Social media has been facilitating conversations for more than two decades. It enables people from different backgrounds around the world to chat with others they otherwise would likely have never met.
If you want to take your conversations to the next level, consider hosting a Twitter chat.
A Twitter chat, or Tweetchat, goes a step beyond a typical Twitter exchange and instead creates a more formal platform to engage with your audience. You choose the topic and cultivate questions your audience will answer and the Twitter chat hashtag they’ll use.
Hosting a Twitterchat has many benefits, including more potential leads and followers for your business. Learn the best practices and set up a Twitter chat schedule to help you grow your community and sharpen your Twitter skills.
Read on to learn more about Tweetchats, including:
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Tweetchats
As the name suggests, a Tweetchat is a conversation on Twitter. A Twitter account sets a time, day, topic, and a designated hashtag for anyone who wants to participate. The Twitter chat usually has predetermined questions and is hosted by moderators.
Why You Should Host a Tweetchat
Twitter chats schedule a time and place for you to engage directly with your followers. They can be an excellent marketing strategy for promotion, branding, and community building.
With a Tweetchat, you can hear from your audience in real-time. You can gather feedback and learn more about your followers. By choosing a compelling topic or interesting chat hosts, you can attract more followers to your account.
Furthermore, you can connect with leaders in your industry and establish expertise on topics related to your company.
Q2. If you lead a TikTok account, what practice do you think has made you a better creator on the platform? #AdweekChat pic.twitter.com/w50S0EIPfk
— Adweek (@Adweek) January 13, 2021
Tweetchats are a versatile tool that can be used for large companies or small businesses. A local restaurant could benefit by scheduling a Twitter chat about menu items their customers want to see. Or a retail store could host a conversation on environmentally-friendly products.
Before You Host Your Tweetchat
While it’s a straightforward process, hosting a successful Twitter chat depends on how well you execute the conversation. Gather inspiration from other talks by checking out a list of Twitter chats. Participate in discussions that interest you and discern how you want to run your own.
Take time to prep before your Twitter chat. What are your goals with this chat? More Twitter followers? Establishing your expertise? Hearing from your customers?
Keep your goals in mind as you choose the specific topic. You can select a trending topic or explore similar interests you share with your audience.
Think about the questions you want to ask beforehand and use them to zero in on your target audience. Not every chat topic will appeal to every customer. It’s better to be specific and get more engagement from interested Twitter users than casting too wide a net.
Plan your Twitter chat schedule and allow plenty of time to prepare and promote the conversation on other social media platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn. Let users know well in advance so they can mark their calendars.
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Don’t forget to choose a time that works for your followers, and think about time zones and work hours. Figure out your Twitter chat schedule and where it can fit into your overall social media calendar. Ensure you’re not overlapping with a planned Instagram live, for example.
Select a specific hashtag so users know how to join. Make it short and memorable. Consider creating a unique hashtag if you’re planning to institute a more frequent monthly or weekly Tweetchat.
When choosing a moderator, pick someone who will keep the conversation flowing but knows how to manage an influx of Tweets and keep people on topic. You can stay in-house with a social media director or pick a special guest host related to your industry.
What To Do During Your Tweetchat
When the time comes, kick off your Twitter chat with a welcome to all participants. The chat host can start with an icebreaker question to loosen people up or dive into your topic discussion.
The typical format for a Tweetchat is a series of questions labeled with a question number like Q1 or Q2, and chat participants can respond with the correlating answer, like A1 or A2.
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When answering questions, use people’s Twitter handles to keep things organized. To avoid getting overwhelmed with the chat stream, you can use Tweetchat tools like Tweetdeck or Tchat.io to help you manage the conversation.
When Tweeting, show off your company’s personality and be authentic. Don’t overpromote your business or stay in a hard sell mode. Your chat participants want to talk to a human being, not a marketer.
When you wrap up, use a call to action so users know what to do next. And don’t forget to say thanks to everyone who participated.
@SaludAmerica THANK YOU for another informative #tweetchat We hope the conversation about delivering access to quality #oralhealth care to the #Latino community only deepens. And thank you to the awesome co-hosts: @ILikeMyTeeth @HDAssoc @oralhealthforum @DeltaDentalInst pic.twitter.com/7Y32HahPMg
— Delta Dental of AZ (@DeltaDentalAZ) January 12, 2021
How To Make the Most of Your Tweetchat Afterwards
Have a plan for how you’ll debrief after each Twitter chat. See if there was anything you want to change for next time or what worked well. For example, maybe you need to adjust your Twitter chat schedule to a time more of your audience would be available.
Also, take the time to look at your Twitter analytics and see how your chat fared by the numbers.
In the hours and days after your conversation, you can repost chat tweets or any information you learned in your chat. Sum up the major points for those who couldn’t participate. If the content is intriguing enough, it can give people a reason to make time for the next one.
Follow up with any potential leads or new contacts after the chat. Maybe you want to start a partnership with a new company, offer a promotion to a specific customer, or invite a participant to host your next chat. Don’t miss out on possible opportunities.
Final Thoughts: Tweetchats — How To Host a Successful Twitter Chat
The elements are simple. Hosting a Twitter chat takes a time slot, topic, hashtag, and moderator. If done well, a Tweetchat can have several benefits like new followers and status in your industry.
Find Twitter chats that inspire you, and plan out your Twitter chat’s schedule to give yourself time to promote and prepare. During the talk, focus on keeping the conversation flowing and thoughtful for the users involved.
When your Tweetchat is done, glean any helpful information, retweet your best responses, and plan your future chats.
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