Optimizing Twitter for science communication

Many of us tweet daily and have accumulated lots of followers on Twitter. Others remain Twitter skeptics. But what are the best ways to use this powerful social media platform to promote, explain and share science research news? Who are the Twitter Science Writing Rock Stars, and what are they doing to maximize their reach?

We'll gather a panel of Twitter hot shots from the professional science communications community to find out how they've made Twitter into a powerful part of their workflow. We will ask them to share their favorite Twitter tips and tricks.

Participants should leave having learned at least one new skill or idea and several new people to follow. This is NOT a basic Twitter how-to session but a discussion on how to use it in a crafty, innovative way. Those who attend should ideally already be familiar with Twitter and other social media platforms, even if they aren't enthusiastic or daily users. We want to encourage robust conversations on this subject that go beyond justifications for using social media.

Join us as we gather together three people — a journalist from a major mass media publication, a public information officer, and a freelancer — talk about this sometimes aggravating sometimes glorious platform.

Social media hashtag: #optimizetwitterforscience