Twitter Account Creation & Tips

  1. Sign up. Go to https://twitter.com/ and click the blue “Sign Up” button in the top right-hand corner.
  2. Input your name, followed by academic credentials. (Ex: Todd Golde, M.D., Ph.D.) Please note: they will not publish your email or phone number. Twitter requests this information to verify your account.
  3. Choose a handle. This will be the main way people distinguish and find your account. We suggest using your real name with credentials, if possible. Also, be mindful to use CamelCase, capitalizing the first letter of each word, when creating your handle (Ex. @MaluTansey). Refrain from including any mention of UF. Try to keep this as professional and similar to your name as possible.
  4. Add a profile picture. If you feel comfortable, we highly suggest using a professional headshot for your profile picture. If you do not have a UF Health headshot, here are instructions for getting a headshot taken for free.
  5. Add a header image. We suggest using an image related to your research. You can use de-identified scans or an image of you working in the lab, but do not include images of live subjects. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the MBI Communications Team if you have any questions about choosing an image.
  6. Add a bio/description. Include your title and the lab, center, institute or department where your work is conducted. If your institution has a twitter account, tag it using their handle (Ex. @UFMBI) instead of writing out the name. You may also want to include a short description of your research focus. Feel free to add personal touches, such as being a mother/father or being a fan of traveling, cooking, exercising, etc.
  7. Follow institutional and other researchers’ accounts. Find and follow other professional accounts by searching their names. By doing this, you can also study how other people/entities use Twitter to engage their audience. Below you will find a list accounts that may be helpful when choosing who to follow.

Examples: Who to Follow

Tips

  • Get involved in online conversations. Many fields have ongoing weekly Twitter chats and participating in those are a good way to build up followers and get noticed.
  • Consider using hashtags. Hashtags allow users to find content based on themes. We suggest including the tags within your post to avoid overuse. Please be sure to research and search hashtags before using, to avoid inadvertent negative associations.
  • Use #CamelCase (capitalizing the first letter of each word). This helps users easily read hashtags and increase the likelihood of engaging with your content. Be wary of auto-populated hashtags as they typically don’t use CamelCase.
  • Thoroughly review your retweets. One common mistake is sharing or retweeting content without vetting it thoroughly. If you retweet something, it’s assumed you are supporting all of it.
Tweet exampl reading: Good morning from #ReMissionSummit2020 at @RosenShingleCr in Orlando! Dr. Craig Daniels @SickKidsNews is speaking during our final session focused on #PediatricBrainTumors. The ReMission Alliance is dedicated to provide these kids & families battling this disease hope!
Example of an engaging Twitter post with an appropriate amount of @mentions and hashtags.