May 04, 2011

7 Ways to Build Community (and Interest) with Twitter Chats

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Online chats have really evolved since the days when AOL was king. In this day and age of social media where our online conversations have been condensed down to bite-sized nuggets of 140 characters or less, chatting has moved from the IM chatrooms to Twitter. A natural progression, since Twitter is already being used by millions of people to converse with each other daily.

Enter Twitter Chats. While not a new concept (Twitter chats have been around for at least a few years), they're still fantastic for connecting with people in much the same way the original chatrooms allowed.

There are Twitter chats that happen daily for a variety of topics (check out this comprehensive list of Twitter chats to find one that interests you), and it's incredibly easy to join the conversation. Simply follow the assigned hashtag for the chat you want to participate in and include that hashtag in your chat-related tweets. Tweetchat is the foremost tool available for Twitter chats, allowing you to easily follow a specific hashtag in a dedicated “room” and automatically include that hashtag in your tweets (so you don't have to type it yourself). Twitter chats usually take place at a certain scheduled time on a regular basis (check with the moderator of a particular chat for its schedule) and last for about 30 minutes to an hour.

It's equally easy to create and moderate your own Twitter chat, and it can be used as a powerful community-building, networking and marketing tool for businesses, events, associations and nonprofits. Here are 7 ways Twitter chats can be used to help you connect with your customers, prospects, base, members and others in your industry:


  • Pre-event mingling: If you're a conference or event organizer, a Twitter chat can be a great way for attendees to mingle with each other before the event and get advice from both you and each other. An example of this is #nabchat, which is a Twitter chat we organized before the NAB Show (our client) for veteran and newbie attendees alike to connect with each other.

  • Feedback: Let's say you're beta-testing a new product or service before it launches. Why not hold a Twitter chat with your beta testers to get their feedback? This also allows you to connect on a more personal level with those who may be your customers in the near future.

  • Crowdsourcing: Along the same lines as using a Twitter chat for customer feedback, it can also be used to crowdsource ideas – i.e. event sessions, fundraising ideas, or even product ideas.

  • Thought-leadership: If you're leading weekly Twitter chats about important topics within your industry or niche, you'll quickly establish yourself and your organization as a thought-leader. You might even consider engaging and partnering with an expert in your industry to share in leading your chats periodically. Engage 365, an online community for event professionals, does an excellent job of this with their weekly #engage365 Twitter chats, enlisting the help of industry experts to moderate on different chat topics.

  • Interviewing an industry expert or leader: Twitter chats can also be used to conduct “Twitterviews” with other industry thought leaders (for instance, speakers at an upcoming conference). These are usually much more tightly moderated, with discussions and Q&As happening during a specific time period.

  • Rallying your base and fundraising: Nonprofits and political campaigns can use Twitter chats to generate excitement and discussion around a specific cause or platform and encourage people to donate or get involved. An example of this is #SOSFood, which was a series of Twitter chats for food bloggers to help raise money for our client, Share Our Strength. The chats themselves were about food-blogging topics, but participants were encouraged to donate to Share Our Strength during the chats.

  • Getting to know you: At the heart of all Twitter chats is simply getting acquainted and networking with your fellow Tweeps over a topic in which you share an interest!

How have you used Twitter chats or seen them used successfully as a marketing or community-building tool? Leave a comment and tell us about it?

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Posted by Kari Rippetoe at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

July 30, 2010

What We're Reading, July 30th

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Photo credit: jalalspages

July is almost over - and it was a scorcher, wasn't it? Luckily, we've had a few cool things to read about social media, location-based marketing, cause marketing and PR - while staying indoors. Enjoy, and stay cool this weekend!


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May 07, 2010

HOW TO: Geo-Target Your Press Release Distribution

We were recently approached by a non-profit who wanted some quick advice on how to target the distribution of their press release to a specific city (known as "geo-targeting"). This is a great question, because there are so many press release distribution services that boast national exposure to major outlets; but what if national distribution isn't what you want? What if you just want local coverage of your news?

Now, it should be pointed out that before you think about distribution, you should think about how to geo-target the content of the press release itself by using city- or region-specific keywords. There was a fantastic suggestion we received via LinkedIn: “Lots and lots of freelancers and journos cover areas in which they aren't located physically. You wouldn't want to miss coverage by focusing the actual distribution of the message on a specific area.” With this in mind, you may want to consider national distribution.

We set out looking for the best tools and methods for local distribution of press releases, and we came up with some very interesting solutions that are simple and either no-cost or low-cost.

No cost:


  • PRLog.org – allows you to select specific geographic areas where you want to target the distribution of your press release.

  • Send to local AP bureau – Yes, you can fax or email your press release directly to your local AP bureau. It’s surprisingly effective in getting local coverage. You can find contact info for your local bureau here.

  • Research and compile a list of local online and print pubs, along with contact info (reporter/editor name, email address, fax number), and send your press release straight to them.

  • Your blog – look for local blog directories (i.e. outside.in) and add your blog to them. You can then post your press release directly to your blog and geotag your posts so they will show up in these directories.

  • Tweet a link to your press release and include a hashtag for your city (i.e. #DC, #NYC, #SF, #Chicago).


Low cost:

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