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How to Participate in a Twitter Chat

How to Participate in a Twitter Chat

Updated 3/31/20 | Originally published 2/28/18

Every month, we host our #TaxBuzzChat on Twitter and one of the most frequently asked questions we receive is “How do I join a Twitter chat?”

Today, we will give you a step-by-step guide on how to participate in a Twitter Chat. By the end of this article, you'll be a Twitter Chat pro!

What is a twitter chat? A twitter chat is a live discussion on twitter with a group of twitter users, discussing a pre-determined topic at a specific time using a designated “hashtag” (for example, in the format “#TaxBuzzChat”). The hashtag becomes a clickable link when you tweet it and allows you and others to follow along in the conversation. When users click on the hashtag, it will take them to a page with all the recent tweets using that hashtag.

Twitter chats are typically reoccurring chats that happen weekly or monthly and chats usually last an hour. They are a lot of fun and are very interactive, but the chats move quickly because you are having a public online conversation with a group of people. So, it might be a little overwhelming at first, but you'll get the hang of it!

Now that we've gone over the basics, we can walk you through step by step:  

1. Find a chat you want to join: Tweetreports offers a schedule of tweet chats by topic, date and time. Usually you will just need the hashtag that will be used for the chat. For our TaxBuzz chats, the hashtag is #TaxBuzzChat.

2. Go to Twitter.com to find your chat: Go to Twitter.com and login to your account. Then, find the search box at the top and s for the designated hashtag. Once you find your chat page, click on the “Latest” tab to see current tweets. (See screenshot below)

For more advanced users, there are other platforms you can use, but these are optional and really only needed if you do a lot of “tweeting.” TweetDeck is a useful tool because you can add your own custom columns to follow along and TweetChat will pull up your chat using the hashtag and live stream it.

3. Start Tweeting: Twitter chats can be a little overwhelming to follow along because there are so many incoming tweets at once, so the best way to keep up is by labeling all questions and answers. Moderators will often tweet their questions using Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the best way for responders to tweet their answers is by replying with A1, A2, A3, etc. Here is a good example from #TaxBuzzChat that includes the number of the question and a twitter user responding by numbering their answer.

4. Use the designated hashtag on EVERY tweet you send: It is important to include the hashtag in all your tweets so other users can follow along.

5. Don’t be afraid to engage: Twitter chats are a great way to showcase your expertise and knowledge.

That’s all there is to it! See how easy it is to participate in a twitter chat?

Twitter chats are a great way to network with like-minded individuals with similar interests and backgrounds. It can be used to learn about specific topics and to share information and updates with others. Twitter chats can be extremely informative and fun if done correctly.

Here are a few bonus tips for you:

  • Retweet good tweets.
  • Don’t spam. Twitter chats are about the topics and isn’t a platform for you to sell your products or business.
  • However, it is ok to introduce yourself and follow the people you are tweeting with.

If you are looking learn about specific topics, network, grow your twitter following, connect with like-minded professionals, then twitter chats are perfect for you. Give it a try.

We host a Twitter chat the first Wednesday of every month at 10am PT/ 1pm ET and would love for you to join in. Follow @TaxBuzzOnline on Twitter for the latest info on our next #TaxBuzzChat topic.

If you’ve never joined a twitter chat before, we hope this helps. Let us know if you have any other questions! 

If you are an accounting, tax or bookkeeping professional and have questions about Twitter or about how you can generate more referrals from social media, contact us today at 1-800-442-2477 or set up some time speak with one of our accountant social media experts. 

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TaxBuzz Staff

TaxBuzz Staff

Our experts cover the hot topics in tax, personal finance and business planning. Follow us on @taxbuzzonline to get the latest updates year round.

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