Each day, we field lots of requests from companies and organizations to list their Twitter parties and chats on our calendar. About half the time, we get everything we need to make an informed post in our weekly e-newsletter or in a tweet.
However, often we find that the company or organization hosting the event makes the information difficult to locate. We end up having to do some detective work to get the facts straight.
So much work goes into planning and organizing a live Twitter event. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to draw more people to your party or chat by leaving out important information about your event or making it a challenge for people to find it. If prospective attendees have to dig to learn about it, they might end up skipping the event altogether.
Here are some tips to make your party or chat easy to learn about:
Information/Registration/Landing Page: Often upon hearing about your event, people who are interested want to know more. They have questions that they want quick, concise answers to: When is the party? How do I attend? Are there giveaways or guest hosts? Who is eligible? By including a link in your tweets or posts that directs people to a landing page listing complete event information, you’ll make it easy for them to learn about your event, and reduce the chance that you’ll field lots of questions beforehand. Simply tweeting the date, time and hashtag usually isn’t enough. A well laid-out info page will answer everyone’s questions and help entice people to attend. You can set up a page on your website or blog, create a Facebook event page to link to, or even use a third-party site such as Twtvite to create an ‘invitation’ page that can be shared across social networks.
The Five W’s: In creating an information page, don’t forget the who/what/where/when/why of your party or chat.
- Who: List who the hosts are and their Twitter IDs. Also, if you have giveaways with certain eligibility requirements or terms, be sure to list that information as well. If your giveaways are intended only for U.S. residents, make that clear on your info/landing page. You might want to link to a more detailed page with official rules for those who are interested in the fine print.
- What: List what exactly will happen during your event — what the theme is, topics/discussion points that will be covered, and any sponsors for the event or giveaways. The more details the better.
- Where: Letting people know what hashtag(s) are to be used — or how to find your party on Twitter — is a must.
- When: List the date. When listing the time, be sure to make it clear what time zone you are referring to.
- Why: Each party should have a theme, or purpose. Is it to inform people about a new company or product? To raise money or awareness for a non-profit? To network with other mompreneurs? To trade parenting tips and stories? To coincide with a trade show or conference taking place? Somewhere in your post, be sure to list a reason why the event is happening.
- How: Will your event require registration beforehand? If so, make it clear what an attendee needs to do to enter to win any prizes, if applicable. Also, some of those who want to attend your event might be new to Twitter and/or Twitter parties. Be sure to include information on how they can attend the event, whether it is by using Twitter’s search feature or through a third party application such as Tweet Chat, Tweet Grid or Tweet Deck. To make it easier for you, you can place a link on your info page to the TweeParties Beginner’s Guide to getting started.
Tweets (Short, Sweet & Complete): In tweeting about your event, it’s not enough to say, “Twitter party tonight at 8! Join us!” Be as complete as you can in 140 characters. At a minimum, list the name of the party, date, time, hashtag, and a shortened link to your information page. If you can fit even more information than that (such as hosts, giveaways, etc.) then do so. The more info you can squeeze into your tweets, the more likely you will have others tweet about your event and follow your link to learn more.
Timing: Sometimes we get wind of a party the day of the event. If you decide at the last minute to have a party — or wait until the same day to announce it — you’re not giving it much of a chance to spread around social networks and be heard. Announce your event at least a few days before the date, to give it time to be tweeted about. With a little more time, you might even get some blogs to pick up the news and help spread the word to their followers.
Looking for a place to start to promote your party? List on our calendar by sending us an e-mail at [email protected]. We’ll list it and tweet about it, free of charge. If you need help in planning your party, we can help with all of your hosting needs! Visit our hosting page for more info and to request pricing.
Tags: hosting tips, twitter chat, Twitter party
This week we would like you to meet our new “Twitter Partygoer of the Week” — Whitney, a.k.a. @luckystars54- a wife, mom and animal lover who joined Twitter to converse with other moms. Here’s what Whitney had to say about Twitter and Twitter parties:
@luckystars54's avatar
Name: Whitney
Twitter ID: luckystars54
On Twitter since: 2011
I attend Twitter parties because: I love to network with others, especially moms, to have great conversations and always learn something new.
My most memorable party was: Probably my first one, I was so confused an felt like my head wa spinning. Got the hang of it pretty quick though.
The person I would most like to get a tweet from is: Betheny Frankel
My main reason for using Twitter is: I love networking with other moms and dads, get a lot of my local and national news, and searching for deals and freebies.
My biggest Twitter and/or Twitter party tip is: Engage, respond and build relationships. You never know what you will learn.
When I am not on Twitter, I am: Enjoying time with my family, cleaning or cooking.
Thanks, Whitney!
If you would like to be featured as our Twitter Partygoer of the Week, just fill out our quick form on TweeParties.com. Our only requirement is that you have attended at least one Twitter party!
