You probably already know how successful a Twitter event can be? If you’re new to Twitter events, this blog is for you! A Tweetchat also known as a Twitter Party is a live public Twitter event, centered around one particular topic using a unique hashtag. This hashtag allows followers to isolate a conversation and participate in a narrow focused Twitter discussion.
Tweetchats are usually recurring and are often on specific topics that regularly connect like-minded individuals.
Twitter parties are great branding opportunities for both large and small businesses. The Twitter party can be used to promote a brand, meet customers, announce a service, launch a product, or simply get people talking about a particular idea or campaign. They are often hosted by a celebrity or a recognizable name or “brand ambassador.”
GETTING STARTED
- Understand How it Works – Before creating your own Twitter event, spend time evaluating the digital landscape. Follow or participate in a few Tweetchats or Twitter Parties in your industry. Do a Google search to see who is already out there chatting about your topic and follow along at the designated times.
- Pick A Topic – Seems simple, right? That’s good. You want it to be simple. Pick a topic that is broad enough to bring in a large audience, but also narrow focused enough to speak directly to your target audience.
- Pick A Date and Time – There’s no hard and fast rule here. Some Tweetchats and Twitter Parties happen during the day and others may take place late night. It really depends on what you are promoting and the time your audience is online. No matter the time of day, it is best to establish a regular schedule so people can follow along and you can build momentum over time. For some that may be once a month; for others, it may be every week. Choose a day, time, and frequency that works for you and your target audience. You can use these resources to check for possible scheduling conflicts and to plan your Tweetchat.
- Tweetreports has a twitter chat schedule
- Twubs has a list allows you to schedule your chat
- Twitter Calendar is where you can view chats by topic and category
- Determine The Length – Again, no hard and fast rules here. The average length of a Twitter event is one hour. Some people like to let the event flow naturally but I suggest having a definitive set start and end time so you can manage expectations. Your guests will know exactly how much time to carve out for the event and your followers will be we
ll aware of how much time they have to be engaged in the conversation.
- Pick A Unique Hashtag – Keep the hashtag simple and descriptive. Doing a travel event? You may want to use #TravelTipsChat. Promoting a new product? Try a #GizzmoChat hashtag. Keep in mind the 140-character limit on Twitter when choosing your hashtag. The hashtag should be short yet also provide some connection to the topic being discussed. Also be sure to check that the hashtag you picked is not already being used. You can search for the hashtag on Twitter here. Want to learn more about hashtags? Watch my Social Media Tips: Getting To Know The Twitter Hashtag video.
- Find A Moderator – The moderator can be a team member, community manager, or someone who is the most active participant in your online community. For the first Twitter event, it makes sense to use a moderator who is very familiar with your business or brand. It will be the moderator’s job to keep track of the questions asked and answered, monitor the time, and keep the Twitter conversation flowing.
- Book Your Guest(s) – The number of guests you choose depends on the topic. Many Tweetchats do fine with one or two people. You may want multiple guests for your Twitter Party. But, if the name is a big enough draw, one person will do. In any event, your guest should be someone respected in their field and who ideally also has a significant Twitter following. This way the guest will be active in promoting the Twitter event, you will have exposure to their Twitter following and you can be assured that you will get interesting, engaging answers to your questions. Also, it’s a good idea to give your guests a list of questions in advance. Without some advance notice, it can tricky to compose responses quickly with the Twitter 140 character limitation.
- Promote The TweetChat – If you Tweet them, they will come. Develop an eye-catching graphic to promote your chat. It should include an interesting image with the date, time and hashtag of the Tweetchat. Leverage the channels you already have available — like your website, blog, email list, or other social networks — to promote your chat.
- Host Your Event – There are several platforms to host you Twitter event. You can use Hootsuite to follow the Twitter handle and hashtag. You can use Tweetchat.com to easily follow and participate in Tweetchat or Twitter Party. Or, you can simply use your computer to follow the hashtag and add another device such as a tablet or smartphone to follow along.
- Recap the Tweets – The Tweetchat and Twitter Party are live events. However, you want to be able to recap the tweets and hold on to the interaction for future reference. You may want to use Storify to capture and share the Tweets and then reshare the Storify story to your networks. Other platforms like Nurph will give you start to finish, nuts and bolts integration for your Tweetchat.
Need even more tips? Check out my Social Media Tips: Step Up Your Twitter Game with a Tweetchat video.
Have other tips for first time Twitter events? Share them in the comments.
Need help rolling in a Twitter event to your social media marketing strategy? Let me know. I’m here to help!
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