Curious about how to join a Twitter party or chat, but not sure where to start? The first thing you need to know is that you don’t have to get dressed up to attend. Come as you are, in pajamas if you wish.
Twitter chats are virtual gatherings. You attend from the comfort of your own home.
A Twitter chat or party is basically just a scheduled online conversation that focuses on a particular topic. The conversation is carried on via tweets, all of which include the same hashtag. This keeps the conversation organized and allows participants to easily follow and contribute to the stream.
Twitter chats provide a way for you to chat about an interesting topic, they can help you gain valuable knowledge, and for brands, they are an excellent way to engage with followers. They can also be a lot of fun.
Here’s how to join in and participate:
- Find a Twitter chat or party that interests you. To search through a directory of twitter chat hashtags, check out Twubs . You can also find a large list of Twitter Chats on this Wiki, organized alphabetically and by day of the week
- Tune and contribute. Joining in, or even just listening in, is very easy. Just click on the chat’s hashtag to see the tweet stream and read all the tweets in the conversation. Some chat moderators recommend using tools such as Tweetchat or Tweetgrid to follow along with fast moving conversations, and may share a specific url where they have set up a dedicated stream their hashtag. Hashtracking’s Display Mode reports similarly make it easy to view and participate in Twitter chats, without fear of spam messaging.
- You can participate in chats by tweeting with the hashtag through your twitter account or through the same tool you use to monitor the party.
- The single most important thing to remember, however, is to include the chat’s hashtag in all of the tweets you make. If you leave the hashtag out of your tweet, it won’t make it into the chat at all.
Tips and Tricks:
-
Chats often have moderators who introduce the chat, welcome people who join in, post questions and generally help keep the conversation well organized. Follow any instructions the moderator provides, such as how to pose or answer questions. This is usually simple. Questions are marked like this: Q1, Q2; you can respond with a corresponding A1, A2 at the beginning of your tweet to help people follow your train of thought.
-
Introduce yourself when you join the chat. This is a good idea, even if you plan to listen more than you talk or aren’t sure you have anything to contribute at all.
-
Direct tweets @ a particular participant. If your tweet is off topic, however, leave off the chat’s hashtag. Only use the hashtag for on-topic tweets that you want all participants to see.
-
Nix the spam. This is not the time or place to promote yourself or your wares.
- Use chats to build follow lists. Chats are an excellent way identify industry leaders, experts, kindred spirits and other people worth following
Have another suggestion for finding Twitter chats? Know of a tool that makes finding Twitter parties a breeze? Share your suggestion with us!
Comments are closed.