7 Ways to Show Tweeters Some Love at Your Next Event
As savvy presenters know, it pays to double-check all critical “production” elements before each speech. Your mic, projector, platform—it all paves the way for how well your audience perceives and absorbs your presentation.
So, what about making it easy for your audience to SHARE your content? Yes, today, it’s not uncommon to see audience members whipping out their cell phones during a speech. Don’t be offended. Be flattered. Chances are they’re sharing a talking point and crediting YOU on their network.
Help Attendees Who Tweet (“Tweetendees”)
Twitter is the most common network for socially-savvy attendees. All too often, that first Tweet requires that the attendee search for your name on Twitter, note your Twitter handle and follow you. Good luck if your Twitter handle is not intuitive or “sounds like” other Twitter users. Before you know it, the attendee has missed three minutes of your presentation.
- Shorten TweetTime – Post your Twitter handle and event hashtag on the first and last slide of your presentation. If the event planner tells you that no hashtag exists—create it on the spot. Keep it short. Do a quick search on Twitter to ensure it’s not taken. Then publish it to your slides. Not up on hashtags yet? Get a hashtag crash course.
- Declare it a Tweet-Safe Zone – Some Tweetendees may be afraid of offending, so may not Tweet as often as they’d like during your presentation. Again, they’re giving you free publicity. Make it easy! At some point, if it doesn’t interrupt the flow of your speech, point out your Twitter handle and the hashtag. Or, take a lesson from Patricia Fripp, who boldly makes eye contact with Tweetendees and states, “Tweet this!”… followed by her many words of wisdom. Yes, I learned that one, first hand. 🙂
Tweet ahead of the event. Show your interest and engagement with attendees by Tweeting (with the hashtag) ahead of the event. This is a fantastic way to connect with your audience ahead of time and makes it easy for them to Tweet quickly when they arrive!
Engage With Your Audience
- Interact, don’t broadcast – There’s nothing more irritating to Tweetendees than an arrogant speaker on Twitter. All too often, speakers simply “announce” their arrival or schedule but never participate in the attendee buzz about the event. Rather than say, “About to present to XYZ Group,” try something like, “Looking forward to meeting my Tweeps at the XYZ Group Today! #hashtag” or open it up to replies with something like, “Who’s joining me at the XYZ conference today?”
- ReTweet attendees – Warm up the room before anyone’s even there! Get to know your audience and ReTweet the buzz about the event or useful content they’ve posted.
- Show gratitude after the event – Again, don’t assume that you have to operate “above” the crowd. Thank attendees on Twitter and share any spontaneous or memorable moments that you recall during the speech.
- Follow your Tweetendees – Use the event hashtag to create a list of Tweetendees using a tool such as TweetAdder. In just a few clicks, you’re connected with Tweetendees! Assuming they follow you back, you now have a captive audience for your content, articles and future events!
Deana Goldasich
Deana Goldasich, CEO and founder of Well Planned Web, plans and implements Content Marketing to help clients nurture leads, market their expertise and create an impactful presence online.
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RT @goldasich: Thx Jenise! @lyksumlikrish: EXCELLENT! RT @goldasich: 7 Ways to Show Tweeters Some Love at Your Next Event – http://ow.ly/url/shorten-url …
@goldasich Thanks for the follow I like your writing style.
RT @goldasich: @joemsie: Thanks Joe, for the RT of “7 Ways to Show Tweeters Some Love at Your Next Event” — https://www.wellplannedweb.com/2010/06/sp… – make i …
Thx Jenise! @lyksumlikrish: EXCELLENT! RT @goldasich: 7 Ways to Show Tweeters Some Love at Your Next Event – https://www.wellplannedweb.com/2010/06/sp… #eventprofs
@joemsie: Thanks Joe, for the RT of “7 Ways to Show Tweeters Some Love at Your Next Event” — https://www.wellplannedweb.com/2010/06/sp… – make it a great day!
@WendiMooreAgncy – Hi Wendi! Thanks for the RT of 7 Ways to Show Tweeters Some Love at Your Next Event – https://www.wellplannedweb.com/2010/06/sp… #speaking #nsa10
@goldasich You’re welcome, Deana. How are you doing? Love your new branding! (at least I think it’s new since we talked)
@WendiMooreAgncy Thx, Wendi! Indeed, new tagline & branding recently. LOTS of work, but def. fits what I do! Will you be at NSA in July?
