Tools and tips to help you live-tweet from events
If you missed the introduction of Twitter’s event tool Project Lightning launch, then you could say you’re rather late to the party. Introduced more than four years ago, this feature served as an attempt by Twitter to gain ground on Facebook’s stranglehold on the live event broadcasting market. For you, however, this tool provides a chance to rapidly build an audience of targeted followers, as well as being able to increase influence and authority in your industry.
Let’s dive into how live event tweeting looks and feels. Then we’ll dig into some essential tips and tactics for making the most out of it during your next big event.
So, what is live-tweeting?
Project Lightning Launch was the code name for Twitter’s efforts to make its platform suitable for attendees to tweet while attending an event.
Searching an event hashtag now leads to a curated stream of tweets, photos and videos.
Ten top tips for tweeting your way to more followers during your next event
1. Include the event hashtag (without fail)
Live-tweeting is all about digitally sharing what people are saying and doing at an event, as the day unfolds minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour. It’s very different from your everyday tweets.
When live-tweeting, you need to include the event hashtag. Doing so means that anything you tweet during this time has the potential to get attention and make an impact, as other users (both attendees and those who couldn’t make it) search the hashtag to keep up with everything that’s going on.
2. Let your followers know WELL in advance
Let your followers know about your upcoming live event coverage, some might want to ignore the story, while others could be glued to their seats (if that is, you create interesting content).
3. Keep it fresh
Mix up your media throughout the day – share images, videos and interactions with other delegates.
If it’s your event, consider sharing some behind-the-scenes action and backstage interviews.
4. Keep up with others
Live-tweeting isn’t just about sharing the event with those who aren’t there. By re-tweeting others, you can help yourself to interesting content, while networking both in-person and digitally.
You can do yourself a huge favour in this respect by setting up a team in your dashboard, so you can cut straight to the event’s hashtag.
5. Tell the world about the key moments
Most events have memorable moments that are worth sharing – the keynote speaker, the heated industry debate, the group activities or awards. Be sure to share these with your followers as they happen.
6. Get snap happy
Images are always going to beat standard written posts during an event, so make sure you get some good shots. You should also consider how you can make your images different from what can be hundreds of others during the day (it may be worth turning up early to ensure you have the best seat and angle for the key moments).
7. Respect the conversation
Always add genuine value to the conversation, and don’t EVER use an event conversation to shoehorn in mentions of your own product or service – blatant self-promotion during live events will do you absolutely no favours.
8. Make sure you search out people’s Twitter handles
Quote and promote others during your coverage – this not only gives credit where credit is due, it can also help to spark a meaningful conversation that helps you reach new audiences.
9. Follow other tweeters both in the lead-up to the event and on the day itself
Follow the event promoter, organisers and speakers at least a month in advance. This can help you connect with them and others who’ll be attending before you’ve even stepped a foot through the door.
10. Use TikTok and Instagram
Branch out – don’t confine yourself to the Twitterverse alone. Other services and platforms such as TikTok and Instagram lend themselves well to sharing videos and creating Boomerang GIFs.
Three must-have tools for live-tweeting
1. Taggbox – For powering your live-tweet wall
Event organisers, if you want to set Twitter alight during your day you need a live tweet wall.
There are numerous tools you can harness to achieve this (or you could outsource it entirely to a Live PA company).
If you’re going down the route of DIY, check out Taggbox. This tool allows you to collect user-generated content from Twitter or live Twitter feeds from your customers or audience. The collected tweets are then displayed on a digital screen. You can even set up your very own theme and layout in-keeping with the event.
2. Beatstrap – An essential for teams that are covering an event together
BeatStrap makes team event coverage easy-peasy. With this tool, you can create a branded page where ‘beats’ are displayed. You can select your fellow teammates and add content through Vine, Instagram and YouTube.
You can then easily add the collected content to your website (which also makes Beatstrap useful for event organisers).
3. Keyhole – Live-tweeting analytics taken to the next level
Keyhole will track any hashtag you tell it to, in real-time. With this tool, you’ll be able to analyse how many users are tweeting, how many tweets are being sent and the reach of any hashtag in the Twitterverse.
Just some of the stats that this platform provides include the top websites that are mentioned, the most influential users (great for connecting with powerful tweeters) and data surrounding the tweets – such as location and demographical information, all of which can help you tailor your content.
Whether Tweeting from your own event or keeping your followers up to date with the latest from a pivotal industry conference, Live Tweeting can create new connections and strengthen existing ones. So, go ahead, Tweet like you’re a journalist household name – be brave, bold and unafraid to get creative with your content.