Archive for the ‘Twitter chats’ tag
9 tips for getting the most out of Twitter chats: As a host
Interested in Twitter chats? This is the second in our two-part series about Twitter chats. Check out the first one here, and get some tips for participating in a Twitter chat as yourself or a brand.
Hosting a Twitter chat? It can feel overwhelming, so here are some tips to help you get started and stay organized:
First things first:
- Check that the hashtag you want to use isn’t already in use elsewhere, and isn’t common enough that your chat will be flooded with irrelevant chatter (you can do this by checking the spreadsheet in the next point, or simply utilizing Twitter’s search function).
- Check the master schedule of chats and schedule yours at a time that won’t compete with another established chat in a similar topic vein (if there’s a time you want and the other chat is completely unrelated, go for it).
- Add your chat to the master schedule, so interested parties can find it.
Promote your chat:
- Announce to your Twitter followers that you’re starting up a Twitter chat, and be sure to include the time and hashtag.
- Reach out politely to influential followers to help you promote it, if it seems like something they’d be interested in.
- Reach out to influential followers and/or industry folks who might be interested in being a special guest. An intriguing or high profile guest can spark more participation.
Moderate:
- Keep the conversation flowing with prearranged questions, but don’t be afraid to throw them away or save them for later if the conversation picks up on its own
- Don’t be afraid to block someone if they’re being consistently rude to other chat participants
- Welcome newcomers: most will proclaim themselves, so give them a warm hello and follow them if you feel its appropriate
Got any tips we missed? Add them in the comments!
10 tips for getting the most out of Twitter chats: As a participant
Interested in Twitter chats? We’ve got a quick two-part series of posts about them! Here’s the first. Check back tomorrow for the second.
If this spreadsheet is any indication there are a lot of Twitter chats out there; no matter your brand or area of interest, there’s sure to be one you can benefit from joining. But where to start? Check out these tips for maximizing your Twitter chat experience.
First things first:
- Identify the chat or chats you want to join in on, and schedule them on your calendar with a pop-up reminder. This way they won’t sneak up on you and if you get busy, you won’t forget about them.
- Lurk before you jump in: most chats are completely welcoming of newcomers, but if it makes you more comfortable just to sit back and observe a few times, do it.
- Read over a transcript of an old chat session before joining in. Searching a chat hashtag will show you if they have one, and allow you to discover if it’s a good fit for the type of chat you’re looking for, and you can learn the conversation style.
When you tweet:
- When you do join in, tell everyone that you’re new! Many will go out of their way to welcome you, and encourage you to join in on the conversation.
- If you’re planning on tweeting for your brand, consider joining in on a personal handle first. That way you can get a feel for the way the conversation rolls in action, without any potential harm to your brand from a misunderstanding. 140 characters is short, especially when you’re adding a hashtag!
- With that said, keep your tweets short and sweet: other chat participants can more easily add their own thoughts and retweet you if you keep it as succinct as possible
Chat étiquette:
- Don’t be afraid to respectfully disagree with someone else’s opinion on a strategy or tool, etc, but keep it courteous; it goes without saying that you don’t want to be contentious enough to get blocked from the chat
- If you think someone misunderstood you, clarify your meaning and intent. If they’re determined to be upset, apologize and drop it
- Don’t talk over the host or special guest, if there is one meant to be answering prearranged questions. Add your thoughts or expertise and share resources, but don’t dominate the conversation when you’re not the special guest
- Some chats won’t have special guests and the hosts act more as roundtable moderators, moving the conversation along. Chime in freely here.
Joining in on Twitter chats is a great way to connect with people in your industry, learn more about a topic or facet of an industry you’re new to or want deeper knowledge of, and to pick up new tools of the trade recommended by others.
By making regular twitter chat connections, you’ll potentially find yourself with more meet-ups at the next conference you attend, an online mentor to ask tricky industry questions to, or simply some new and wonderful Twitter friends.
Got any tips we missed? Disagree with one? Talk about it in the comments!