Sunday

5 tips for getting the most out of Twitter chats

Ah, Twitter, you wondrous thing of beauty! Where would we be without Twitter? It's the first site I check when I turn my laptop on or pick up my phone on the commute home. It's the site that brings in third of my traffic and I put this down to the amazing network opportunities. Thanks to Twitter, I have been given PR opportunities and even appeared in the Metro! One of the best ways to network with others on Twitter is through the Twitter chats. 
For those who don't know, Twitter chats are usually an hour long and have a dedicated hashtag. Just search the hashtag, join in with whoever's chatting and be sure to use the hashtag in your own tweets so others can read them. I wrote a list of all the Twitter chats I join in here, so you can find out what time they are. Psst: I'm the host of #fbloggers! Mondays 8-9pm GMT.

Of course, there are etiquette issues, and also some tricks to getting the most out of the chats. Here's everything I've learned over two years of joining in!


Etiquette
Let's be boring and get the rules out of the way first! I don't want to go all teacher on you but if you make an annoyance, people will avoid you.

1. Link sharing
The great thing about Twitter chats is that you can share your links with other bloggers and discover some great new ones too. Just be careful because you don't want to spam everyone! Here are three little pointers for sharing your links:
  • Keep your links to the end of the chat. Usually the last 10 minutes of the chat are allocated for link-sharing. If you start spamming your link in the middle, people will be turned off. It's also worth remembering that if you leave them to the last minute, a lot of people won't see it, so time your link well. 5 minutes to the end is probably the perfect time.
  • Share your link once. There's nothing more annoying than somebody who sticks their link at the end of every single tweet. Not only does this make you look spammy, it also uses up valuable characters.
  • Share when asked. Every week, I see somebody moaning about being sent links unsolicited. If somebody asks for links, by all means share them. If not, there's no need to tweet it to them (although it might be nice to ask for theirs!).
2. Appreciating the topic
Every now and then, you will come across a topic that just doesn't do it for you. Perhaps it's not relevant to you, or maybe it's something that you talked about in a different chat a few days ago. If it's not your thing, don't join in. There's no point getting a reputation as a moaner by whinging about the topic. Just come back next time and hopefully there'll be something more up your street. As a chat host myself, I can attest that it's a little insulting when somebody moans about your topic. Especially as each chat is hosted by someone different, so sometimes topics will, by coincidence, repeat themselves. 

Positive tips
Ok, now we've got the moany stuff out of the way, we can concentrate on the more positive tips and tricks!

3. Get chatting!
I know some people get a little nervous about throwing themselves in there but try not to panic. Everyone is really nice (so long as you don't wind them up!). If you tell people that you're new, and feeling a little nervous, you'll be inundated by friendly, welcoming tweets. Alternatively, look out for those tweets from newcomers and start chatting with them. If you get there early, and the chat is a bit quiet, get the conversation going! Ask questions that encourage people to get chatting. I also try to talk to someone different in each chat, so I get to make a new contact every day.

4. Be helpful
There will always be people looking for advice. If you can, help them out. It's just nice to be helpful and you'll also make a positive impression. Besides, when you need help, you're more likely to find people willing to chip in. What goes around comes around and all that!

5. Ask questions

On that note, Twitter chats are the perfect times to get answers to all your burning questions. Got a trouble you need help with? Wondering whether an idea will work? Ask now! There are so many bloggers, both new and experienced, readers and potential readers getting involved that you'll have a huge pool of people to get suggestions from. Make the most of it!

I hope that helps explain how I use the Twitter chats. What's your top tip? Share it below and let's get a pool of suggestions going! 

25 comments :

  1. This post has helped a lot! i've been meaning to jump into a twitter chat for so long now but just didn't know how to start :)
    Megan x | MeganRoisinn

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    1. So happy to help! Just go for it and have fun :) You can always tweet me first if you like!

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  2. This is so helpful thank you! I never knew about these chats on Twitter so thank you! I will def be joining in at some point! xoxo

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    1. It will open up a whole new world to you, I promise!

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  3. Really helpful, I sometimes find it hard to join in though as I'm working or with the boyfriend, so it's nice to read through afterwards!

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  4. This a great post with useful tips, thanks! I saw bloggers chatting but haven't joined yet. Definitely hoping to join them soon.

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    1. You should definitely join in! It's well worth it and a whole lot of fun!

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  5. Really good summary of how to get the most out of the chats. I really do enjoy them. I was wondering, would you be willing to add the #timetotalkchat to your chat list?

    I have a new found appreciation for chat hosts!

    ~ K
    bluehairinbelgium.blogspot.be

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  6. Thanks for posting this, it's great to learn more about twitter chats. I was a little nervous about just jumping in because I wasn't sure how it really works or whether you need to know someone first! I feel much better after reading this! :)

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  7. So helpful! Thank you for this post :)

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  8. Really enjoyed the chat! :) Thanks for this post.

    http://www.faithfullymarissa.blogspot.com

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  9. Super helpful I keep missing chats x

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  10. Great post! i've never really got involved with one of these, but I surely will now!

    x leah symonne x

    itsleli.blogspot.com

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  11. This is a great post, I love Twitter it's the best networking too available to bloggers and I love that you've given etiquette lessons on how to chat as it's something I had to figure out myself when I first started! x

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  12. Hey dear, as a Twitter user, this is very helpful. Thanks for sharing!

    xx,
    MITCH | Click to join OhDearBumblebees' Giveaway~*

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  13. I used to take part in chats but took a break from blogging but I'm deff going to start taking part again, they were always really helpful :) x

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  14. great tips! I really wish i had some thing like this to read when I first started joining in with the twitter chats!
    Lauren | OhHay Blogs!
    xxx

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  15. Every week just as the Lbloggers chat is about to start for some reason I start cooking or baking! This week I am determined to take part haha. Thanks for the tips
    Kloe xx
    skullsnkisses.blogspot.com

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  16. Thank you so much. I lurked on the last chat as I was too nervous to join, I will tweet up next time!

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  17. Helpful hints, especially about posting your link. Might take me a few weeks to take part in my first though.
    amynmore.blogspot.co.uk

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  18. Ok so I just searched for #lbloggers as I think there was a chat this evening, should all the tweets just come up as there doesn't seem to be much? Thanks.
    amynmore.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Twitter was really buggy tonight, which might be why. Otherwise, you may have had a typo in your hashtag. I've done that before and couldn't understand why there was nothing happening!

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