This week we would like you to meet our new “Twitter Partygoer of the Week” — Patty, a.k.a. @pizzalogger- a wife and mom who joined Twitter to have fun and be social. Here’s what @PizzaLogger had to say about Twitter and Twitter parties:
Twitter ID: @pizzalogger
On Twitter since: 2010
I attend Twitter parties because: They help me learn about new products and meet fun tweeples.
My most memorable party was: So many fun ones. I guess my first. I had no idea what I was doing and having fun doing it lol.
The person I would most like to get a tweet from is: Hmmm good question…idk lol
My main reason for using Twitter is: Have fun and be social
My biggest Twitter and/or Twitter party tip is: Don’t just retweet. Get involved and talk about the products and interact.
When I am not on Twitter, I am: Watching movies and going to dinner with my husband and son
Thanks, @PizzaLogger!
If you would like to be featured as our Twitter Partygoer of the Week, just fill out our quick form on TweeParties.com. Our only requirement is that you have attended at least one Twitter party!
This week we would like you to meet our new “Twitter Partygoer of the Week” — Nichole, a.k.a @mnikpat - a wife and mom of two girls who is addicted to both social media and running. Here’s what Nichole had to say about Twitter and Twitter parties:
Name: Nichole
Twitter ID: @mnikpat
On Twitter since: Sept 2010
I attend Twitter parties because: I get to chat with lots of social media addicts like myself. Sometimes, they even reward my time with a prize, and you can’t beat that!
My most memorable party was: #PSChat (ParentSquad) I was able to share my heart about purity balls and my faith to dozens of people across the world. What an awesome time!
The person I would most like to get a tweet from is: God! Because He can use Twitter if He wanted to!
My main reason for using Twitter is: Twitter Parties and chatting with friends
My biggest Twitter and/or Twitter party tip is: Avoid Twitter drama as much as possible. Only follow reputable companies. Be careful what websites you allow to access your Twitter account; they can take advantage of it.
When I am not on Twitter, I am: a homeschooling mom of 2 girls, wife to my wonderful hubby, and 5k running addict!
Thanks, Nichole!
If you would like to be featured as our Twitter Partygoer of the Week, just fill out our quick form on TweeParties.com. Our only requirement is that you have attended at least one Twitter party!
In theory, if you are an avid Twitter user, you can learn to plan and host your own Twitter party. I mean, we weren’t born hosting parties — it’s something we learned to do. At first glance, Twitter parties and chats are pretty simple: pick a date and time, a hashtag, and start promoting. However, while it sounds simple enough, there are many reasons why you should enlist the help of a professional.
Why go with a pro? Because putting together a party for the first time can be a challenge. If this is something you want to do regularly, then get help initially from someone who is experienced and learn from them. Here are some responses from clients we have helped with parties:
“I didn’t realize how much time it took to plan a party.” Twitter parties take a lot of planning. A host can help with brainstorming party ideas and themes, devising discussion topics, creating hashtags, setting up a registration page, writing legal copy, promoting the party, training new/guest hosts on how to best attend, e-mailing subscribers about the party, hosting the party, fulfilling prizes, writing press releases, creating a post-party recap post, and providing sponsors with post-party stats. If you have time in your schedule to do all of that on your own — great! If not, you might need some assistance from a host.
“I didn’t know how to promote it.” Sometimes a sponsor decides to have a party to increase their number of followers and fans. An experienced party host comes to the table with a following comprised of those users who like to attend parties and tweet about them. We promote parties via Twitter, Facebook, our subscriber list, blog, and even sometimes paid ads. If you do not already have a strong social media presence, you might want to consider working with someone who does to give your following a boost.
“I was nervous during the party and at times, didn’t know what to tweet.” Some people are a little anxious when hosting their first Twitter party. For an hour or two, you are the center of attention and you must lead others in what you hope will be a thought-provoking and entertaining discussion. You usually have to start discussions, field many questions, chat with attendees, giveaway prizes. An experienced host has done this many times before, knows what to expect and how to conduct a party. They are confortable with being a host and are good at conversing with attendees. It helps to have someone ‘emcee’ the event-start discussions, conduct giveaways-while the sponsor might remain on hand to answer questions and converse with attendees. If you don’t want to be overwhelmed for your first live event, it might help to go with a pro for peace of mind.
“I overlooked a key component of the party.” A regular party host knows everything you need to do to put together a successful party. If this is your first time hosting, you might forget something important. We have helped people remember to include important information on the info/registration page or in a promotional tweet, or to include disclaimers or other legal wording necessary for a giveaway. Someone who has ‘been there, done that’ with regard to planning a party will know what needs to be done to make the party a success.
If you are going to invest time and effort into planning and hosting an online event, consider having TweeParties help. For more information about our affordable Twitter party & chat hosting services, visit our hosting page at TweeParties.com!
Tags: plan Twitter event, social media marketing, TweeParties, Twitter party
