Live tweeting an event has become the norm for many business and event attendees. More often than not, dedicated tweeting at an event is now an integral part of the marketing strategy to enhance the reach and impact of trade shows, industry marketing moments, seasonal launches and company events, according to Twitter. Here’s a quick round-up of tips for effective live tweeting:
  1. Be sure to add photos to make your tweets visually compelling. Good quality, varied shots taken from a unique angle increase the likelihood of retweets. Posting high quality photos of the event’s speakers, delegates or engaging shots of the venue can really help bring your tweeting to life.  It may sound elementary, but making sure you’re well prepared ahead of time and have a good seat can make all the difference. Worth considering are photo editing apps such as Adobe Photoshop Touch, Camera+ or even Instagram which can do wonders for tidying up images if the lighting quality is low at the event.
  1. Tag people in the photos, not the text – that way you don’t affect the character count in your tweets. Twitter has made it easy to tag up to 10 people at a time in each photo you share on Twitter. Every person who is tagged in a photo will receive a notification in their interactions tab, so doing this increases your reach and influence.  You might also want to consider inviting attendees of the event to tag you / your business in their photos of the event – this helps build relationships with existing and potential customers alike.Screen Shot 2016-06-27 at 18.19.26
  1. Get the hashtag right. Familiarise yourself with the official hashtag of the event if you’re a guest, or if you’re creating one for your own event, make sure that everyone knows about it. Displaying it around the venue and on pre-event communications can help position it as front of mind and makes it easier to be seen.Screen Shot 2016-06-27 at 18.19.10
  1. Use direct quotes when you tweet ideas and quotes from speakers. Be sure to mention their Twitter handle and use quote marks (and the event hashtag!) so it’s clear that it’s from them. Before you tweet a quote, ask yourself whether it is going to provide genuine value for your followers. It can be tempting to tweet everything, but a little discernment goes a long way.
The screenshots above were taken from our client, Headspace Group‘s live #TalkingHeads panel which we live tweeted.  There are also plenty of opportunities to build your audience after the event as well: keep the conversation going by re-connecting with new followers, share analytics or promote blogs summarising the key takeaways from the event for example. Let us know how you get on in the Avocado Social Media Hub.