Ok Comms people: we need to talk about Twitter
Feeling overwhelmed about what's happening there? Maybe this can help.
Hi Channels Network,
Gabriella here. Things have been a bit quiet over at Channels recently (except for the fantastic jobs boards that Ruth and Liss tirelessly work on!). But now, with everything happening over at Twitter, we need to talk.
I am currently working as Head of Comms & PR at Are We Europe, an independent media hub. We use Twitter a lot, especially to reach and network with our contributors, our partners, and other journalists and media around the world. So far, we’ve been watching and waiting to see what’s going to happen at Twitter, and soon, we need to make some decisions.
What are our options? What choices do we have? How far do things need to go over at Twitter before we say “enough is enough” and cancel our account? What are our back-up options?
There are a lot of questions I’ve been asking myself, and I’d love to turn to you all and open the discussion, offer support and advice wherever we can, and let you all know: you’re not alone! We’re all in this together.
Join us for a webinar: Twitter & #SocialImpactComms
We are hosting an online session on Monday, 20 Nov at 17:30 CET (11:30 EST) with Kathryn LeBlanc, Principal Consultant at LeBlanc (& co.) Communications to talk about all of our concerns, options, and next steps. You’ll have a chance to raise specific concerns and ask questions, and hear advice not only from us but from others in the network. RSVP via LinkedIn here, and read Kathryn’s helpful LinkedIn post about what nonprofits should be doing now before we meet on Monday.
What are others saying?
In case you want to read up on some other advice before the webinar, we’ve compiled a list of some things we’ve been reading too:
Can Mastodon be the first big social network 'Made in Europe'? by Michael Meyer-Resende, Executive Director of Democracy Reporting International.
“What is Mastodon? Calling it a challenger conveys the wrong impression. If the well-known social media companies are aggressive carnivores, Mastodon is best described as a group of small, leaf-eating animals. Everything about it/them is different to what we know about social media companies.”
(Thanks to Channels member Albert Guasch from DRI for pointing us to this article!)
Twitter is changing fast. What now for NGOs, International Organizations, and Nonprofits? by Dante Licona, Senior Social Media Officer at International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
“Over the last couple of days I’ve had some exchanges with fellow #SocialMedia colleagues in the nonprofits sector. Almost all of us are having conversations internally and within our networks. Some are already making decisions. Everyone is paying close attention.”
The Communications Network: Open source collaborative Guidance on Twitter Google Doc
Check out this helpful Google Doc with real-life examples of what various companies are doing with their Twitter accounts, and add your own details.
A useful tip from Jon-Stephen Stansel on LinkedIn:
Any other useful articles? Comment on this post to share with our whole community!
A big ol’ chat just for Channels 💙💬
Earlier this month, Substack launched a new feature: a live chat that works through the Substack Reader iOS app (coming soon to Android).
In this day and age, it’s important to be part of a network, and I know for a fact that #SocialImpactComms people around the world are feeling overwhelmed trying to keep up with current events. So let’s come together as a community and use the tools available to us to ask for advice, share our experiences, and send good vibes to our fellow communicators.
Love trying out new shiny things too? Download the app and see you there:
Thanks for being part of this network!
💙 The Channels team