Best Hour of Learning?
Twitter Chats!
Sheila Scarborough
AWC National Board of DirectorsFounder, #awcchat & @SheilaS
on Twitter
What We'll Cover
What IS a chat? A few Twitter basics
Finding Twitter chats for communications professionals
How to participate in a chat
Starting a Twitter chat yourself
Q & A at the end
Twitter .Not about what you had for lunch
Insert photo here to emphasize Power Hour aspect of chats, or a
great sandwich photo
Twitter has been around since 2005 and is no longer about what
you had for lunch (unless you suck at Twitter)
Let's review some Twitter terminology
@
@ = A Twitter name, or Twitter handle
@AWCchat
@SheilaS
@AWCconnect
Not case-sensitive
#
# = hashtags for Twitter chats, or a hashtagged word on
Twitter
#awcchat
#assnchat
#tourismchat
#agchat
Interest-based hashtags may or may not also be a chat.
#eventprofs ( demo later at http://is.gd/r43kTR )
#TBEX
#FriFotos
Twitter Chat How-To Basics
Twitter Chat Basics
Most chats last one hour (goes by fast!)
Consistent time & day
Most have a series of discussion items: host tweets have Q1, Q2,
etc.
Answer tweets usually have A1, A2, etc.
Host has associated chat blog, Facebook Page or website
Anyone can create a hashtag.
Anyone can start a scheduled chat.
Do a search first, though, to confirm that someone isn't already
using that hashtag
Finding a chat
Finding relevant chats
Do a search string
"Gardening + chat OR hashtag"
"Birding Twitter chat"
"Muscle car chat on Twitter"
There used to be a big Google Doc with chat info, but appears
defunct
Some chats for communicators
#journchat journalism follow @journchat
Mondays, 8 9 pm EST
#wjchat web journalists follow @wjchat
Wednesdays, 5 6 pm PST
#commschat communications follow @CommsChat
Mondays, 8 9 pm GMT (UK-based chat)
Some chats for communicators
#PR20chat modern PR follow @pr20chat
Tuesdays, 8 9 pm EST
#SoloPR solo PR folks follow @SoloPR
Wednesdays, 1 2 pm EST
#brandchat brand managers follow @brandchat
Wednesdays, 11am 12pm EST
Some chats for communicators
#blogchat bloggers follow @MackCollier
Sundays, 8 9 pm CST
#nptalk nonprofits follow @NPtalk
1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 2 3 pm CST
#designchat creatives follow @designchat
Wednesdays, 8 9 pm CST
Participating in a Twitter chat
Show up!
Getting Started on Twitter
Open a Twitter account
Thoroughly fill out your profile/bio
Do link to your website/blog/something
Have a photo no one trusts the Egg People!
Chat Etiquette
Lurking is fine at first
Contributions & participation are MUCH appreciated by chat
hosts
Stay on topic
Don't be all about you & your links
Help bring people to the chat & later, to the transcript
Twitter Chat Tools
Twitter Search: search.twitter.com
Dashboards like TweetDeck & HootSuite
TweetChat: tweetchat.com/@TweetChat
Twitter smartphone apps
Transcript tools like Chirpstory (demo later of AWCchat's
channel)
Starting Your Own Chat
Thought leadership
It's crowded out there!
Give it a home (website, blog like awcchat.wordpress.com,
Facebook Page)
Pick a time that works for you
Pick topics for at least 8 10 chats
Participation can be tough nut
Photo Credits
What's for lunch (JohnSeb Flickr)
Chats on anything (Colorful pencils via Rilind Hoxha Flickr)
Sheila & phone (courtesy Hawaii Social Media Summit &
Justin R. Dotson on Facebook)
Two-rocket launch (jurvetson Flickr)
Tools (InvernoDreaming Flickr)
ThanksVeryMuch!
Demo&Q&A
@SheilaS
@AWCchat
@SheilaS@AWCchat
