Written By: Rohit Chavda
Twitter’s rise in usage during the 21st century has been meteoric as it has evolved into a source of blogging, social networking and instant news. Because of its versatility and fast-paced nature in providing information, billions have connected – it is estimated that there are 330 million monthly active users in which communities develop. This then presents the ideal opportunity to reach and connect with new people; and a perfect way to do this is through Tweet Chats.
What is a Tweet Chat?
It is a scheduled discussion hosted by an account of your choice on Twitter and involving other individuals (ideally influencers from the industry) who will contribute answers, insight, and thoughts to branch out a wider conversation on the chosen topic. Preferably, the hosting account will have a substantial following which will help with engagement.
How often do they happen?
This is the joy of hosting a Tweet Chat…it can be whenever you want but the more successful Tweet Chats will often have a structure to it – it may occur on a regular basis to give a level of consistency to their audience or followers. With each Tweet Chat, a unique hashtag is created and will delve into a sub-topic.
Furthermore, ensure that it is made available across as many time zones – ideally in the afternoon in the UK/morning in the US – to help increase the possibility of a high engagement rate.
How long should one last and how many questions?
Tweet Chats are designed to be short and snappy allowing the industry experts the opportunity to provide a quick overview. It is therefore advised to not exceed an hour, but this also depends on how many participants are attending, the number of questions, and how detailed they are. Usually, organisers will prepare around 10 questions ahead of time to give the participants time to think out their answers.
What is the format?
When tweeting the questions, the format should be:
Q1., [Insert question] [unique hashtag]
Ideally, when writing their answers, the experts must include the corresponding number and the hashtag so that the conversation can be easily tracked by the viewing audience.
A1., [Insert reply] [unique hashtag]
These can be written on the thread of the original question or on the participant’s own account.
Promoting the Tweet Chat
It is important that enough promotion is done to attract as many individuals in the discussion as possible. Create Tweet Chat marketing material that can be distributed across all social media channels and mailing lists in advance of the date – examples below:
The Aftermath
A Tweet Chat discussion does not end as soon as the allotted time has finished. Even days after, replies and engagement continues – which is the beauty of this social media programme. Conduct analytics before and after the Tweet Chat to gain a fairer representation of any fluctuations or variations in terms of engagement and followers – usually allow 24-48 hours for post-event interaction.
Follow-up the event with a summary piece to outline the key discussion points from the chat and to help provide more background information on the chosen topic.
Tips:
- We would suggest setting up a Zoom call for those taking part to deal with any issues that might arise in real time
- Stress the importance of having the social influencers promote on their channels ahead of time
