• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Fav Books
  • Tools
  • Journal
  • Hire Me
  • Contact
Small Biz Geek

Small Biz Geek

Small Business Design, Marketing & Technology Journal

Website design services

A Journal on Small Business Design, Marketing and Technology

  • The Internet
  • Marketing
  • Graphic Design
  • Web Dev
  • Web Design
  • Social Media
  • Technology
  • Miscellaneous

Twitter Tweet Chats: The Good, The Bad and The Spammy

By Small Biz Geek on April 7, 2015 ยท Filed Under: Audio, Marketing, Social, Video Updated: April 15, 2017

Are you a Twitter user with a small business? Perhaps you’re already actively involved in chats yourself. If that’s the case, this post might resonate with you and be of value.

Tweetchats

When Twitter launched in 2006 and became all the rage, I didn’t bat an eyelid. It wasn’t until the beginning of 2012 that I finally started to “get” what Twitter was about.

A couple of years later I discovered tweet chats and made some great acquaintances as a result.

If this is all new to you, you’re welcome to stick around.

I’ll give you a quick introduction then share what I consider the good, the bad and the spammy (crappy) aspects of tweet chats.

Low Barrier of Entry

You only need be a regular twitter user. You don’t need to be following anyone in particular or have anyone following you to participate.

It’s not like joining groups on Facebook or LinkedIn. Anyone can get involved in Twitter chats.

How the Hashtags Work

Twitter chats, or tweet chats, are social conversations occurring at set times using a common denominator in the form of a keyword.

A hash (#) is appended to the beginning of the keyword to act as the search engine glue binding Twitter discussion topics.

So, when you search a keyword/keyphrase using the # symbol inside Twitter, a list of tweets tagged with that keyword will be returned.

You can save the hashtags for quick reference.

Twitter Hashtags Saved Searches

In the screenshot above I have 6 saved hastags:

#ThinkNottingham

#derbyhour

#thinkderby

#LeicesterHour

#MidlandsHour

#SmallBizHour

The Good

This chat method can be used by small businesses to build visibility, familiarity and reputation among a community or peer group.

Here are some tips for small biz success in tweet chats…

Focus

Twitter chats work best when they focus on a specific subject, topic, theme or concept.

A framework gets everyone to focus on a shared idea. It’s good for camaraderie.

Same Time, Same Place

The chats should ideally be once a week, for one hour at the same time.

Think about when people can commit their time.

Use Google SMS to send tweet chat reminders to your phone.

Contribute

Interact with people, add value to the conversation and be generous.

When in doubt, be human.

@SmallBizHour @Bonfirecherry People run businesses. It’s all human to human forget this B2B nonsense it’s not the 90s ๐Ÿ™‚ #SmallBizHour

โ€” Tim Elliott (@TimElliottUK) March 31, 2015

Use Visuals (And Correct Image Dimensions)

Posting images can work well because those tweets occupy more real estate.

PhotoShopPhotoshop or Paint.Net (free) can produce eye catching graphics.

(Download a free Photoshop .PSD here – cropping guides included)

When I take part in a chat I have Photoshop open ready to produce graphics on the fly.

If you can do this quickly in real time it can have a greater impact.

Reading about Business Continuity Week 2015… #SmallBizHour http://t.co/ZK1xCkNlGs pic.twitter.com/Y8xKlhSI6t

โ€” Small Biz Geek (@SmallBizGeekUK) March 17, 2015

If you’re producing images based on screenshots of text (as shown above) make sure the original file has text that is big enough to read.

The example I just showed is small but the preview can be clicked to display larger.

Tip: Consider creating your images in advance during the week. Set them up to be scheduled during the tweet hour.

This leads me to the next section…

Use Scheduling Wisely

Scheduling tweets during the chat CAN work if done with finesse.

TweetdeckPrepared images, links or comments that are relevant, on topic and valuable can be set up days in advance.

It’s like having an extra pair of hands, and since tweet chats move fast you might not get time to create images because you’ll be busy chatting.

