For many urban young professionals, our lives are increasingly filled with events, ranging from fundraisers to work events and networking events to conferences. With that comes the natural instinct to incessantly Tweet. We make our own notes as writers at events and leave armed with media kits, but being able to go back and have a digital diary of things we may have missed – plus the access to comments of others at the event – is always appreciated.
In this day and age, most organizers will create a designated Twitter hashtag and announce the hashtag ample times to promote the event and connect with their key audiences. It is important to let people know well in advance so they can follow along if they’re interested and engage using the same hashtag. Hashtags are especially essential when tweeting from a keynote or a conference, and it would be rare to find a conference without one.
For events like parties, product launches or fundraisers, tease a few days ahead if you can and engage followers in the weeks leading up to the event, slowly leaking key pieces of information and draws. Live-Tweeting facilitates communication flow to and from the event, engages audiences wherever they may be, and allows for a first-hand recap.
Benefits to Event Tweeting
Recap
Twitter tends to provide a different perspective than can be captured in press releases and word of mouth event recaps. People tweet humorous moments, best in fashion, interesting quotes by speakers, statistics and play-by-plays. As we mentioned, referring to Twitter pages has proved useful in event write-ups because no matter how astute, you can’t take in everything at once at an event.
Network
In following the event hashtag, it’s simple to figure out who else is at the event – not that urban YP circles aren’t small enough. Thanks to Twitter avatars, you can usually recognize these people when you run into them at the bar. Twitter, then, provides a way of addressing other attendees. You could inform others of the after party destination, ask thoughts on the last speaker, or inform them that the poutine station is finally out.
Connect with people that are not physically there
You don’t need to be at an event to join in on the action. Many people track a livestream from the event and use the hashtag to share their thoughts, or point out memorable insights, to those who are both watching off-location or from the event itself. For those unable to attend, add context to your Tweets by including multimedia like links to websites that speakers are mentioning or taking pictures and video.
Remember…
Pay attention and stay on your game
Make sure you consider your audience in all Tweets and what would be relevant and welcomed information to them. Choose statements made by speakers, event highlights and other pieces of information strategically.
Don’t overdo it
Don’t over-Tweet. Nobody appreciates a newsfeed crammed with messages from the same user. Not only will it annoy followers, it may actually backfire and cause them to disengage or unfollow you.
Don’t go hashtag crazy
Try to include as few hashtags as possible in your tweets. Not only will it turn attention away from the actual event hashtage, they can be annoying to read and cause followers to lose interest.
Know important Twitter handles
Make sure that you know the Twitter handles beforehand of those who are speaking, presenting, sponsoring or playing other key roles in the event.
Respond, if possible
If you are going to be pro-active in creating and maintaining an active Twitter account, remember to maintain interaction with your followers and respond to their tweets. Throughout the event, keep checking and responding to your @ replies. Interacting with followers while on the scene in real-time is appreciated by people both at the event and those following online.