How to make the most of Twitter Hours
Ellie Wilbraham - 10 March 2018
Whether you are a big fan of Twitter and are a regular tweeter, or you feel rather nervous about entering the Twittersphere, the fact is that if you have a business you really do need to be on there. Twitter can open up a whole new world for businesses and is the perfect platform to engage with potential customers, get advice from industry stalwarts and to tell the world about what your product or service can offer them. But it can often be difficult to know where to start. Twitter is fun and very fast paced and so it can often feel all too easy for your tweets to get lost in the general hubbub. That’s why the Wagada HQ team are really keen on encouraging businesses to attend Twitter Hours. They are a fantastic way to help you get more engagement, shout about what you do and make valuable networking contacts. If you haven’t done a Twitter Hour before then never fear as our guide to getting the most from Twitter Hours will help you to understand how it all works, what you need to do in order to make the most of it and the benefits that it will bring to your business.
Decide what Twitter Hours you want to take part in
There are hundreds of Twitter Hours running on a regular basis but obviously not all of them will be relevant or helpful to you. So, your first task is choosing the ones that you feel would work for your business. If you are a local business then most counties have their own Twitter Hours (we have #HertsHour here in Hertfordshire) which are a great way of getting seen on a local level and making local connections. These are brilliant for networking and as all of the attendees are fairly local to each other they can even lead to business meet ups. Alternatively you might want to pick an hour based on your particular industry. These are used by both businesses within the industry and customers looking for products or recommendations. A good example of this is #Weddinghour where wedding suppliers and brides-to-be meet up to chat and share advice online. So have a search online to find out what’s out there, note down the time and date of relevant Twitter Hours and the hashtag that they use. You’re then ready to start planning your Twitter Hour strategy!
Plan what you are going to say and what you are going to share
Whilst lots of people join Twitter Hours to have a good old chat it’s also the perfect forum to showcase your expertise and shout out about your fantastic products or services. As Twitter Hours tend to be fast paced it’s a good idea to plan some content and images in advance so that you are ready to share them and talk about them. Take the time to have a think about which images or information what would gain people’s attention. You could even plan some content on your website specifically to share on the Twitter Hour. For example if you were taking part in #HertsHour you might want to write a blog post about why Hertfordshire is the perfect place for small businesses. However it’s good to also remember not to be too ‘salesy’ and you don’t want to be perceived as spamming peoples Twitter feeds so intersperse business talk with everyday chat too. Asking questions is a great way to start a conversation so write down some in advance to encourage others to engage with you.
Engage with others
One of the key benefits of taking part in a Twitter Hour is that it really raises your online engagement. You’ll see a flurry of likes, re-tweets and new followers during the hour which is a great way of reaching many more people that you may normally reach. But what you get out of attending a Twitter Hour is as much as you put in, so don’t be scared – dive in and chat. Tweeters are usually a friendly bunch and they will be pleased to welcome newbies in. Ask questions of other attendees and give your answers to any questions that come up. Remember to like and re-tweet posts as this is really appreciated by other members and try to follow as many people as you can. Keep things really positive and upbeat and if you can try to pop into the Twitter Hours on a regular basis as this means that people will gradually get to know you and your brand.
Build up contacts and network with key online influencers
Twitter Hours are often attended by online influencers such as bloggers or by businesses that could complement your own, so make the most of this opportunity to get to know them and to reach out and show them what you have to offer. It’s often a good time to get leads for potential guest posts and some bloggers will use the forum to actively ask for guest bloggers or articles for their site. Make a list of popular bloggers who attend the hour and take the time to engage with them by liking and re-tweeting their posts or chatting to them. Once they get to know you they will often be far more receptive to a request for a guest post and this is the ideal way to help your link-building strategy.
Don’t forget to follow up on leads
Sometimes Twitter Hours are so fast paced that they seem to go by in a blur so remember to take the time the next day to do some research on the brands and bloggers that you have interacted with. If you’ve been asked for information about your business then send your emails or make calls the next day whilst you are still fresh in people’s minds. If people or companies have followed you then give them a follow back so you can keep up to date with what they are doing and maybe make a list of influential attendees that you want to engage with next time.
We think Twitter Hours are a fantastic forum for businesses to create engagement and excitement around their service or product. They also help you to network and make useful contacts both within your local area and within your industry. They can help you improve your website optimisation by providing opportunities for link building and increasing your social media followers. Most Twitter Hours are held on a weekly basis so there’s no need to wait to make the most of all the benefits that they can bring! If you want to make the most of Twitter but still feel a bit nervous then why not contact the Wagada HQ team. We are happy to provide support and training on Twitter and to help you gain confidence when using social media.