Tweetdeck can handle scheduling.

Tip for Chat Hosts – Upload a Good Twitter Header Graphic

If you host the tweetchat, creating a friendly header graphic with a picture of a human face sets positive expectations.

SmallBizHour-Twitter-Cover-1500x500-PNG

Include some details about the time and day of the tweet chat.

It’s recommended you create a .PNG and use the correct dimensions for the Twitter header.

As of April 2015 the dimensions are 1500px X 500px but be aware these can change.

Juxtaposition & Line Breaks

Try separating the text of your tweets on to new lines, one below the other.

It’s easier to scan the content and the tweets stand out more.

Attention small business owners… Every Tuesday at 9pm GMT we get together & chat for 1 hour.. Use the tag #SmallBizHour Come & say hi!

โ€” Small Biz Geek (@SmallBizGeekUK) March 31, 2015

Outreach & Reminders

It’s a good if the host personally reaches out to other users and asks them to participate.

This works well with users who have already been a part of past chats and may just need a friendly reminder.

It also shows the host is taking it seriously because they’re taking the trouble to personally mention it.

@SmallBizGeekUK @KeyvisMarketing @MVSWebDesign Hope you’re all having a good week. See you at 9? #smallbizhour pic.twitter.com/IrLkktbyhf

โ€” Becky #SmallBizHour (@SmallBizHour) March 31, 2015

Record Your Voice

This is a novel idea and not everyone will go for it. Here’s the gist…

Experiment with posting short audio clips of you speaking and then tweet these out.

Hi #ThinkDerby It would be cool to hear some short audio clips as part of the Twitter chat Example: https://t.co/lg6tjjVPxF #SmallBizHour

โ€” Small Biz Geek (@SmallBizGeekUK) March 26, 2015

You don’t need to sound perfect. And it’s not about how many people listen, favourite or retweet.

It’s about making stronger connections.

Soundcloud is free and offers 180 minutes which is plenty if you record 1 minute clips.

Use audio voice clips for driving relationships deeper with the people you’re already talking to.

I’ve made a quick video showing how to use Twitter and Soundcloud together.

The Bad

Here’s some ideas of what to avoid if you’re hosting or participating in a tweet chat…

It’s Not All About You

Chats shouldn’t be based around an individual or a business. By all means, a business can organise, run and chaperone a tweetchat but it is not all about them.

No Expectations

Chats without a topic are less likely to do well because expectations are not being set ahead of time.

Daily Chats Are Not as “Special”

Daily chats are probably a little bit too much and the conversation will likely run out of steam.

Attention is Shorter on Twitter

Don’t post videos at the beginning of the tweetchat because that requires eyes as well as ears, and takes people’s attention away from the Twitter feed.

Stop with the Duplicate Tweets

Don’t copy and paste the same tweets over and over – be original and use different words each time.

Avoid Using a Logo as Your Profile Picture

Use a picture of your face instead of a brand logo. Corporations use logos because they’re not personal.

Small biz is totally different and will benefit from using a profile photo. It’s more relatable.

Beware of Scheduling

If you’re going to schedule links, be careful if you’re using HootSuite.

Why HootSuite, you ask?

Simple – because all the links look like this: http://ow.ly/LgDvk.

This is a tell tale sign of automation and gives the impression you’re not actually present.

I’ve learned to spot HootSuite short links and I’ll bet others have too.

Keep It Clean, Keep ‘Em Keen

Watch your p’s and q’s on social media. Unless you know how people like to be talked to, substitute the bad language for something more palatable.

The Spammy ๐Ÿ˜

Unsolicited advertising is a bug bear for the majority of us taking part in tweet chats.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of people trying to sell me stuff.

Don’t you prefer to “buy” of your own accord by joining the dots on your own and reaching a conclusion?

If you’re beating people to death with your sales message the best you can hope for is that no one notices your incessant begging pitches.

