account for the networking opportunities it presents.

Twitter is a great way to circulate your media. For me, it is primarily a news source and therefore requires one main quality – timeliness.

In my seventh semester hosting a radio show, I have just become aware that the best way for me to reach out to the artists I feature is by live charting the music I am playing. The response has been great because as I would expect, people are generally very happy to hear their work is being appreciated. I also hashtag all songs charted with #NowPlaying, a popular music sharing hashtag for radio broadcasters.  

This new technique has opened my eyes to new ways of using Twitter. If I am sharing an article, I strive to include the author that wrote it.  If the article is about an organization or business, I will include the Twitter handle for it also.

The benefits go beyond getting more followers and recognition. It’s letting people know how much their work is being appreciated; something everyone strives to achieve in their career. Outreach like this tends to reciprocate itself among colleagues, with potential to reach out further.

While most Twitter handles should be quite easy to find, news outlets such as the New York Times have made it even more convenient by providing this page.

Among all the benefits, I urge everyone to take at least one piece of advice. If you cannot find the Twitter handle at first, please be careful of your spelling of names – one of a journalist’s primary concerns.

At least he had a good sense of humor about it!