Bharat SainiLast Updated on February 10, 2016 by Bharat Saini
A Twitter party is a social media networking event where participants meet once each week for an hour to talk about a certain theme or topic. Just like conventional parties, a Twitter party has a host or two. Those who join the party have to use a specific hashtag on their tweets.
During the duration of the party, the host posts 7 to 8 questions. The participants then answer these questions in reply to the host. These events are a fantastic way to establish your brand. They are also a good way to find business connections. Above all, Twitter parties are great for building an image of authority in your niche when you give smart & honest answers to the host’s questions.
How do you join & enjoy a Twitter party?
1) Keep party schedules in your calendar. Like actual parties you attend, keeping the Twitter party’s schedule in your calendar will prevent you from totally forgetting about it. Since these events happen weekly at a set day & time, you can set a weekly reminder.
A good trick is to set a reminder for at least an hour before the party to read up on the topic. This brings us to the next tip.
2) Know the topic of the upcoming chat. Hosts usually share or disclose the upcoming party’s topic a couple days ahead. Some Twitter party hosts will even create a special blog post that features the questions they will ask.
As soon as you can, take the time to read about the chat’s topic. If questions are given, try to pen down answers or ideas. This will help you give the most satisfying answers during the event.
3) Log on Tweetdeck. At least an hour before the party starts, log on to Tweetdeck.
Tweetdeck is a social media tool that allows you to keep tabs of the conversations that take place during the event. Because it allows you to setup columns, you are able to see the essential Twitter pages that you need to monitor.
If it is your first time to use Tweetdeck, simply log on using your Twitter.com credentials. And then, start setting up your columns. The columns that you need to have are the following:
1. User column for your host – allows you to see the updates the host publishes in real time. By having this column, you will be able to see & respond to questions as soon as your host tweets them.
When attending a party with more than one host, setup a separate “user column” for each host.
2. Hashtag column for the party’s hashtag – this will allow you to monitor all the tweets of all the party’s participants. You can then initiate conversations with other participants, get ideas for supplement answers to the current question, and you may even find inspiration for, say, a blog post.
3. Notifications column – this is where you will see all your Twitter notifications. As you interact with your party’s host & with other participants, you can expect this column to fill up. Keeping this in sight, will allow you to see if there are any mentions that you need to reply to or if there are users to say “thanks” to for interacting with your content. 4. Remember to take it easy. Twitter parties are usually attended by hundreds, if not thousands, of participants. This is why it can be overwhelming and it may seem to be moving in a very fast pace. However, you need to remember that this is a party and not a race. So take it easy.
You do not need to answer your host’s question as soon as they publish it. You can take your time to think & compose your answer.
5. Interact with other participants. Say “hello”, commend them on their answers, ask them questions, laugh at their jokes, give your insights to their statements, etc. Interacting with other participants who interact with your content (answers) this is mainly what your notification column is for.
6. Say hello. Depending on how you conduct yourself, you will have new followers & you will also be added to lists. Network expansion comes when you formulate good, genuine & value-adding answers & tweets during the party.
Each time you get a new follower or a new subscriber, take the time to interact with them. Chances are, you have the same stand & interests. See if you can follow them back.
To wrap this long list of Twitter party tips, here is a bonus: keep your favorite graphic design software open. The rule of thumb in social media is to incorporate images in your content as much as you can.
Images will make your tweets an engagement magnet. This is because images stand out in an ocean of text. So in lieu of a plain tweets to answer your host’s questions, answer with attention-grabbing graphics. Good luck!
About the Author:
Catherine was a nationally recognized Healthcare Executive with success increasing market share through innovative product offerings. She has over 10 years leadership experience in facilitating evidence-based strategic planning, product development, brand management, legislative communications, and medial policy. Catherine’s scholarly interests focused on the prevention and management of chronic disease through data-driven, population health management and wellness strategies. Catherine holds a doctorate degree in Applied Statistics, Research Design and Program Evaluation from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and is married with four children.
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