Using Twitter at Your Events

There are many different places and circumstances in which tweeting is effective and appropriate. Tweeting from events (live) is very different than your usual tweeting. It is a skill that takes some expertise and enhances everyone’s experience.

The benefits of live tweeting

There are many pieces of information that attendees (as well as people who don’t attend) of events can get from live tweeting. For those people who are not attending the event, you can share the event’s hashtag with them, they can express their appreciation for the speakers through Twitter, get a valuable discussion going so that they feel as though they are a part of the event even though they were not able to attend (for whatever reason).

Remember, however, that you should only tweet what you feel is necessary and worthwhile and don’t fill your tweets with extraneous information that nobody cares about. If your tweets hold value, you will make an excellent impression on other people and you have a good chance of developing relationships with at least some of your online connections.

If you are serious about tweeting during a live event, the following tips will probably serve you well:

Pretweeting

It is an excellent idea to tweet a few days in advance about the particular event that you will be attending. You should reach out to all of your Twitter followers who you know (or think) will be attending the event. In one of your tweets, make sure to let your followers know that you will be attending the event in person.

Tweeting just before the event starts

Once you are at the event, make sure that you come prepared. Make sure to bring your charger, which you will have charged before the event. You will definitely be happy that you did that. You shouldalso make sure that there is wi-fi access at the event and if you are required to use a code to be able to take advantage of it.

If possible, try to find out the Twitter usernames of the speakers at the event. You should write them down somewhere (in a notepad, piece of paper, etc) so that they are at your fingertips when you need them.

Make sure that you confirm the hashtag of the event. This is very important and you need to make sure that you type it correctly. If the event doesn’t have an official hashtag, you can create a short hashtag (after ensuring that it is not already in use).

You should set up auto-updating search. Because the chances are great that you will be using a mobile device, one of the many applications like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck will be helpful to you because they will allow you to do individual searches easily.

You should make sure to introduce the event to all of your Twitter followers so that they can expect the live tweet from the event.

Tweeting during the event

When you start tweeting, make sure to sit in a spot where you aren’t distracting any of the attendees. At the same time, you need to sit where you can hear everything. It is also important that you turn the sound off on your computer.

When tweeting, you should use direct quotes from the event speakers or other people who will be attending. Quotations are very effective and people generally find them interesting. Be discriminating in the content that you tweet.

Not everything that the event speakers utter will be pearls of wisdom. Make sure that you choose the nuggets wisely. Always give attribution to your sources when you are tweeting. You can do this by providing the Twitter handle of the source, if it is available. If not, you should use his or her name.

If you want to make your tweets fancy, you can add graphics. People always love graphics. However, always make sure that if you are using photographs of people, that they are appropriate and never embarrassing. Get out among the people.

You should make an effort to speak with the other event attendees. On many occasions, the other attendees will have something valuable to say. However, remember to use some of their content and more of your own original content.

Tweeting after the event

Once the event is over, make sure that you express your appreciation to the event speakers, the hosting organization and the other event attendees (via Twitter). You should write a blog article about the event once you are back in your office. You can use the tweets that you and other people wrote on the event. The article will be a piece of enduring material.

If given the opportunity, find the slides from the event and tweet the information to your followers (where the slides can be found, other important details that you want to share, etc). Show your appreciation to the attendees who were willing to supply you with material for tweets.

Conclusion

Tweeting live from an event is a great way to bring your Twitter followers together and make them feel that they are part of the event, even if they were not able to attend. It is very important to pay close attention to what is going on at the event so that your followers get the most out of it also. You will be creating a buzz that could go on for a very long time. You are giving your followers valuable information and there is no doubt that they will show their appreciation in some way.

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