If you haven’t already noticed, Twitter is a vortex of comments, ideas, quips and hyperlinks swirling on a virtual platform where consistency is key. Twitter users have to be active to be heard by their followers. In order to hype up engagement for your next event (and all other future events), you need to get Tweeting! Here is the low down on live Tweeting your event.
Create a Hashtag
First and foremost, you need to put thought into the hashtag that will plague your audience through your posts. If your hashtag is too long, it will take away from the rest of the space in your Tweet, shortening what you can say. If your hashtag is too generic or vague, it will get thrown in with every other conversation on the same topic. Event hashtags, like the hashtag for this year’s San Diego Comic Con might be event- and date-specific, like #SDCC2015.
This year WriterAccess co-hosted Content Marketing Conference and the event hashtag was #CMC2015. However, thought leaders Tweeting this event, like WriterAccess’s own, Byron White, also use more general terms, like #contentmarketing to help place the event in the context of a larger conversation on the Twitter platform.
Behind the Scenes
Don’t just Tweet about your upcoming event as a future plan, let your followers see the hard work you are putting in now! Tweet behind the scenes pictures and comments to keep users engaged throughout the entire process. Let followers see the blunders and successes you are experiencing.
Live Tweeting Content
Stop making it all about the hyperlinks you include – if you want a Twitter user to care, the Tweet message is very important. You can certainly include content links in your Tweets, but also include tips, quotes and information within the 140 character limit that is immediately intriguing. You can also Tweet images, so make sure you spend time creating some great graphics to go with your event. If you aren’t sure what kinds of messages will impact your audience, consider hiring social media writers who can help you craft your articles, as well as the Tweets to promote them.
Scheduling Tweets
While you want to live Tweet your event, this doesn’t actually mean doing everything last minute. There are plenty of Tweets you can schedule to post during your event. Set up specific Tweets for specific speakers and include graphics of statistics, quotes or information you believe relevant. Tweet so that even those at the event are supplemented – don’t just regurgitate the materials presented. As you Tweet from the event, you can also include quotes or updates, but you won’t want to be too distracted with marketing the entire time.
Discover Unofficial Hashtags
Using a more general and less official hashtag, like #contentmarketing, is how you get your Tweets in the eyes of users not already following you. Discover unofficial hashtags that fit your content, but always be careful to use them in context. You can be creative, but using the wrong hashtag can be a major faux pas, as DiGiorno discovered when it accidentally made light of domestic violence.
Interact With Your Audience
Finally, don’t miss the opportunity to answer questions and respond to your audience. Pay attention to who else is Tweeting about your brand and your event. Retweet audience influencers to get attention from the right places. Stay on top of responding as quickly as possible, especially to those who are directly reaching out to you through their Tweets.
Writer Bio: Alethea M is a writer at WriterAccess, covering topics that range from marketing and design to photography and chiropractic care. She loves pulling out interesting facts from her corporate blogging research to impress friends at dinner parties.
