What the CBC should know about Twitter

 
The Twitterverse has spoken. Last week, Nora, Elizabeth and I did a presentation for our CBC colleagues called “What the heck is Twitter and why would I want to use it on my show?”

Early in the presentation, we asked our Twitter followers what the CBC should know about Twitter. Within a few minutes, we had pages and pages of responses. So then, in David Pogue Twitter Experiment style, here are the responses we received:

1. SpiderVideo: @sparkcbc To CBC’ers, interact and tweet as RL conversation
2. anteaya: @sparkcbc hello cbcers. Honesty translates. Cheers!
3. ruthseeley: @sparkcbc Hi CBC-ers (waves to Cathy if she’s there). Tweets with links are more effective when not all clumped up 6 at a time – my tip.
4. krisjoseph: @sparkcbc Hi CBCers! Twitter is about networking with people. It’s a 24/7 townhall meeting full of helpful friends you haven’t met yet!
5. SpiderVideo: @sparkcbc to CBCer’s: Twiiter is like a living thing that you need to feed and take care of, not a push tool
6. jessmcmullin: @sparkcbc Twitter at its best=conversation. John Byrne/BizWeek changed tweets from just article links to convo & became a real person for me
7. steveprattca: @sparkcbc It’s an amazing way to learn from experts in any given field – what they’re reading, thinking, doing, etc.
8. BrockSky: @sparkcbc Twitter is only as useful as the people you follow.
9. tournevis: @sparkcbc Remind them that Twitter happens in both official languages.
10. grinningskull: @sparkcbc First and foremost: use it more!
11. SpiderVideo: @sparkcbc to CBCers: you probably won’t get it from the outside, get in a play, you will see your results (or lack of) quickly
12. photojunkie: @sparkcbc hello spark and CBCers twitter is a great way to engage with your audience. Make the conversation two way.
13. steveprattca: @sparkcbc It’s also a very effective way to keep tabs on what the Spark team is up to, all the way from Vancouver.
14. alexaclark: @sparkcbc Hi CBCers. What you should know about Twitter is that it distills tweeters immediate reactions to impactful things – big + small.
15. solocorps: @sparkcbc Twitter is a tool. It is neither good nor bad, but can be either depending on what it’s being used for, and by whom.
16. davefleet: @sparkcbc Hi Nora/CBC. People are talking about you; you may/may not respond to each one but you have nothing to lose from listening
17. zoonini: @sparkcbc Hi CBC folks! Your audience is *right here* and we *want* to interact!
18. delchoness: @sparkcbc Twitter can be useful both for outside and inside company. Outside for awareness and community.
19. Lionnesss: @sparkcbc Hi Spark! I’d follow a CBC twittererer if they link to interesting content, ask interesting questions and don’t spam.
20. delchoness: @sparkcbc Inside, Twitter can be used to replicate an in-person feel with far off colleagues and reduce ‘silo’d’ thinking across functions
21. FaramarzHashemi: @sparkcbc Seth Godin said it best : ‘If you want to be in multiple social media and also have a day job, you’re going to need a staff’
22. delchoness: @sparkcbc I use Twitter to draw interest to my start-up and connect with likeminded people, to pick up trends, and seek/offer advice
23. stuartma: @sparkcbc Hi Nora & CBC folk. twitter seems annoying & silly at 1st but moves rapidly from noise to signal. But you have to engage
24. ianirving: @thornley Twitter isn’t about content, it’s about connecting with possibility
25. monicarooney: @sparkcbc Twitter is not for one way communications. It is for engaging people in conversations. Need to follow people and respond.
26. tachyondecay: @reply with comments and questions!
27. Guin: @sparkcbc what CBC should know: how quickly news spreads on twitter. ie. election coverage on twitter before TV
28. besthealthmag: @sparkcbc Hi! It’s the best way to get up-to-date info (like last night’s Union station flood) be the first news outlet to report
29. mkunruh: @sparkcbc twitter reminds me that I should listen to my favorite shows and makes me feel that I’m part of the CBC community
30. delchoness: @sparkcbc I think twitter can hugely reduce disconnect in an enterprise e.g. IT gets it wrong because it has no idea what mktg is up to.
31. ginamulic: @sparkcbc Hi. Twitter makes people feel involved. Audience is savvy/well connected. Can build momentum. It’s a rich media – provide links.
32. karimkanji: @sparkcbc Hi! would love it if conversations would take place rather than just “ME” posts about “ME and what I’Me doing” let’s talk!
33. obliquitree: @sparkcbc how many story ideas have you gotten via Twitter? R3 uses it for request shows as well. response is usually quick
34. stuartma: @sparkcbc There is not a single news story in the last 6+ months that I haven’t learned about 1st via twitter
35. targetvacations: @sparkcbc Hello all, it will open up an entirely new world and you will learn a lot from the great people you follow.
36. WTL: @sparkcbc Hi CBCers! Twitter is a community of communities, a news-breaker, a digital water-cooler, and resource of info for the connected.
37. smack416: @sparkcbc What they all said. Also, if you don’t follow common connections you’ll miss a ton of conversation & the possibilities therein.
38. megancole: #cbc tweet newbies: welcome Check out apps like Tweetdeck twitterrific twirl twitterfeed tweetstats…
39. HelloTBay: tachyondecay: http://cli.gs/Z04edn
40. photojunkie: @sparkcbc empower your employees to tweet with a human voice not a corporate one. This is more engaging.
41. OneWheelDrive: http://cli.gs/MultistradaAcrossCanada . Shared thought, locations, & updates became core of articles.
42. bbuset: @sparkcbc insights, questions, comment, value-add re: current news stories. plus, there are stories that start right here on twitter!
43. SignalBlog: @sparkcbc Hi! Blogs often break/enhance stories. Don’t just send links out for us to read. Read the links we are tweeting. Follow/join us.
44. citymark: #ALI conference Social Media for Gov’t made great use of Twitter during the event http://tinyurl.com/6eje7l
45. ChrisNF: @sparkcbc Hey Spark & CBC! Twitter is a great way to connect with the audience, and for the audience to connect with the show!
46. pyroboyee: http://bit.ly/T7ERw
47. djkelly: @sparkcbc Hi to all the CBCers learning about Twitter. To me the key is having a conversation, not just a RSS pull. Replies are were it’s at
48. GaryM: @sparkcbc Hello. Twitter is great way to connect and share with other educators.
49. seenreading: @sparkcbc Hey CBC! Twitter is the Goonies of instant content. The ideas multiply rapidly. Just don’t throw water on your laptop.
50. sebchorney: @sparkcbc Focus is on process, not end. Casting around, asking for help is part of the culture. As is sharing/contributing info.
51. npjones1: @sparkcbc it’s an easy way to get bits of info out to people who are generally distracted and not paying full attention.
52. edreisbach: @sparkcbc I think of Twitter as a continues murmuring of great ideas and observations from those whose opinions I value.
53. monicarooney: RT @sparkcbc Oh and if you are a reporter, it also teaches you what NOT to do on Twitter.
54. jessemorgan: @sparkcbc re: twitter pres. It’s a great way to get the pulse of the city or country and find out about breaking news from ppl there
55. kspace: @sparkcbc It doesn’t seem to be about answering, What are you doing? It’s all about the links, baby! But everyone links to the same stuff.
56. rakerman: @sparkcbc Some people use twitter for one-way messages (just like another RSS channel) – but this misses a lot of the power.

What do you think? How would you like to see CBC shows use Twitter?