Live-Tweeting Tips

With a few national and regional conferences under my belt, I have truly embraced live-tweeting. It is a really easy way to generate meaningful content for your Twitter account - if it is done well.

Be sure to keep the following tips in mind, provided by this PR Daily article, to ensure you are adding value to the conversation and remember to have a charger handy because live-tweeting definitely drains a smartphone's battery!

1. Use the event hashtag

If there isn’t an event hashtag, make one up. Just keep it short, because every character counts. Using a hashtag will group all your tweets, enabling people searching for the event hashtag (or the hashtag you think up) to find them. It also makes it clear to your followers that you are tweeting about a certain event , not just spouting off random sound bites.

2. Tag speakers and companies in your tweets

This will not only make your presence known to those participating, but will also increase your chances of being retweeted.

3. Engage with other live-tweeters

Use the hashtag to search for others who are tweeting and start a conversation. From there, you can always ask to take the conversation offline.

4. Don’t tweet too much

You will overwhelm your regular followers who will not appreciate a barrage of out-of-context tweets. Though there is no ideal number of tweets, you should decide where the balance lies between over-dominating the conversation and not contributing enough.

5. Take pictures, and incorporate them into your tweets

Tweets with pictures are 94 percent more likely to be retweeted, according to Social News Daily, so use that camera.

The Power Behind Twitter Chats

I have recently begun diving into the world of Twitter chats and have realized the power behind them. A Twitter tweet chat is a pre-arranged chat that happens on Twitter through the use of tweets that include a predefined hashtag to link those tweets together in a virtual conversation.

Formal Twitter tweet chats are arranged in advance and occur at a specific time. They may include a formal agenda with a specific leader or "speaker", or they might involve a free flowing discussion between all participants.

This past Tuesday night, I participated in a popular Twitter chat known as #PRStudChat, thanks to a Temple University alum, Jessica Lawlor (@jesslaw), who was chosen to host it this month. Developed by Deirdre Breakenridge (@dbreakenridge) and Valerie Simon (@valeriesimon), #PRStudChat is a community designed to bring together PR students, professionals,and educators for a dynamic conversation about the Public Relations Industry and to provide opportunities for learning, networking and mentoring relationships.

Live conversations held each month on Twitter using the hashtag #PRStudChat offer insights into the practice, business, career, and future of Public Relations by bringing together current and future industry leaders.

There are many reasons to participate in Twitter chats but here are a few ways you can benefit from one:

Connect With People Beyond Your Network 

By participating in a Twitter chat, you have the ability to connect with like-minded people across the world. Engaging with others' responses is a great way to network during a Twitter chat. Thought provoking topics can really breed intriguing conversation. As aspiring PR pros, learning from others is extremely vital. Being able to build your network in under an hour or two is incredible and really speaks to the real-time nature of the PR field.

Foster Creativity 

When you have to react quickly and respond in real-time, it really gets your creative juices flowing. Being able to respond positively to pressure-filled situations helps to develop critical thinking skills which are crucial in any career. Getting creative with 140 characters is definitely a challenge!

Build Knowledge 

You can always learn something new from a Twitter chat. Being able to discuss a concept or idea with others leads to understanding. As I mentioned before, learning from others is crucial in this profession.

Participating in Twitter chats, or even just listening and learning, will benefit you both personally and professionally. Go tweet! What are you waiting for?

3 Tips For Participating In A Twitter Chat

On the blog we have written plenty of posts describing how to successfully host a Twitter chat. However, we haven’t discussed how to be a successful participant. While every Twitter chat has a different set of guidelines, there are three simple tips to keep in mind to ensure that you get the most out of the experience.

1. Review the rules. Every Twitter chat is different so it’s extremely important to review the guidelines ahead of time. Make sure that you know how to format your responses and what hashtag to use to participate. Otherwise, you run the risk of your responses not being recognized.

2. Be engaged. Simply participating in the chat isn’t enough; you actually have to chat. Although they can move pretty quickly, don’t just answer the questions. Interact with the other participants. It allows you to build your network, increase your followers, and share your voice on a larger platform.

3. Write concisely. Twitter is a great network to practice concise writing because it forces you to use 140 characters. Remain professional, but keep your answers short and sweet. No one wants to read a two-part tweet during a Twitter chat. It can be difficult enough to keep track of all of the tweets coming in without the added challenge of keeping track of yours.

Following these simple tips can make all the difference when engaging in a Twitter chat. Feel free to put them to use tomorrow night at 9pm EST during PRSSA’s chat on “Maximizing Your National Conference Experience.” You can review the rules on their Twitter @PRSSANational.

Ethics & PRSSA Twitter Chat

This past Tuesday, Temple PRSSA participated in PRSSA National's second Twitter Chat of the fall semester dubbed "Ethics & PRSSA". The monthly #PRSSA Twitter Chats are a great way to stay connected with fellow PRSSA members and interact with professionals. Hosted by the @PRSSANational Twitter account, each month features a different discussion topic relevant to students and Chapters, featuring a monthly guest professional or National Committee member.

PRSSA encourages Chapters to participate in the monthly Twitter Chats by turning the Chats into an event for its Chapters. Promoting the Chats as a resource of information and a way to engage with other students across the country is a great way to get members involved.

PRSSA has released the remaining dates and topics for the 2013 Twitter Chat schedule. All will be at 9 p.m. Eastern Time and will use the hashtag “#PRSSA” on the following dates: Tuesday, Oct. 1 with “Growing Your PRSSA/PRSA Relationship”; Tuesday, Oct. 15 with “Maximizing Your National Conference Experience”; Tuesday, Nov. 12 with “Leading Chapter Growth”; and Tuesday, Dec. 3 with “Do It the WRITE Way.” Recommended tools to use while participating in a Twitter Chat are TweetChat, TweetDeck or the Twitter platform with the #PRSSA hashtag.

