After recently hosting my first Twitter Chat for a client, it really put into perspective how hosting one of these virtual events can be really effective and positive for a brand. They’re free, fairly easy to plan and just as easy to execute. Unless you’ve been under a rock for a little while, you probably know how to send out a tweet, use a hashtag and follow users on Twitter. Those are essentially the basics.
In a Twitter Chat (also called Tweet-Up, Twitter Party, what have you), a brand or personality will designate a hashtag to streamline a Twitter conversation about whatever topic it may be. Maybe it’s an upcoming event, product launch, hot topic in the industry – get creative with it. With a little bit of organic promotion, maybe some direct tweets to followers, cross-promoting on other social media channels, posting on event sites – whatever works best for you – you’ll (hopefully) get a pretty good amount of people involved, leading to lots of engagement in your Twitter Chat. Make sense?
As mentioned before, this was my first time actively hosting a Chat. I had participated before, but didn’t exactly understand how the back end worked. There were a few key takeaways I learned from my first go-round as to why Twitter Chats can be good for your brand:
- They provide an opportunity to gain followers.
Hopefully your followers are engaged enough that they’re retweeting your content, tagging you in their tweets and telling their friends about your Twitter Chat. Gaining followers this way is pretty much a given.
- They make you appear more real, authentic and genuine to consumers, if executed correctly.
There are often times when you’ll get an automated response from a brand or no answer at all. In a Twitter Chat, you, as the brand/personality, have the opportunity to genuinely engage with your followers. They’ll probably ask you questions, maybe tell you how much they love your product or share more personal details about themselves. In this type of situation, it’s as if your followers’ walls come down and they’re seeking some authentic engagement. Give the people what they want! We promise it will be worth your while.
- They help you learn more about your consumers in a more relaxed, honest setting.
Like I mentioned earlier, when people feel less vulnerable, they’re prone to share more. You may find out that @mommyof4FL loves your product because her sons eat it every day for breakfast, or @workingdad thinks your price should be a little lower. That data can be really useful in the long run, and costs nothing to collect.
- They may help create brand advocates in the future.
The more you engage with your followers, especially during a Twitter Chat, the more likely they are to become or continue to be advocates for your brand. This is ultimately the goal of your social media presence and following.
- Who knows – you just may end up next to #CallMeCaitlyn in the trending section!
Not easy to do, but you never know! Get enough people engaged in your topic and brand, and the possibilities are endless.
Written by: Leighanne Ferri, Assistant Account Executive