You set up the perfect event hashtag and the event date is approaching… All set to let the live tweets come in? Not quite. First read this. With these tips, you can stimulate your audience to generate high-quality user generated content on Twitter and get the most out of your event’s Twitter Feed.
These tips to get a valuable Twitter Feed will benefit:
- attendees – to use Twitter as an unbeatable networking weapon
- online non-attendees – to easily follow what’s going on at your event
- yourself, the event organizer – to get more valuable user generated content
1. Share these basic Twitter tips with your attendees
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to create powerful user generated content. Share this infographic or its message with your attendees – through social media, of course. You will then stimulate them to not only use Twitter during your event, but to also use it correctly: in a way that benefits themselves AND you.
1. Know the hashtag
This is the most basic of these 5 tips: your attendees should know your hashtag. Be sure to display it as much as you can: on the event website, your Twitter account and all the promotional material.
That hashtag brings all social content about your event together. Attendees should use it to connect with each other to network, share ideas and questions, etc.
2. Use the host’s WI-FI
Make sure that you, as the organizer, also share the WI-FI network and password with the attendees. The result: more tweeters and more tweets.
3. Tweet a lot
The more tweets, the better! Right? Yes… and no. I don’t agree 100% with this third tip. Tweeting consistently but selectively is good. Spamming and ‘twomiting’ is not.
4. Tweet your experience and observations
Luckily, this fourth tip makes up for the last one. Tweets about experiences and observations are interesting and should definitely be encouraged.
5. Tweet to people
Twitter is the most natural social network for events. It is the perfect medium for attendees to connect with each other. To explore networking possibilities, they can also tweet more general messages, like “Anyone up for a drink after this talk”?
Some extra tips for your attendees
- As the organizer, you can motivate people to tweet before the event. As it’s more quiet then, it’s easier to get in touch with other attendees and get to know them better.
- Also make your attendees aware of the possibility to organize and join tweetups, as a fun and spontaneous way to network.
2. Display a Live Twitter Stream
A Live Twitter Wall provides a more natural way to motivate guests to tweet wisely but consistently. When people know that their tweets – with their avatar picture – are displayed to the entire audience, they will automatically try to impress.
Stimulate tweet Quality + Quantity
User generated content (UGC) is more important than ever. You can use it to evaluate the event’s success and share it to promote your next event.
Don’t only spread your event hashtag to stimulate tweet quantity. Also try to affect the quality of those tweets. You’ll make a great difference simply by sharing some Twitter tips with your attendees, and by streaming live tweets at your event.
In the end, your attendees decide what they tweet about. You can advise and educate them, but don’t try to control them.