Meet the expert: Twitter’s Katy Minshall on how INGOs can make best use of the platform
For our latest online IBT briefing, we were joined by Katy Minshall, Twitter’s Head of Policy and Philanthropy.
Katy led a training session with our members, sharing best practice for how INGOs can make the most of Twitter. She noted two unique characteristics of Twitter that make it a particularly useful tool for charities: it is a platform for users to engage with public discussions, and it is fast-paced and reactive to cultural and news events.
“Twitter moves so fast, and so it’s important to be timely. If there’s a conversation that is relevant to your organisation, make sure your voice is there quickly as part of that discussion.”
Katy was able to share her top tips for how organisations can make the most of Twitter. Highlighting the importance of getting the basics right, she advised members to keep tweets concise, use only one or two hashtags, and include clear call to actions. She noted that whilst sharing videos and photos generally result in higher engagement, it is also important to be able to react quickly when relevant conversations are trending.
“It’s just as simple as considering what you like to engage with when you’re on Twitter.”
One of the biggest mistakes organisations make on Twitter, according to Katy, is to focus too heavily on posting whilst neglecting engagement. It is crucial to incorporate engagement into your social strategy if you are to make the most of the platform. Using Twitter polls, asking open ended questions, or engaging in other active conversations are good ways to do this.
Katy was then able to answer questions from IBT members, including Médecins Sans Frontières, DEC and Saferworld, who used the opportunity to ask more in depth questions about content optimisation, paid campaigns and scheduling.
Find out more in our ‘Meet the Expert’ interview below. Registered IBT Members can read the detailed briefing notes and watch the full briefing recording from the Membership Dashboard.
