In this panel presentation, representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will discuss the use of Twitter, an increasingly popular real-time information sharing network, in public health communications. Twitter is proving to be an effective channel for health communication, as it enables an immediate connection to followers and their existing networks, and facilitates engagement and interactive conversation. Twitter also has the potential to expand reach to new audiences, especially younger and more diverse audiences. The fastest growing segment on Twitter is users between the ages of 18-24 years; Twitter reaches more urban audiences, and more African American and Hispanic users than internet averages. Additionally, Twitter provides a wealth of data that health communicators and marketers can access to guide message development. This panel discussion will provide insights, experience, and guidance to help public health practitioners utilize Twitter strategically and effectively in their work and will include presentation of important planning, implementation, and evaluation methods. The presenters will discuss strategies for monitoring Twitter to inform communications planning, share lessons learned in using Twitter as a means to engage target audiences to meet campaign objectives, and report key findings from a recent evaluation of three CDC Twitter profiles.