It is no secret that journalists love social media — Twitter, to be specific. In fact, journalists made up a quarter of the verified users on the platform in 2015. From a journalist’s perspective, the appeal is obvious. The content on Twitter is on 24/7, it has a news centric focus and houses consumers and leaders all in one social platform.

In light of how journalist friendly Twitter can be, journalists have almost become the Instagram influencers of Twitter. They tweet, retweet, #GoLive and engage with their followers. 

Below I will break down the habits successful journalists have when using Twitter:

1. They don’t just share their own stories. Nothing is more unappealing than loading someone’s page on Twitter to see a minefield of links. For a reader, there is nothing visually interesting or engaging about that. Make sure you share your stories and others that peak your interest, but remember to give people a reason to follow your social media rather than just read your articles. Add value to the conversation.
2. Tell your audience important information that didn’t fit into your story. Not only does this show some transparency in how the news cycle works, it also allows you to communicate with your readers in a more meaningful way. This goes back to making your social media presence different than any other work you do. Giving your audience insight into your reporting builds trust and interest, and both of those qualities are more important than ever on social media today.
3. Engage with your followers by tweeting and DMing them back. Show your readership you care! After all, is your work really worth it if nobody sees it? Your audience is a driving factor of every story, so reward them for following you by reading and engaging with their comments. This can make your followers more loyal and trusting of you and give them insight into your personality.