In tweet chat streams, spam is tolerated but never welcome. Most people are too polite to tell you to shut up.

The “Mute” Button is Your Friend

If there’s a persistently annoying Twitter spammer clogging up the hashtag feed with crappy sales pitches, mute them.

Twitter Mute button

Under their tweet will be an icon comprising three small dots/circles.

Clicking Mute will mean you no longer see their tweets even if they continue spamming the hashtag.

You can use this for people you follow too but if they’re THAT annoying you would probably just unfollow them.

Social Selling is a Courtship Not a One Night Stand

When I first joined some of the tweet chats in 2014, I deliberately stirred things up by publically calling out the spamming and low quality interactions.

I never personally identified anyone as a “spammer” and have no intention of doing so. It just pissed me off to see business owners committed to their delusions of aggressive advertising. Lazy.

Anyway, the following recording was posted to some of the tweet chats and it led to me making deeper connections with one or two people who felt the same as me.

I may sound negative in the clip, but honestly, it’s passion.

Listen on Soundcloud

Embed a Twitter Widget Hashtag Timeline on Your Site

If you participate regularly in tweet chats and have a website, it might be worth embedding a Twitter timeline of your own participation in the chats.

Just to clarify: create a feed of tweets mentioning your @username and which include a #hashtag.

Then you embed this timeline on your website, perhaps the “About” page.

It shows a human side to your business. Great for consultants.

Here’s an example:

Tweets about @SmallBizGeekUK AND #SmallBizHour

Watch this video to see how to create the custom timeline…

Watch video on YouTube

ย 

Storify Your Tweets

The host of @SmallBizHour came up with the brilliant idea of organising every Twitter tweetchat into a narrative timeline using a tool called Storify.

Here’s an example of one of Rebecca’s storify timelines.

It’s free to use and allows any Twitter user to hand pick the best contributors (and leave out the spam) as way to collate valuable information and reshare it.

This repurposing of user generated content is a wise way of reframing what already exists.

Thinking of Starting a Twitter Chat?

You may be interested in this Social Media Examiner podcast about Twitter chats and how to create a successful one. The interview gives a lot of insight into how to become a valuable contributor too.

Analysis

Tweet chats can be a mixture of formal and informal, but they really should be about the community.

If you know what the tweetchat is going to be about weeks or days in advance, by all means write a blog post on the subject and share it during the chat.

Sheldon Cooper bowling

Don’t retweet other hashtag participants just for the sake of it. No.

Blindly retweeting other people’s spam in the hope they’ll do the same for you is a false economy. It is just mutual backslapping and pointless.

Share good quality relevant resources from other sites and use the hashtag to make sure it is seen.

  • You want to teach other users to expect quality when you share a link.

Let me put it like this: if you’re just interested in advertising your services by blasting out website links and sales messages then I’d prefer it if you stayed away from Twitter altogether.

On the other hand, if you understand the value of human connections, why it’s important to build trust and why you must earn attention, tweet on!

Do you have anything to add? Do you have tips or warnings worthy of sharing?

Useful Links

A Useful Mega-List of Tweet Chat Hours!

Related Posts

  • Create a Twitter Automatic Voucher Code System
  • DIY Laminated Printed QR Code
  • How to Comply with Google’s EU Cookie Ultimatum

Filed Under: Audio, Marketing, Social, Video Tagged With: Marketing, Social, Twitter

About Small Biz Geek

I'm Darren, helping small businesses with design, marketing & tech.
Read more about me and follow me on Twitter.

Small Business Website Design

Do you need help with something web related?

To hire me see the page about my services.

Reader Interactions

Get Updated by Email

If you liked this article, consider subscribing to the RSS feed by email.
Your email address won't be shared. Read the privacy policy.
* indicates required field.
Are you human? (Spam check)

Comments

  1. Joan says

    April 7, 2015 at 5:25 pm

    Thanks for this article Darren. I am late for a meeting, but I’ll be back…no pun intended ๐Ÿ™‚ to read the whole thing. Thanks for all you do to help.
    Joan

    Reply
    • Small Biz Geek says

      April 8, 2015 at 7:23 pm

      It’s a pleasure Joan! Do you participate in any Tweet chats?

