Often we are asked what the difference is between a Twitter party and a Twitter chat. It seems that some distinctions between the two have been clearly-defined over the past few years:
A Twitter chat usually involves the exchange of ideas and the dissemination of information between participants. There is the goal of everyone gaining something: knowledge, ideas, inspiration or a new connection.- A Twitter party can be (and should be) worthwhile, leaving participants with the feeling that they have gained knowledge or insight about a particular topic or simply made a new friend and had a good time while participating. An important difference is the brand involvement in a party, whether that brand is for- or non-profit. The purpose of the party is not only to make people aware of a topic, but also to help people to learn about the specific brand that is sponsoring the event and leave people with a positive opinion of the organization.
Sometime the terms Twitter chat and Twitter party are used interchangeably. However, one nearly universal aspect of the Twitter party is the giveaway.
Giveaways during a Twitter party help lend a ‘party atmosphere’ to the discussion. They draw people to the discussion and in some cases, help spur conversation about the brand involved. Mentioning a prize can lead to a discussion about the product, a segue to talking more about the brand and what it has to offer.
So what to give and how much? Generally speaking, we suggest to our clients the more the better, or better put: the most they are comfortable with. It has been our experience that large prize offerings can lead to lots of RTs and sharing the party details. The promotional buzz generated from big prizes can be worth the extra expense. Often, sponsor gives away one grand prize and a few smaller ones. However, we have had parties where the sponsor gives away a lot of product within the hour: such as 20 pairs of shoes, or 30 spa kits. If you’re sticking to gift cards, often a handful will do.
Big Prizes = Big Trends? Many Twitter parties offer gift cards (think Visa, Walmart, Target cards, etc.) as a way to attract participants. It often works; parties that give away several gift cards during the hour usually get decent attendance. The upside? The more people you have at your Twitter party actively tweeting during that hour, the greater chance you have of having your hashtag become a trending topic. For some sponsors, this means everything. Becoming a trending topic nationally means possibly having thousands upon thousands of eyes seeing your hashtag. It means gaining that wide exposure without having to pay Twitter $120K to become a Promoted Trend. If trending is your goal for your Twitter party, offering big ticket items or something like a gift cards that can be used by anyone, anywhere, often helps do to trick.
Branded Gifts = Loyalty But is trending what is really important to you? Once the hour is over and the hashtag fades away from the sidebar, many of those active participants sign off or move onto another party. Yes, trending topics can give a brand a lot of exposure. But there’s another line of thought that goes in for more of a niche following: offering your products. Your loyal fans or very interested potential fans are more likely to log in for your event. If you are giving away your product or a gift card to your store, you are more likely to attract participants who are truly interested in your brand and who want to interact with you — not just those who are there with the hope of winning a prize. Will your hashtag trend? Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on how many people tweet during the hour and how often. But if you start a conversation with a smaller group of people who are more likely to interact with you again once the party’s over, that could be more valuable than having people click on a trending topic once and never follow afterward. If a loyal customer wins one of your prizes and loves it, maybe they will tweet/post/blog their joy in finding such fabulous, gush-worthy item. That doesn’t happen with a Visa gift card prize.
Terms & Conditions Whichever prize path you choose to follow — or perhaps you will choose to implement a blend of the two? — be advised that the larger dollar amount you attach to your prize offerings, the more eyes will be seeking out the fine print. If there is no fine print, you could be in trouble. Establishing an official Terms & Conditions for your contest is essential. A Twitter party with prizes becomes a sweepstakes. Who will be eligible to win? How do they enter? What are the terms? If you want to stay on the right side of the law, don’t forget to make the rules clear by putting them in writing for all to see, either right on the bottom of your blog post or in a link that takes people to another page to view them. The bigger the prize, the greater the risk you take if you do not have official rules. Make contest terms an essential part of your Twitter party plan, regardless of what prizes you choose to offer.
