Tweetchats - What are they? Why try them?
Tweetchats are a simple way to have a group discussion on Twitter. They don’t require video, audio or any special equipment. You don’t need a password, and anyone with a Twitter account and a hashtag can join.
Why Tweetchat?
Twitter chats are fabulous for networking. Find like-minded people in your industry as well as those who will challenge you (nicely) for a lively discussion!
Have a burning question? The right Tweetchat can help you find answers.
Looking for someone with a certain expertise? You may find them in your next tweetchat.
Want to share your expertise? When done properly (see “etiquette” below), you may even end up with new customers.
Twitter chats can also help you gain more followers. Don’t go into it looking for a follow exchange, however! Share your knowledge and be yourself and you’ll attract a valuable following of people who are actually interested in you and the work you do.
How Do Tweetchats Work?
Note: If the tweetchat you are attending is very active, it is easy to lose track of the conversation and miss tweets. You may want to use a program like TweetChat to more easily participate. Our instructions will assume you’re just using Twitter
- Ahead of time, the organizer makes the chat hashtag known via their blog, email or on social channels. For regularly scheduled tweets, this will usually be the same. For example, The Social Solutions Collective has a tweet chat every Monday evening at 8 EST. The hashtag used is #collectivechat. You may find more tweetchats that interest you on this Tweet Chat List.
- At the specified time, show up on twitter and search for the chat’s hashtag.
- Look through the tweets and see if you know anyone, what questions have been asked and answered.
- You might introduce yourself to the group by tweeting, “Hello all! This is my first tweet chat! #collectivechat.” The key to making sure you are part of the discussion is to always use the chat hashtag!
- If you see someone you know, you can address them directly like this, “@alisammeredith, I’m excited about the chat!”, but you may not want to use the hashtag unless your tweet adds to the discussion as a whole.
This might be all you do for your first Tweetchat – and that’s OK! Lurking is a good way to get a feel for how Twitter chats work.
Adding to the Discussion, Answering Questions and Asking for Clarification in a Tweet Chat
Often, a moderator is assigned to ask questions and keep the conversation flowing. Their tweets might look like this: “Q1: Which feature of the new Facebook newsfeed do you like the most? #collectivechat”
Want to make it easy for more people to join the chat and explain to your followers why you’re Tweeting like mad at the moment? ReTweet the questions for your followers to see.
To answer a question the moderator asks, you might tweet, “A1: I love the new larger photos! #collectivechat”. If someone has already answered that, you might Retweet their answer and add an “Amen!” to it. For example, “Me, too! RT @alisammeredith I love the new larger photos! #collectivechat”. Including mention of which question you are answering makes the conversation much easier to follow.
If an answer someone gives intrigues you, you can reply to that tweet and ask for more information, like this: “@alisammeredith, what do you think will be the impact of the larger photos on Edge Rank strategy? #collectivechat”.
Tweetchat Etiquette
- Remember – if you are not hosting this Twitter chat, you are a guest. Don’t abuse the privilege by trying to sell your goods or services.
- If you notice someone shamelessly self-promoting or outright spamming the hashtag, it is usually best to ignore them.
- Be careful not to highjack by accident. Keep tweets that include the hashtag on topic. If you find the Tweetchat is sparking another discussion between yourself and another participant, by all means, keep it going. Just leave the hashtag out of it.
- Don’t forget that your Tweets are seen by all your followers, not just those participating in the chat. That means, don’t tweet anything you don’t want them to see and you might want to announce beforehand that you’ll be participating in a tweet chat – not just to invite them, but to let them know why you are suddenly taking over their stream!
- Thank your moderators! A quick mention is always appreciated.
Follow Up
If you interacted with participants, consider following them and sending a quick, “@alisammeredith, I enjoyed the chat the other night. Thanks for helping me get involved!” You may want to ReTweet some of their content throughout the week, if you believe it is valuable to your followers. If you have questions about something that was discussed, or you just want to say, “Thanks!” again, consider tweeting again, using that chat’s hashtag. Most moderators will be watching for those.
Continue reading here: How to Use Pinterest Group Boards To Get More Brand Exposure
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