This document provides best practices for conducting successful Twitter chats. It discusses how to research and develop content for a Twitter chat, including selecting topics, developing hashtags, scheduling, adding guests, and creating scripts. It also covers engagement techniques, measurement of chat outcomes through various analytics tools, and includes a sample Twitter chat to demonstrate engagement strategies.

1. 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

2. 2
Overview
• 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
@DanyaIntl

3. Topics 1
The Basics
2
Chat Benefits
4
Pre-Planning: Topic Selection & Guests
Script Development & Day of Chat
5
Measurement
3
Best Practices & Sample Chat
6
3

4. The Basics
SecAon
Twitter Chats
1
4

5. Twitter Basics
5
@DanyaIntl

6. What’s a Chat?
6
• 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

7. Chat Benefits
SecAon
Twitter Chats
2
7

8. Benefits
8
• 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

9. Twitter Chats
Pre-Planning: Topic Selection &
Guests
9
SecAon
3

10. Topic Selection
10
• 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

11. Creating the Hashtag
11
• 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

12. Scheduling the Chat
12
• 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

13. Adding a Guest
13
• OpAon
to
increase
engagement/add
new
perspecAve
• Subject
Ma;er
Experts
• Provide
quesAons
in
advance
• Offer
Twi;er
tutorials
@DanyaIntl

14. Twitter Chats
14
SecAon
4
Script Development & Day of

15. Script Development
15
• 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

16. Day of the Chat
16
• 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

17. After the Chat
17
• 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

18. Twitter Chats
18
SecAon
5
Measuring Outcomes

19. Why Evaluate?
19
• 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

20. How to Evaluate
20
• 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

21. Metrics
21
• Retweets/favorites
• Unique
sources
• ConversaAon
cloud
• Top
contribuAng
parAcipants
• Most
influenAal
parAcipants
• Geographic
distribuAon
• Web
metrics
(click-­‐throughs)
• Transcript
@DanyaIntl

22. Analytic Tools
22
• NaAve
Twi;er
AnalyAcs
• Twi;erAnalyzer
• TweetStats
• Hashtracking
• Tweetreach
• Twi;erCounter
• Tweriod
• PeopleBrowsr
*
• Socialbro
*
• Radian
6
*
*
Paid
service
@DanyaIntl

23. Twitter Chats
23
SecAon
6
Best Practices & Practice Chat

24. Best Practices
24
• 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

25. Best Practices
25
• 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

26. Let’s Practice
26
• 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

27. Thank You
27
Melissa
KaAe
@DanyaIntl
Carlos