To check out some highlights from "Ethics & PRSSA," please click this link: http://storify.com/prssanational/september-twitter-chat-ethics-and-prssa

Did you participate? Let us know in the comments below!

Twitter Chats for PR Pros

In public relations, it is essential that you have a like-minded friend and colleague who truly understands what a PR person does. To many people, the obsessive email checking, our crazy attention to detail, and dedication to a profession that many people overlook is baffling. It’s great to have a group of supportive professionals who can have an appreciation and understanding for what you do. Other professionals also tend to be some of our greatest untapped resources.

One place I have been able to connect with other dedicated professionals has been on social media, more specifically Twitter Chats! Twitter Chats are a great time to make connections while gaining information about a specific topic of interest. Because Twitter Chats are virtual, you have access to professionals you may never have met otherwise. 

Here are some great Twitter Chats you should mark your calendars for:

Mondays:

#InternPro: an open discussion moderated by @YouTern, enables young professionals to successfully enter the workforce; topics typically include internships, job interview skills, networking, personal branding and entry-level career development. When: Mondays, 9pm to 10pm ET.

#JournChat: “Conversation between journalists, bloggers and public relations folks. Moderated by @PRsarahevans.” When: 7:00pm to 10pm CST.

Tuesdays:

#MeasurePr: Dedicated to discussing all things related to public relations measurement, including social media. Often features expert guests. Founded and curated by @shonali. See the WTHashtag page for more details; bi-weekly on Tuesdays, 12-1 pm ET.

Wednesdays: 

#PinChat: Pinterest Chat. Weekly Twitter chat Wed 9PM ET, founded by Kelly Lieberman@tribe2point0 to discuss best practices, new uses, highlight brand usage, personal/professional use and tools for Pinterest. Details athttp://kellylieberman.wordpress.com/what-is-pinchat/

Thursdays: 

#PrwebChat: Chat with influencers and learn about their PR techniques, online marketing strategies, social media strategies and similar topics. Topics include PR, SEO, social media and the like for individuals, agencies and small businesses. Moderated by @prweb#prweb When: Every other Thursday, 1:00pm to 1:30pm CST.

Fridays: 

#AgencyChat: Chat for those working or interested in ad agencies. Moderated by@craigritchie. Facebook page. When: Fridays, 1:00pm to 2:00pm CST.

For a full list of other great Twitter Chats, check out this post by San Francisco PR Girl.

Temple University and University of Delaware Host #TUDPRSSA Chat

Tonight the University of Delaware and Temple University's own PRSSA Chapters will cohost a Twitter chat to discuss PRSSA experiences. The chat is open to all PRSSA members of any chapter, as well as any alumni who would like to share their PRSSA experiences and opinions! This chat is a great chance to connect with other PRSSA chapters and members from different regions. Temple and the University of Delaware will alternate asking questions for about an hour, giving members plenty of time to chime in and read other responses. Leaders - this is a great time to discuss all of the many benefits of being a PRSSA member! Be sure to spread the word and join in and use the hashtag #TUDPRSSA.

Who: Temple University PRSSA (Twitter: @TemplePRSSA) and University of Delaware (Twitter: @PRSSA_UD) - Open to all PRSSA members, chapters, and alumni.

When: Thursday, January 17th, 2013 8P.M.

Where: Connect to the Twitter chat using hashtag #TUDPRSSA

We hope you tune in and enjoy this engaging and beneficial chat! Don't miss out TONIGHT at 8P.M!

6 Steps to a Successful #TwitterChat

Thanks to social media, we can now connect with our audiences without venues, catering services, or formal invites.

A Twitter chat is similar to any online chat where users log on at the same time to discuss a common topic. These chats are a great way to bring together a large audience without the hassles of a face-to-face meet up. Here are six ways to insure the success of your Twitter chat.

1. Choose a topic: Before you can start or invite anyone to your Twitter chat, you have to decide what you will talk about. Take into consideration what you want to learn from the chat. Is it just a chance to interact with your audience, or are you looking for more? These questions will help you formulate the perfect topic.

2. Promotion: If no one knows about your chat, no one can participate! Tweeting about the chat a week or so prior will draw in attention and notify your followers. Make sure you include the time the chat will start and that you are conscious of different time zones.

3. Create the perfect hashtag: A hashtag is simply a phrase preceded by the pound sign (#) that brands a tweet or, in this case, your chat. The hashtag is what will connect everyone participating in the chat, and allow you to track what is being said. When creating the hashtag, remember to keep it short, as a tweet can only be 140 characters long, spaces included! The hashtag should only take up a small portion of a tweet. The hashtag should also be relevant to the topic of your chat. For example, if your chat topic is about the book The Hunger Games, #HungerGames would be an ideal hashtag.

4. Create time limits: As much as you might love to interact with your audience non-stop, it is important that you place time limits on your chat. Because many people will be tweeting from their personal accounts, they will not want to clog their timelines with Tweets from your chat alone.

5. Be consistent: Decide on the style of your Twitter chat and then stick to it! You can either throw your topic out there and let your audience chime in, or you can ask questions throughout, which tends to be a more interactive style.

6. Track your chat: It’s important that you keep up with what’s being said in your chat. TweetChat is a great online application that enables you to easily track the hashtag you’ve generated.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Amber Burns.