What is a Twitter Chat?
A Twitter chat is when a bunch of people with similar interests all get on Twitter at the same time and start tweeting back and forth with each other. Usually, there is some kind of structure, which is put in place by the moderator of the chat. The moderator is usually the person who started the chat, which anyone can do. A Twitter chat employs a hash-tag code to group all of the tweets together into one search-able query. This makes it possible for third party applications to find the tweets and group them together on an interface that makes a Twitter chat seem like a traditional chat room.
How to Find a Twitter Chat in Your Niche
Finding a Twitter chat in your niche can take a little research. There is a growing list of Twitter chats available here. Finding the best chat is a little like the chicken/egg quandary. If you find a good chat, you can quickly build a network of like-minded individuals on Twitter. However, to find out about the good chat, you may already need a network of those like-minded individuals in place.
To that end, use tools like Twellow to find people in your niche. Try contacting some of the people that you find and ask them if they know of any great chats on your topic. Also ask your current Twitter followers. Keep engaging and stay active on Twitter in your market, and you are bound to find out about great chats, eventually.
How to Successfully Start and Run Your Own Twitter Chat
After you do your research, you may find that there is a need for a good Twitter chat for your niche topic. If so, you can be the one to create it. There are great benefits to being the host of the chat. There is also the responsibility of keeping it going, attracting people to the chat, getting guests, maintaining order, and more. If you are going to start a chat, do so with a good plan in place.
You don’t technically need anything other than a Twitter account to start your own chat. However, you may find it beneficial to create a website to host your chat summary, instructions, and more.
What to Plan For
Here are some of the things you should plan for:
- Time: What is the optimum time to hold your chat. Remember, you cannot possibly find a time that works great for everyone, so find one that at least works great for you.
- Day: Same as the time. Just make sure you plan to do your chat regularly on the same day if you want to build a following.
- Frequency: Most successful chats are done once a week.
- Format: Will you be interviewing someone? Will there be questions for chatters to answer? How will you keep it interesting?
- Length: 1-2 hours seems to work best.
- Rules: Its a good idea to lay some ground rules so that the chat runs smoothly.
- Instructions: There will always be newcomers. Is it easy for them to get on board and start chatting with the group?
- Topic: Will you discuss the same thing every week, or a completely different thing? Its a good idea to vary the conversation within a certain niche.
- Pitch Time: Great chats allow a dedicated time for pitches, usually at the beginning and/or end of the chat. Try to keep commercials to a minimum during the chat. Having a pitch time will attract people to your chat and encourage them to get involved.
Getting Going
Getting your Twitter chat up and running could take some time. Don’t worry if hardly anyone shows up at first. Just put on a quality chat, and the momentum will build. That being said, there are some things you can do to help get the word out.
- Have a site or landing page that explains the chat. This way, when you are Tweeting about it, you can provide a link for more in depth information.
- Reach out directly to people in your existing network that you know would have an interest in your chat. Whether or not they can join, they will likely be willing to retweet the chat.
- Reach out to leaders in your niche. Whether it be a blogger or a Tweeter with a lot of followers, they may be able to help give your chat a boost.
- Tweet about it a lot in the build up. Even after you have the chat going strong, you should send out a bunch of Tweets prior to the chat to remind folks.
- Make your updates retweetable. Leave enough room in for people to easily RT the announcement without having to change anything.
Do everything you can think of to promote your Twitter chat. Work hard to make sure you have an interesting topic and a good, well-organized, plan for the chat. If you put quality first, people will find you and you will soon be the moderator of a great Twitter chat.
Whatever you do, never make the chat specifically about your business. Instead, chat about your field. You can pitch your business right along with the other participants. You don’t have to hide what you do, but don’t blatantly promote it either. As the moderator, your pitches will have a lot of weight, especially if you host a great chat.
Get Chatting
Whether you start your own or find a great chat to get involved with, you will find great benefits in the Twitter chat. Be as involved as possible. People will start to recognize you and follow you more closely. You will learn and be put in a position to teach. Most of all, your quality network will grow, and new opportunities will come for your business. So, get chatting!
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Bradford Shimp is the publisher of All Biz Answers. He is also the co-creator of Idea Anglers, a place to see your ideas come to life through collaboration. Follow on Twitter @bradfordshimp. Let Bradford help you with your business – visit BroadRiverCreative.com
