For your next event, consider integrating Twitter into the event right from the beginning.
By following some simple guidelines, you’ll increase the engagement level of the event attendees and increase your audience to include people that aren’t able to make it to the event.
Integrating Twitter into Your Next Event
Choose the hashtag to use for the event beforehand.
In order to get people using a single hashtag for your event, and not a number of different ones, choose the one you would like people to use well in advance of your event. Do a search on Twitter for your choice of hashtag to make sure it isn’t already being used, and once you’ve got it, define it on WTHashtag. Defining it before the event helps those who might stumble across the hashtag to understand what it stands for.
Tweet about the event before it begins.
Beginning a week or two before the event, tweet about it using the hashtag you’ve decided on. This helps more people to know about both your event and the appropriate tag to use during the event.
Use the hashtag in all promo materials.
Prominently display the hashtag on your website, blog, promotional materials, and event schedule. Make it obvious that your hashtag is the one to use for the event. If you have a PA system to announce speakers or news at the event, be sure to mention the hashtag during those announcements. Print attendee’s Twitter username and the event hashtag on the name tags that you hand out.
Display the speakers Twitter usernames.
Putting the Twitter usernames for presenters, speakers, host, and sponsors on the event schedule lets attendees interact with them before, during, and after the event. This is especially important for those users who have a different username or who use a variation on their name.
Monitor your event’s Twitter stream through a hashtag search.
During the event, use Twitter search or a tool like TweetGrid to monitor all tweets which include your hashtag. Listening to the Twitter conversations is a powerful practice for learning what is or isn’t working at your event, for getting direct feedback from attendees, and for finding ’shareable’ insights from the event.
Respond to tweets from attendees about the event.
If issues about your event come up while monitoring the Twitter stream, make sure that someone is authorized to respond to them and to take any appropriate action. These types of tweets could range from “Turn up the A/C” to “We need more chairs in room 205″.
Display the event Twitter stream on a monitor in an accessible spot.
Dedicating a large monitor during the event to display all of the tweets using your hashtag is a fun way to let people who are just arriving know what’s happening at the event in real-time. It also encourages people to tweet – we all like to see our comments and insights displayed in public.
Use Media Funnel’s guest tweet feature to let people post to your stream.
One of the unique features of Media Funnel is the capability for guests to post to your stream via email, SMS, or from a widget on your website. The guest tweets are moderated, so you maintain editorial control over your stream, and they can be published when you decide. Possible uses include allowing those people not in attendance at the event to interact with questions or comments, giving attendees a bigger audience for their insights through posting to your stream, or enhancing your own live tweet stream.
Use the event or host’s Twitter stream to retweet insightful comments.
Retweeting the comments of attendees on your company’s account, the event host’s, or a dedicated event Twitter account, is a great way to further engage attendees and to help broadcast your event to a larger audience. Doing so will also help to build your following.
Integrating Twitter into your events can add value and engagement. What tips do you have for using Twitter effectively at events?
[Derek Markham is a writer, a father, a WordPress addict, and social media butterfly who loves to share what's new and interesting in his world in under 140 characters.
Hit him up with an @ reply anytime!]
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