@goldasich No, won’t be at NSA. Will you?
@goldasich Lucky you! Let me know how it goes. I hear it’s always a great conference.
@WendiMooreAgncy I’m lucky — it’s in my backyard this year. it will be my first NSA conference, so should be interesting!
Fantastic post, yet again, Maestro! And perfect timing for me … 😉
Hah! Yes, I thought about forwarding to you you, for reference. Glad you caught wind of it before your big gig! 🙂 This has been QUITE to popular post on Twitter this week. I guess that's no surprise, since they're the ones who need the love!
Great job Deana. I love this advice and will use it in my presentations. Something else I've done is watch out for a real time tweet that I can refer to from the stage where appropriate. That's really fun for the audience when it works out.
Hah! Good idea, Victor. Yes, that's what Ms. Fripp did to/with me. She saw my phone out and declared (as only Ms. Fripp could), “Tweet THIS:…” It made me appreciate that she knew what I was doing and that she “blessed” the idea. I'll need to remember that, though. Would be fun to “call out” during the right moment!
Great site, and information. Thanks
Great site, and information. Thanks
@goldasich no problem. Thanks for the great article. How is your week? http://myloc.me/show.php?id=8DMbj
@DrivinMedia Thanks for the RT of 7 Ways to Show Tweeters Some Love at Your Next Event https://www.wellplannedweb.com/2010/06/sp… #speaking #events #mpi #asae #sma
@goldasich that is so awesome. I’m truly honored. http://myloc.me/show.php?id=8EbRn
@DrivinMedia Whew… busy week (that’s good!). You? LOVE your blog. I’ve subscribed! 🙂
Nice post, again it shows that actually networking and participation needed on Social Media and automatic following have no way to success….however twitter is spammed a lot by automatic followers
RT @goldasich: 7 Ways to Show Tweeters Some Love at Your Next Event — Well Planned Web – https://www.wellplannedweb.com/2010/06/sp…
7 Ways to Show Tweeters Some Love at Your Next Event — Well Planned Web – https://www.wellplannedweb.com/2010/06/sp…
I think it's more the auto DMs that can get “spammy” on Twitter.
Deana, some great ideas that are completely new to me! I love adding your twitter name to name tags and really appreciate the thoughts about speakers participating instead of “announcing”. Thanks again for such inspirations.
I'm so glad the ideas were enlightening, Trinka! Glad to see you here!!
I'm so glad the ideas were enlightening, Trinka! Glad to see you here!!
All great ideas. Many more suggestions in Cliff Atkinson's book “The Backchannel” which advocates creating a “Home page” for each event where tweets, hashtags and more can be archived. Here's one of my examples.
@goldasich No. Just participating! 🙂
Thx Jennie! RT @CoachJennie: Another fantastic post! – Are you speaking at #nsa10? 7 Ways to Show Tweeters Some Love – https://www.wellplannedweb.com/2010/06/sp…
@goldasich Deana – most welcome 🙂
@ronkarr Hi Ron! Thanks for the RT of 7 Ways to Show Tweeters Some Love at Your Next Event — #nsa #eventprofs – https://www.wellplannedweb.com/2010/06/sp…
Thanks for nice article ! I will follow you post whiteout question Deana !
Thanks 🙂
follow me @dawidryba
P.S plus for more Tweeters you can use http://bit.ly/cxg41c
7 Ways to Show Tweeters Some Love at Your Next #Speaking Event — Well Planned Web – https://www.wellplannedweb.com/2010/06/sp…
RT @goldasich: 7 Ways to Show Tweeters Some Love at Your Next #Speaking Event — Well Planned Web – https://www.wellplannedweb.com/2010/06/sp…
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Greg Ruby and Joan Eisenstodt, Mass Convention. Mass Convention said: Show tweeters some love at your next event #eventprofs! Here are 7 tips on how to do just that: http://ow.ly/3qnKE […]
Deana – Well-written (of course) and very useful. Every meeting should have at least someone who’s doing this!
By the way, BlastFollow (which I LOVED) doesn’t work anymore – I believe since Twitter started requiring oAuth authentication. And the creator of it hasn’t tweeted since June ’09. : (
That’s right, I DID see that Blastfollow wasn’t working as of many months ago. Bummer…they made it SO easy! Thanks for stopping by, Patrick. Good to “see” you and how all is well!!