Facilitating Tweetjams, presentation and tweet chat on how facilitators can facilitate tweet chats, led by Dorothy Firsching and Becky Roberts at the International Association of Facilitators North America, May, 2012 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

1. @iafconf2012
#facilichat
Facilitating
Tweetjams w/
Becky Roberts & Chat Chat
Dorothy Firsching #facilichat
#facilichat
#iafconf2012
Chat Chat
#facilichat
May 11, 2012 Becky Roberts and Dorothy Firsching at IAFNA 2012 1

2. Session Agenda
• Adobe Connect Setup
• In Person Session (Live Tweeted)
– Introductions
– When and How to Use Twitter / Tweet Chats
– Tools and Facilitation Techniques
• Tweetjam
– Discussion of Tweetjam Facilitation – on Twitter
• Post-Tweetjam Session (Live Tweeted)
– Summary / Closing
May 11, 2012 Becky Roberts and Dorothy Firsching at IAFNA 2012 2

3. Introductions and Roles
• Becky Roberts
• Dorothy Firsching
• Robert Ayling
• In Person Participants
• Adobe Connect Participants
• Twitter Participants
May 11, 2012 Becky Roberts and Dorothy Firsching at IAFNA 2012 3

4. Twitter and Tweetjams
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5. What is Twitter?
• Global text messaging
– Powerful communications tool, e.g., Mumbai
– People talking about things of value to you!
– Search twitter users worldwide #hashtag
– Identify people / resources  go look at them on LinkedIn /
web
• Post information that people see value in
– Become an expert
– The right people will follow
• What’s happening NOW
– Weather, Metro, News, discussion, information by the
people
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6. Why use Twitter?
• It’s the easiest, cheapest networking you’ll ever do.
– No need to buy a new suit or travel 1,000 miles.
– Make contacts – follow those of interest
– Way to expand your tribe beyond your network (esp. young!)
– With this in mind, use your real name as your Twitter username
(but don’t make it too long)
• Gather information – huge reach – huge global and open
chat room!
• Share good things
– Share news
– Tweet out a live event so people can follow it
• Be found by others
– Establish your personal branding
– Display your subject matter expertise
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7. What’s a Tweetjam?
• A Planned Public Event over Twitter
– Predetermined Hashtag in every tweet
– All comments show up in a Twitter search or column
– Facilitator / moderator leads the discussion
– No need to register or sign up, just have a Twitter account
– Use your choice of tool
• Stats can be huge:
– In one hour, 1000 tweets, 100 participants, potentially
reaching 50,000 people!
– Participants retweet pearls of wisdom to their followers
– Or more, or very few if it is not advertised.
– For every person active in a tweetjam conversation,
there are several others that just listen in
• A/K/A Twitter Chat, Tweetchat, Tweet Chat
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8. Getting Started – Twitter.com
• Set up your Twitter account
– Select your name and complete your
profile
– Include your photo or logo
– Customize your page if you like to show
your capabilities / brand
• Other tools link to your Twitter
account
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9. Twitter Terms
• #Hashtag – search term to follow, no spaces
• @somebody – mention of a Twitter username /
handle, reply
– Goes to all who follow both of you
• RT @somebody – retweet a message
• D @somebody – direct message
– Private, just goes to that individual. If nobody is specified, it
is public.
• 40404 – Twitter’s text phone number
• Tweet limit is 140 characters
• http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/Twitter_D
May 11, 2012 Becky Roberts and Dorothy Firsching at IAFNA 2012 9

10. Tweetjam Tools
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11. Try Out Your Collection of Tools
• Twitter
– Not great for Tweet Chats – you have to update it
– Use other tools for best results
• Tweetchat
– Made for Tweet Chats – but a single stream
– Great iPhone app / web app
• HootSuite
– Multiple Twitter accounts, multiple streams, multiple tabs
– Have to add hashtag, can search on multiple hashtags
– Great Android app / web app
• TweetDeck
– Similar to HootSuite, but a download rather than web
• TweetGrid
– Single or multiple column, adds hashtag
May 11, 2012 Becky Roberts and Dorothy Firsching at IAFNA 2012 11

12. www.TweetChat.com
May 11, 2012 Becky Roberts and Dorothy Firsching at IAFNA 2012 12

