Twitter Chats

If you’re not sure why you should want to be on Twitter in the first place, you might wonder why a post on twitter chats could possibly interest you. Well, maybe because a twitter chat is one of the interesting features of twitter! In a twitter chat a lot of Twitters useful characteristics are brought together: sharing, building relationships, networking, getting to the point, to name a few.

Workshop Facilitating with Twitter

Last week I participated in the workshop Facilitating with Twitter, facilitated by Joitske Hulsebosch and Simon Koolwijk, during the conference Facilitation as (2nd) Profession. A mixed group of facilitators got a crash course in what Twitter is about, and had a chance to take part in a twitter chat using tweetchat.

A twitter chat can be an overwhelming experience – at least in my experience. The first few times you try to follow a chat you may easily feel lost on a different planet.Even though you have done a search using the twitter chat hashtag, tweets fill your screen in rapid succession and this may look messy at first sight. However, once you take a closer look, it turns out that it is all well-organised. Maybe even better than in a face-to-face session!

Tweet Chat

• For starters, a twitter chat usually takes place at the same day and time of the week. For instance, the #smNPchat is held every other Friday, at 2pm ET.
• Topics are selected to reflect issues raised during previous chats, on Twitter or in daily practice of the persons managing the chat.
• Chats are announced several times during the week and even more often in the hours just before its start.
• Chats last an hour, not more.
• There are usually one or two facilitators handling the chat. They prepare a few questions (mostly 4-5 of them).
• Questions and answers are structured by using Q1 and A1, etc. in tweets. Questions are introduced one by one during the chat.
• Sometimes an expert is invited to provide insights and input.
• Twitter chats are open to all to follow or participate in. A perfect example occurred during the workshop, when other participants in the conference, following the conference hashtag that we were using for our twitter chat, started replying to questions raised in our workshop.
• Everyone is asked to introduce themselves when they join the chat and to say goodbye when they are leaving it.
• The organiser or host of the chat usually makes a “report” on the chat, see for example the Storify report of the most recent #smNPchat: Storify on #smNPchat 16 Sep 2011 on social media for non-profits This way insights and links shared are preserved and available for anyone who is interested.

So these are the basics. But you might still wonder why you would want to take part in a twitter chat or how you can use twitter chats for your own work as facilitator. Here are my thoughts on these questions:

Taking part in a twitter chat

• 

  Explaining Twitter

  can provide you answers to questions you have or even to questions you did not know you had. Working with NGOs myself, I follow quite a few people on Twitter that work on fundraising for non-profits. During the week, they share interesting ideas and links. However, during a twitter chat sharing is more interactive, and in response to questions and experiences from the non-profits themselves also. For instance, the #smNPchat on using LinkedIn for your non-profit showed me both theory and practice as to how LinkedIn can be a tool for NGOs to present themselves effectively on the web.

• can help you focus on certain issues. Providing useful input in less than 140 characters is a challenge, that helps you focus on what is actually the main question or insight you want to share.
• can widen your network of “virtual colleagues”, people you can turn to later on as well if you want to share questions or information.
• is an opportunity to show yourself as an expert or resource person on a topic.

Facilitating a twitter chat can be useful if

• you work with a group that is not physically in the same location
• the group has a shared interest
• there are clear questions or issues to discuss that connect to the shared interest within the group
• you make sure that the people you really need to take part, are in fact available and taking part
• the main objective is to share, and not to come to conclusions or decisions

#fundchat Twebevent

The facilitator should (at least)

• set a hashtag
• send regular and timely reminders of the chat
• prepare 4-5 clear and simple questions that can structure and give direction to the discussion, and that reflect the shared interest of the group. The facilitator could also use a blog post to highlight or explain the topic
• introduce the questions one by one
• be strict in using Qx – Ax and the agreed hashtag
• repeat the focus questions
• retweet important replies
• ensure that all participants know at least the basics about using Twitter and have an individual Twitter account
• suggest a a tool like Tweetchat  or Twebevent for participants to keep track of the chat and to ensure the hashtag is added automatically to all tweets
• keep the time
• make a good and timely Storify and/or blog post on the chat afterwards

This is the first of a few upcoming posts inspired by the IAF Benelux Conference Facilitation as (2nd) Profession, held on 23 September 2011.