Cutting through the social media clutter to connect with your various audiences is more challenging than ever. Business and marketing firms continue to try to determine the benefits of Twitter – besides something to scan while standing in the checkout line at the grocery store.
While your company may not secure 96 million Twitter followers like Katy Perry, there is an audience to connect with.
How many companies have considered Twitter Chats?
The Ritterbusch Group has hosted chats for regional and national clients with great success. The benefits include promoting specific events or product launches for a client at (literally) little-to-no cost in a relaxed, less formal setting. Strong communication before, during and after the event is key to success.
As with any event, determine your goals ahead of time. What do you want the audience to do with the information? Visit a website? Connect on social media? Contact you or your client directly? Whatever the answer, make sure to drive content that will lead to your desired outcome.
- Once a Twitter Chat has been scheduled, promote it to key audiences, including targeted media, through standard channels and all of your social media outlets (not just Twitter).
- Solicit questions on social media, both ahead of time and during the chat itself.
- In all postings related to the chat, utilize a specific hashtag (ex: #TRGChat) so content is easy to find during and after the chat.
- Don’t be late! If the chat is scheduled for 10 a.m., start it at that time. Be as respectful to a social media audience as you are to those with whom you have business appointments.
- Remember, content should never live in just one place. Following the chat, continue cross-promoting content. Whether in full or in part, post chat comments to websites, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. Take photos during the chat itself and post to Instagram and elsewhere, continuing to use the chat hashtag.
Oh, and one little secret: not all Twitter Chats are “live.” By soliciting questions ahead of time, a chat can be held with a client in advance and then posted at a specific day/time. “Plausibly live” chats can have equally positive outcomes.
-Marc Whitney is an account supervisor at Brookfield-based The Ritterbusch Group.
