Extending Reach & Improving Engagement: Best Practices for Conducting Successful Twitter Chats

Presenters: Melissa Beaupierre, Associate Managing Director @mpbeau

Carlos Chapman, Partnership & Outreach Coordinator Katie Mooney, Health Communication Specialist @theweisermooney

1  @DanyaIntl  

@DanyaIntl  

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•  How  to  research  &  develop  content  for  a  Twi;er  chat  •  What  to  include  in  a  Twi;er  chat  guide  

•  How  to  measure  the  success  of  a  Twi;er  chat  

•  Best  pracAces  for  Twi;er  chat  engagement  

•  “PracAce”  Twi;er  Chat  (find  your  buddy)  

#WiredChat  

Overview

@DanyaIntl  

Topics The Basics 1  

Chat Benefits 2  

Script Development & Day of Chat 4  

Measurement 5  

Pre-Planning: Topic Selection & Guests

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Best Practices & Sample Chat

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The Basics  

Twitter Chats SecAon  

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Twitter Basics

5  @DanyaIntl  

What’s a Chat?

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•  Public  scheduled  meeAng    •  People  gather  around  a  certain  topic  and  create  an  online  discussion  on  Twi;er    

•  ConversaAon  “tracked”  by  using  a  unique  hashtag  

@DanyaIntl  

 

     

 

Chat Benefits  

Twitter Chats SecAon  

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Benefits

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•  Promote  awareness  of  and  parAcipaAon  in  your  organizaAon’s  acAviAes  

•  Increase  conversaAons  about  certain  topics,  available  resources  and  tools  on  Twi;er  

•  Expand  depth  of  organizaAonal  conversaAons  in  your  network  and  develop  new  relaAonships  

•  Build  your  own  organizaAon  reach  and  reputaAon  on  Twi;er  

@DanyaIntl  

 

     

 

Pre-Planning: Topic Selection & Guests

 

Twitter Chats

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SecAon  

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Topic Selection

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•  Area  of  experAse/  social  media  goals  

•  Consider  your  Audience  •  Are  your  Experts  Available?  •  Do  you  offer  a  Unique  View?  •  Who  Else  Already  Addresses  it?  

@DanyaIntl  

Creating the Hashtag

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•  Hashtags  should  be  –  Short  –  Unique  and  creaAve  –  Easy  to  type  –  Focused  around  the  topic  –  Memorable  –  Avoid  double  le;ers  and  symbols  

•  Hashtag  search  Web  sites  –  www.twubs.com  –  www.hashtags.org  –  www.symplur.com    –  www.Twi;er.com    

Bad  Hashtag:  #call_team  

 Really  Bad  Hashtag  #stoopid2014!  

 Nice  Hashtag:  #UWYKChat  

 Good  Hashtag:  #NPINChat  

 

#WiredChat  

Scheduling the Chat

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•  Select  best  day  &  Ame  •  Avoid  conflicts  with  other  pre  -­‐  scheduled  chats  

•  Have  a  set  schedule  •  Include  the  Ame  zone  •  Use  tools  like  Twitvite  to  promote  and  invite  people  

#WiredChat  

Adding a Guest

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•  OpAon  to  increase  engagement/add  new  perspecAve  

•  Subject  Ma;er  Experts  

•  Provide  quesAons  in  advance  

•  Offer  Twi;er  tutorials  

@DanyaIntl  

 

     

 

 

Twitter Chats

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SecAon  

4   Script Development & Day of

Script Development

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•  Roles/Staff  •  PromoAonal  Tweets  

  Scheduling  tweets  •  Topic  QuesAons  •  Aim  for  no  more  than  120  characters  per  tweet  

•  Protocol  guidelines  (T1.  A1.  )  •  Resource  links  •  Include  hashtag  in  all  tweets  •  Script  approval  

@DanyaIntl  

Day of the Chat

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•  Final  script  •  MeeAng  space  prepared  

  TV  Monitor    Conference  line  

•  Suggested  tools  to  run  chat  or  follow  one    www.tweetchat.com    www.twubs.com      www.hootsuite.com      www.twi;er.com      www.Twi;erfall.com    www.sees.aw  

@DanyaIntl  

After the Chat

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•  Thank  guests  and  parAcipants  •  Announce  the  next  chat  •  Follow-­‐up  on  outstanding  quesAons  •  IdenAfy  influencers,  potenAal  guests  for  future  chats  

•  Archive  the  chat    Storify  and  other  tools  

•  Evaluate  and  measure  

@DanyaIntl  

 

     

 

 

Twitter Chats

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SecAon  

5   Measuring Outcomes

Why Evaluate?

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•  EvaluaAng  enables  you  to:    Understand  what’s  working  and  what’s  not    Adjust  and  improve  your  chat  topics  

  Demonstrate  the  value  of  Twi;er  outreach  via  the  Twi;er  chat  

  Understand  your  audience  and  influencers      

@DanyaIntl  

How to Evaluate

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•  Set  goals  and  objecAves  •  Align  metrics  to  objecAves  

•  Collect  metrics  

•  Analyze  – Did  you  meet  or  exceed  your  goals?  –  If  not,  why?  

•  Compare  chat  metrics  over  Ame  

@DanyaIntl  

Metrics

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•  Retweets/favorites  •  Unique  sources  •  ConversaAon  cloud  •  Top  contribuAng  parAcipants  •  Most  influenAal  parAcipants    

•  Geographic  distribuAon  •  Web  metrics  (click-­‐throughs)  

•  Transcript  @DanyaIntl  

Analytic Tools

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•  NaAve  Twi;er  AnalyAcs  •  Twi;erAnalyzer  •  TweetStats  •  Hashtracking  •  Tweetreach  •  Twi;erCounter  •  Tweriod  •  PeopleBrowsr  *  •  Socialbro  *  •  Radian  6  *  

*  Paid  service  

@DanyaIntl  

 

     

 

 

Twitter Chats

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SecAon  

6   Best Practices & Practice Chat

Best Practices

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•  Prepare  topic  quesAons  and  content  early  •  Cross  channel  promoAon  •  Share  quesAons  with  guests  in  advance  

•  Establish  protocols  at  start  of  chat  •  Greet  parAcipants  •  Acknowledge  menAons  

•  Keep  tweets  under  140  characters  

@DanyaIntl  

Best Practices

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•  Shorten  links  (www.bitly.com,  www.Anyurl.com)  

  Test  all  your  links  before  sending  

•  Include  pictures/videos  to  increase  engagement  

•  Include  hashtags  to  help  people  follow  the  conversaAon  

•  Stay  open  to  new  formats  

•  Consider  mulAmedia  

•  Take  the  chat  beyond  Twi;er  

@DanyaIntl  

Let’s Practice

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•  T1.  Have  you  hosted/parAcipated  in  a  chat  before?  If  so  what  was  the  topic?  #WiredChat  

•  T2.  What’s  your  favorite  chat  or  did  you  find  an  interesAng  one  to  join?  #WiredChat  

•  T3.  What  topic  area(s)  might  you  cover  in  your  chat(s)?  #WiredChat  

•  T4.  What  chat  Aps  would  you  share  with  others?  #WiredChat  

@DanyaIntl  #WiredChat  

Thank You

27  @DanyaIntl  

Carlos  KaAe  Melissa