APU Careers Careers & Learning

5 Tips for Live Tweeting

live-tweeting-tipsBy Jill Kurtz
Online Career Tips Contributor

Twitter can be a great tool for sharing information as an event unfolds. With a little preparation,  tweeting can be a great way to share information on the spot. Here are five tips to get the most out of live tweeting.

1. Prepare your device(s). Download the Twitter application to the device you plan to use.  Log in with the Twitter account you will use and save the password so you can easily log in again. Publish a tweet or two to make sure that everything is working as it should. If you have the capability, consider using two devices during the event – one to send tweets and one to follow any hashtags or discussions occurring about the event. If you are logged into both devices, you can easily tweet as much as you want while monitoring conversations and retweeting any related content.

2. Gather resources. Develop a list of Twitter accounts and hashtags related to the event and the people involved. You can save Twitter searches ahead of time to make it simple to pull them up later. Bookmark on your device’s browser or save a file with URLs of any resources you think you might want to cite in your event tweets. This could include the event website, bios of presenters, presentation slideshows, and related websites. Get information on how you will connect to the network or WiFi at the event location.

3. Do a game day test. As soon as you arrive at the event location, get your device connected and test your Twitter application. You’ll want to work out any kinks before the event begins.

4. Set expectations. Tweet a few times before the event begins to let your followers know what your tweets will be about for the duration of the event. Name the event and use any related Twitter IDs and hashtags. You want your followers to understand the context for your impending tweets so you don’t have to add that detail into each one.

5. Tweet! Compose and send messages that showcase the news and activities of the event. Remember to use any appropriate Twitter IDs and hashtags so they will be aggregated with others about the same event. Name names and use active verbs to help your followers feel like they are there. Retweet relevant posts; having many voices around an event makes the story richer. Try to engage with others tweeting about the event, either by asking or answering questions or giving an opinion when applicable.

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