Twitter is a mine of information for UK marketers – if you know where to look. By engaging with the right Twitter chats you can unearth novel marketing tips, meet like-minded people and gain traction in the wider marketing community. But what are Twitter chats, and how can you get involved?
Twitter chats are simply online conversations. They’re a bit like digital coffee gatherings, held every week or month at the same time to give marketers like yourself a designated slot to talk about a specific topic.
To keep track of the conversation, each chat has a dedicated hashtag. You should use this when you want to post a Tweet to the group or reply to someone. This helps everyone keep hold of the thread of conversation.
Depending on the Twitter chat you join, you can find out what other marketers are up to, discuss the latest trends or share advice. The leader of the chat may give the conversation a steer by asking questions or bringing up a relevant topic. Other leaders will let things unfold naturally, using questions only occasionally to keep the conversation flowing.
The most important thing to remember is that everyone is welcome! You don’t need to subscribe or ask permission to join the group – just post a quick ‘hello’.
So, are you ready to join the world of Twitter chats? To start you off, here are 5 of our favourites that can give your marketing skills a boost.
ContentClubUK is the Twitter home for wordsmiths, writers and content creators. Hosted every Tuesday, this friendly chat is led by a different person each week.
Conversation is sparked with 3 questions, which could be about serious topics. For instance, how to organise writing workloads or whether design or content should come first when populating a website. But they can also include more light-hearted topics that can spark quite the debate. This was certainly the case when we were asked about our favourite words.
CMWorld is a large and friendly community of content marketers from across the world. Hosted by the Content Marketing Institute, this chat is ideal for tapping into the latest tips and tricks from those in the know.
Each week chats are centred around a theme decided by the CMI, such as ‘integrating podcasts into your content strategy’. The conversation is then guided by a series of questions. These always begin with a fun icebreaker to help you get to know your fellow Twitterers.
This is the go-to place to talk to people from across the globe about online content. Attended by online content creators and marketers, this is an excellent community to pick up some insider information.
The host guides the chats Chats using a series of questions. These can range from how attendees measure success to how they overcome the dreaded writer’s block. A re-cap article is often published after the chat, which is a handy takeaway if you had to dip out of the session!
If you want to dip your toe into the world of eCommerce, or are already well versed in the area, this UK-based chat is for you.
Packed with advice, rants, dos and donts, the advice gleaned from this chat can really help you to up your digital marketing game.
The hosts select a topic each week, who then use questions to get their participants involved. Recent topics have delved into how often attendees look at their data and the mistakes marketers make when checking stats.
Hosted by an American-based content marketer (along with an occasional guest host), each chat is steered by a theme or topic. The host then questions the audience to get into the nitty gritty of everyone’s thoughts and opinions.
This is a bit of a late one for those of us based in the UK. But it’s great for getting to know ideas from across the pond and spotting trends before they hit our shores. Previous topics have focused on why marketers should rethink their target audiences and how to make the best use of Google Analytics.
If you have questions about your social media strategy or want to find out how we can help you manage your social channels, drop us an email at hello@methodmarketing.org. You can also follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
