There are hundreds of Twitter chats online that you can participate in. Learn why you should participate in these chats, and how to properly interact in the,.

1. Twitter Chats: Interacting with
others in Real-Time
James T. Dabbagian
www.JTDabbagian.com
Follow me on Twitter: @JTDabbagian
By James Dabbagian -
www.JTDabbagian.com

2. What is a Twitter Chat?
A Twitter chat is a group of
people joined by and
conversing on a common Click here for an
interest or trait using a
hashtag, such as #thischat. up-to-date
listing of
There are hundreds of Twitter chats!
Twitter Chats occurring on
the social network, many
happening simultaneously
By James Dabbagian -
www.JTDabbagian.com

3. Reasons Why to Participate
1. Network with many individuals
like you.
2. Learn from other Twitter
users, or from an expert in the
field.
3. Demonstrate your expertise in
your subject area.
4. Build your reputation.
5. Learn the newest trends and
areas of interest in your field.
By James Dabbagian -
www.JTDabbagian.com

4. Examples of Twitter Chats
#blogchat – Chat about things #leadershipchat – Chat dealing
related to blogging with effective leadership
#speakchat – Dedicated to techniques as well as issues.
discussing the speaker
profession
#CSRchat – Chat for
community managers
By James Dabbagian -
www.JTDabbagian.com

5. Prepare to participate
Use a website designed specifically for following
Twitter chats such as Tweetchat or Twebevent.
Desktop software Tweetdeck also allows for
monitoring a chat.
Show up at least 20 minutes before the start of
the chat so you can get your bearings.
By James Dabbagian -
www.JTDabbagian.com

6. First steps
1. Determine who the chat moderator is. In many cases,
the moderator is often the one who asks the
questions in the chat.
2. Determine if there’s a guest host included in the chat.
Often times the questions are directed toward the
guest.
3. Follow both the host and guest (if present) on Twitter.
(TIP: Tweetchat lets you “Feature” users so they stand
out more. Use this on the host and guest.)
4. Determine the theme of the chat. Most Twitter chats
have themes for each one, and they’re usually
announced before the chat starts.
By James Dabbagian -
www.JTDabbagian.com

7. Interacting with others
1. Introduce yourself before the chat
starts: Who are you and what do
you do?
2. Reply to others directly with an
“@” instead of commenting in
chat. This ensures they see your
comment.
3. Track mentions and replies made
to you. The best way is to keep a
Twitter page open next to your
chat on the “Activity” tab.
4. Be sure to use the
question/answer format
prescribed by the chat. For
instance, if the host uses
Q1, Q2, etc, respond with
A1, A2, etc.
BE SURE TO PUT THE HASHTAG IN ALL COMMENTS YOU MAKE, OR THEY WILL NOT BE SEEN!
By James Dabbagian -
www.JTDabbagian.com

8. Be careful!
Some Twitter chats go fast. REALLY fast. So fast
that you’ll be mid-stream in a reply and all of a
sudden the topic has changed. Slow down the
refresh rate if you’re having issues, and be
sure to
REPLY, REPLY, REPLY!
By James Dabbagian -
www.JTDabbagian.com

9. Faux Pas to avoid
1. DO NOT link to any sites in the
chat while it is progressing. This is
seen as spamming, whether legit
or not. Instead, backchannel users
with a mention, do not use the
hashtag.
2. Do not get hostile if someone tries
to troll the chat. Just block them.
3. Do not take the chat off-topic.
4. Never announce that you are late.
This is completely disrespectful
and makes it seem like the chat
isn’t important to you. If you do
show up late, simply join the
conversation as if you were there
from the beginning.
By James Dabbagian -
www.JTDabbagian.com

10. Additional Rules
Some Twitter chats may also have additional
rules or regulations that you should abide by.
For example, some chats frown on linking to
other sites, and others don’t allow you to
comment while a guest is talking. Be sure to
check with the Twitter chat’s website for more
information.
By James Dabbagian -
www.JTDabbagian.com

11. After the chat
1. If someone said something
particularily thoughtful or
memorable, Favorite it.
2. Follow the users that
interacted with you the
most. While you don’t
need to follow profiles of
other people who simply
follow you, you should at
least check them out.
3. Feel free to continue the
discussion with others after
the chat is done. You can
even use the hashtag.
By James Dabbagian -
www.JTDabbagian.com

12. In between
1. Follow-up on someone that you gave advice
to in the chat, see if they are still having
trouble or have questions.
2. Check up on the host to see what’s going on
with them. They’ll also eventually announce
the theme of the next chat as well.
3. Use the hashtag for any content you find or
create that was relevant to the chat, so
others can see it.
By James Dabbagian -
www.JTDabbagian.com

13. More things to do
1. Make a list of the people you chat with the most on
Twitter. You can use this to check up on people you
talked to, and people you want to work with.
2. Partake in other Twitter chats, being sure to note if
other people you chat with are part of the
conversation.
3. Propose topics to the host if you notice something
that you think needs to be covered.
4. Favorite Tweets you liked in a chat, then use a content
program like Storify. Upload to your blog to let others
know you liked what they said.
By James Dabbagian -
www.JTDabbagian.com

14. Like what you saw?
Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter!
What do YOU like the most about Twitter chats?
Was there something I forgot? Tell it in the
comments!
By James Dabbagian -
www.JTDabbagian.com