Thread by @IndSciComm

Following an interaction with the @PrinSciAdvGoI we will be doing a series of twitter threads on how science organizations can best use Twitter to leverage their social media presence.

Once a week, starting with this thread, we will deal with some salient points that twitter handle managers should keep in mind when they interact with the public. If you are a Public Information/Outreach/SciComm/Communications person, please feel free to comment and interact!

Let's start with #firstimpressions Here are essential things that an institutional twitter profile should have -

1. Name of the organisation - The full name with the abbreviation

2. Twitter handle - As similar to the abbreviation as possible, for easy mentioning

3. Brief Bio - A good bio has a short description of what the org is, its main goal and one or two allied orgs. Optional info can include the handle of the person acting as the curator.

4. Location - Where the org is centered

5. Website - Link to the main page

To function as an efficient node for info distribution, it is essential that org handles have Open DMs or Direct Messages. Under account settings, the indicated box should be ticked on. This means anybody can send direct messages to the handle - not just people who follow them

There are two areas on the front/home page that require pictures -
1. Logo/Profile Photo
2. Header photo

Here are some general guidelines for the the logo/profile picture -

a. The image should be atleast 400 X 400 pixels in size with an aspect ratio of 1:1
b. Any square or round shape of at least 400px square will work
c. Ensure that it is not cut/vignetted or shadowed in any way

And finally, the header image should be atleast 1500 X 1500 pixels in size. Rather than pinning a static image, it is a good idea to use this space to showcase new and upcoming work from the organization. Make sure to use high quality and hi-res images to avoid undersampling.

Thats all we have for this week! What else do you think are good things to remember for the twitter front page of a science organisation? Anything we missed out? Reply to this thread and let us know!