13. How to Participate in a TweetChat
on TweetChat
• Monitor chat conversations and identify tweets to respond to.
• Retweet chat questions and interesting comments to your
followers.
• Click on the names of people you don’t follow.
– This opens up their Twitter.com profiles to easily follow them.
• Reply to questions and bring your own viewpoint
– Start with the question number, e.g., A1
• Tip: turn off notifications on your mobile device.
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14. Intro to HootSuite
• Multi tabs
• Multi
streams
• Multi
accounts
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15. Why Use HootSuite
• Multiple tabs, multiple streams, multiple accounts
• Can embed a stream directly into a webpage
• Create a specific tab with the streams relevant to
a particular chat
– Easier to check your @ mentions and to see if anyone within
the Twitter chat is “talking” to you.
– You can later scroll through the entire stream – Tweetchat
cuts off.
• Save DRAFT Tweets for later
• Schedule Tweets for a specific time
• Respond to non-chat conversations
• Great Android app, too
• Remember to add the #hashtag, as it is not
automatic
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16. Preparation for a Tweetjam
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17. Preparation for a Tweetjam
• Determine Objectives and Main Focus of
Tweetjams / Chats
– Gather input from participants, e.g., stakeholders
– Conduct dialog with a panel of experts
– Share information among participants
• Choose a Suitable Hashtag
– Unique, not too long
• Choose a Suitable Start and Finish Time
• Choose Facilitator(s) and Panel if desired
• Prepare Questions
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18. Get the Word Out
• Get the Word Out!
– Create an announcement with all
information, including the main themes and
questions
– Post it to
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Websites
• Tweet Chat lists
– Send out using Twitter, Email
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19. Queue up Questions / Answers
• Key questions, follow-up questions, some
answers
– Number the questions so that the participants
know which response is to which question.
• Prepare in advance and decide on the
questions that you’re going to ask to get
the conversation flowing
– Another benefit is that you haven’t got to mess
about with the editing to get the question length to
140 characters.
– Have ready to cut and paste into Tweetchat, or
save as draft on Hootsuite
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20. Start the Tweetjam
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21. Let the Tweetjam Roll!
• In the run-up to the Tweetjam, send out your prepared
announcements.
• Let your followers know you will be participating in a
Tweetjam, as your feed will be very busy if you are
participating full force.
• Send out the welcome message(s)
• Introduce hosts, facilitators, panelists
• Let participants introduce themselves, perhaps answering
a short question
• Send out the ground rules
• Perhaps an icebreaker
• Tweet the questions, one at a time
• Have answers / follow-up questions ready to prompt people
to participate
• Monitor participants and call upon people as needed
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22. Ground Rules
• Reference the question number in
your reply, and don’t forget to use
the hashtag #facilichat.
E.g., Q1 gets A1
• We are all learning from each other.
Share your experience!
• Feel free to retweet the questions
and any great comments.
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23. Queue up Questions
• Q1 What types of tweetjams / tweetchats have
you participated in or facilitated? Or are you
new? #facilichat
• Q2 When would a Tweetjam or TweetChat a great
technique in your practice? #facilichat
• Q3 What tools or techniques work well for
tweetjam facilitation? #facilichat
• Q4 How do you record and present tweetjam
results? #facilichat
• Q5 What resources do you know about and want
to share? #facilichat
May 11, 2012 Becky Roberts and Dorothy Firsching at IAFNA 2012 23

24. Wrap Up
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25. Resources
• Twitter Terms
– http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/Twitter_Dictionary_Guide.asp
• Twitter
– Kevin Knebl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1BKlDZboSg
• How to Use Tweetchat.com
– Tweetchat 101: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIZQNmggyik
• How to use HootSuite
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhj4BgwTd90
• Twitter Chat Schedules
– https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhisaMy5TGiwcnVhejNHW
– http://under30ceo.com/25-twitter-chats-every-entrepreneur-must-know/
– #ToolsChat. 10pm EST every Wednesday
• Other tools
– https://twitter.com/#!/wthashtag
– http://www.storify.com
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26. Closing Thoughts
• Barely scratched the surface!
• Would you like to continue the
conversation about facilitating
Tweetjams?
• Results will be posted on
www.ursamajorconsulting.com and
LinkedIn
May 11, 2012 Becky Roberts and Dorothy Firsching at IAFNA 2012 26

27. Contact information for Dorothy and
Becky
Becky Roberts
Catoctin Consulting, LLC
1-540-882-3593
broberts@catoctin.com
@BeckyLRoberts
Dorothy Firsching
Ursa Major Consulting, LLC
1-703-425-6236
dfirsching@ursamajorconsulting.com
@dbfirsching
May 11, 2012 Becky Roberts and Dorothy Firsching at IAFNA 2012 27