Social media are considered useful tools for academic purposes. Our exploratory study offers insight into the use of Twitter by social work faculty in the USA. Employing an online survey, this study investigates Twitter usage among a sample of social work faculty (n ¼ 274) from the top-fifty-ranked MSW programmes in the USA. Slightly more than half of the participants had Twitter accounts, the majority of whom use Twitter as part of their academic work. The most common motivations for using Twitter include promoting one’s research, raising awareness about an area of research and engaging in networking with peers. This study contributes to the literature by describing the prevalence and patterns of Twitter usage among social work academics and lays a foundation for future research, investigating its effectiveness in increasing awareness and promoting changes related to social justice issues.