Buzz Twitter Hour Top Tips

Published 24 March 2020

The Twitter Hour is a fantastic way of engaging with peers and new followers but it’s worth remembering the age-old saying ‘Failing to prepare is preparing to fail’. Before you get started it’s helpful to bear in the mind the following:

Preparation

• Every time you tweet use the hashtag (eg #BedfordBuzz)
• Have a read through past Twitter hour conversations and jot down some notes that might be worth discussing this time round
• Emojis are very popular in conversation. Have a look at some you might want to use to illustrate your day. If you’re on a PC you can use the windows button and the full stop at the same time to enter emojis easily, or visit www.emojipedia.com and copy from there
• Have some images or brief vids ready to share; Twitter and multimedia are a great combination
• Be mindful of auto-correct, spelling and grammar. While mistakes happen, errors can change what you say quite dramatically

During the Twitter Hour

When the hour kicks off, introduce yourself and your business to the chat organiser briefly. Tag them early using local hour hashtags such as #BedfordBuzz and #FlitwickBuzz (these are run by @bizbuzzbeds so remember to include them in your intro tweet).

Look at engaging with new followers by asking them how they are, what they’ve been up to, your typical ice breaker questions that you’d use in a face to face meeting; this is your networking well underway. Tell them about your business and what services you offer, but keep it light. Try to not go in with a salesperson approach and overload the tweets with info about what you do, keep it light and transparent.

Always end your tweet with the hashtag #BedfordBuzz (copy and paste each time is the easiest way) so everyone can keep up with the conversation, also, so that chat organisers can easily retweet you to keep everyone connecting.

It is polite to stick to the format which is laid out by the chat organiser. They may have some light-hearted questions ready for you so try your best to answer them.  Don’t feel you have to rush to reply, have a think about what you want to say and what message you want to get across.

If you’re thinking of scheduling a series of messages for the Twitter hour, it would be wise to avoid. The Twitter Hour is about you being there to converse. A scheduler will show that you are not present and it will be recognised by the other participants. However, a single scheduled early tweet like ‘Hi everyone, how are we today?’ as a reminder to yourself to join in the conversation won’t do any harm. Remember, have fun! Yes, this is ultimately a networking opportunity but it doesn’t mean you can’t crack a joke or two – in fact that’s definitely preferred to being all serious! Keep the tone positive too.  If you’re a little hesitant over how a tweet might be received, it might be best to not post it. Some people might be a little slow in replying with responses, but don’t worry about this too much. 

After the Twitter Hour

List down some of the businesses you are ready to follow up once the hour is over. This is a perfect opportunity that could see new forged relationships, opportunities for your businesses to perhaps work together and maybe generate new leads.

Tweet you soon!