      Reply
  2. Sally Heritage says

    April 13, 2015 at 4:35 pm

    I know what you mean about the Twitter spam! I hate all the sales Tweets during the chats.

    Thanks for your tips, I had better start to learn to use Photo Shop!

    Reply
    • Small Biz Geek says

      May 13, 2015 at 2:51 pm

      You can always try Paint if you feel Photoshop is too complicated. Paint.Net is free and open source, a good place to begin.

      Reply
  3. Mark Tillison says

    December 17, 2015 at 5:24 pm

    Hey Darren

    Thanks so much for including the link to the uber list of Twitter chat hours! It took an absolute age to compile and seems like there’s a new chat to add every week.

    Thanks again, Sir!

    Reply
    • Small Biz Geek says

      January 22, 2016 at 11:34 pm

      My pleasure Mark ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  4. Lee says

    August 1, 2017 at 8:06 pm

    Ever since I started to implement Images into my tweets, response and engagement has gone through the roof! Thank you for the links to some free resources..

    Reply

Add Your Thoughts Cancel reply

Your email address is safe and will NOT be shared with anyone else.

Hateful, spammy or abusive comments will not be tolerated.

For more information please see the comment policy.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

About the Webmaster

Hello, my name is Darren, a 36-year-old business enthusiast eager to learn and do good work.

I’m a website builder for hire working with small to medium businesses.

Search Website

Let’s Connect

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recently Read Book

Don't Make Me think - Steve Krug

“Don’t Make Me Think: Revisited” – Steve Krug (Book Review)

A person of average technical ability must be able to navigate your website easily. This is required reading for anyone wanting to create a better experience for their visitors…

Latest Journal Entries

  • Computer Says No: Does Your Website Work for People with Disabilities?
  • Chinese Tinder Profiles Are Using Photos of Pretty Girls to Scam “Investors”
  • Small Biz Owners “Trapped” Using Email Addresses Belonging to Internet Service Providers
  • In the Pandemic, QR Codes are Finally Proving Worthy in the West
  • Small Businesses Finally Start Marketing and All It Took Was a Global Pandemic
  • Unable to Meet in Person? Communicate Stress-Free with Online Audio/Video
  • UK Contractors Operating Ltd Companies Should Be Mad as Hell with HMRC and IR35
  • 20 Years On and Website Hit Counters are Still a Waste of Pixels
  • Competitors Can Easily Edit Your Google and Facebook Business Listings
  • Waiting on Final Images for a WordPress Website? Use Temporary Placeholders and Design Around Them
  • GoDaddy Loves Spamming Branded Footer Links to WordPress Installatron Sites
  • Dealing with Negative Comments on Your Paid Social Media Posts

Footer

Primary Navigation

Home
About Darren
Good Books
My Tools
Blog Posts
Hire Me
Contact Me

Secondary Navigation

The Internet
Marketing
Graphic Design
Website Development
Website Design
Social Media
Technology
Miscellaneous

Derby & Nottingham Area

Small Biz Geek
Office 897
109 Vernon House
Friar Lane
Nottingham
NG1 6DQ

Telephone

Tel: +44 (0) 115 714 3290
Tel: +44 (0) 7951 897 243

VoIP

Skype: ilkestonwebdesign
WhatsApp: 07519 897 243

Email

[email protected]

Let’s Connect

Twitter
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS

Subscribe to Blog by Email

Subscribe to Blog By Email

Social Calendar

WordPress Nottingham Meetup
WordPress Derby Meetup
Genesis Framework by StudioPress


Copyright © 2021 · Small Biz Geek · Privacy Policy · Commenting Policy · Website Disclaimer · ICO number: ZA305900


Written and designed by Ilkeston Web Design

This site uses cookies More info