Want to build a large, engaged following on Twitter and beyond? Need some fresh ideas for your blog? Hosting a Twitter chat may just hold the answer. Here's how to start one from scratch in 11 simple steps.

1. How to start a Twitter chat
from scratch
Quuu.co
By Lucia Fontaina-Powell,
Quuumunity Marketing Manager at Quuu

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Want to build a large, engaged following on Twitter and
beyond? Looking for fresh, original ideas for your blog?
Then you should start a Twitter chat!

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Every month, we host a #Qchat at @quuu_co.
We’re going to show you how we plan,
promote and create follow-up content for our
Qchats in 11 simple steps.

4. But first...
Quuu.co

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What is a Twitter chat?
A Twitter chat is a real-time conversation that takes place between a
brand and its following on Twitter. Participants follow a unique hashtag
(e.g. #Qchat) and the host live-Tweets questions on a particular topic or
theme from their account.
Their followers will tweet back their responses and chat among
themselves, generating a productive and stimulating discussion for
everyone involved :-)

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Why should you host a Twitter chat?
Engage your existing following by having genuine, real-time conversations with them
Increase brand awareness and gain new followers
Establish yourself as an authority or influencer in your industry
Network with likeminded people to build valuable relationships
Learn something new and improve your skills
Share your own experience and knowledge
Generate content ideas for your blog and social media platforms

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OurlastQchatrakedinovertriplethereach
weusuallyseeinaday!

8. How to host a Twitter chat in
11 steps
Quuu.co

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Step 1:
Participate in other chats.

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Join some popular chats in your industry to learn
the ropes and work out what will set yours apart.
Knowing what will provide value to your audience
will be crucial to the success of your chat, so put in
the time to find your niche.

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Step 2:
Choose your hashtag.

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Pick a hashtag that’s short, snappy, easy to spell and
incorporates your brand name, if possible.
Your followers can then find your chat by searching for the
hashtag, as well as including it in their answers so you can
see them.

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Step 3:
Write a list of topic ideas

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Other Twitter chats
Trending topics in your industry
Your own blog posts
Customer FAQs
Discussions in online forums
Make sure you have something to say in your Twitter chats!
Write up a list of potential topic ideas inspired by:

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Step 4:
Set the date.

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Pick a time when your following is going to be active (take
into account different timezones if you have an
international audience).
Sites like Tweet Reports or Twubs list Twitter chats that
happen on a regular basis. Make sure your chat won’t
clash with anyone else’s and register yours.

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Step 5:
Pick your theme and
write up your questions.

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Consult your list of ideas and pick a theme. Keep the title
simple and try to lead with a question word (e.g. How to
use video in your content marketing), so that your chat can
provide the answers!

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Next, come up with your questions. Our Qchats follow this pattern:
Welcome Tweet
Rules of the chat (politely remind your followers to include the question
number and hashtag in their answers)
Icebreaker question
7 questions
Thank you Tweet
Try to stir debate and always ask open questions that will lead to
more than just a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.

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Step 6:
Create graphics to
complement your Tweets.

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Use visual content alongside your Tweets to engage your
audience and make the chat easier to follow. Canva is a
great tool for this.
https://twitter.com/i/moments/836880585163423745

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Step 7:
Spread the word!

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Hosting a Twitter chat is a bit like throwing a
party; you want lots of your friends to come,
so that you don’t feel sad and alone :-(

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1 week before the chat:
Post a pinned tweet on Twitter
Post on all other social channels
Send out an email announcement
Post in any relevant online communities

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The week leading up to the chat:
Tweet relevant content on the theme of the chat (we’re
lucky to have access to a huge bank of curated content
from Quuu.co)
Work the chat into any weekly newsletters
Send out personal invites to influencers

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On the day of the chat:
An email reminder a few hours before
Post in online communities a few hours before
Social posts throughout the day and as soon as the chat starts
Search for relevant hashtags on Twitter or join other chats so that
you can lead people to your chat

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Step 8:
Finalise your script
and schedule Tweets.

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Write up a full script of your Tweets to make sure the conversation
runs smoothly on the day. Remember to include your hashtag in
every Tweet, as well as the question numbers.
Then work out a timeframe that will allow your chat to flow at a
sensible pace. Schedule your Tweets in Buffer so that you can focus
on interacting with your followers.

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Step 9:
Lights, camera action! The chat
itself.

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During the chat you should:
Individually welcome anyone who joins
Favourite all Tweets that use your hashtag
Retweet the best answers
Engage in discussion as much as possible
Make sure people are following the rules and
politely remind them to if they’re not :-)

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Keep an eye on these three things during the chat:
1. Notifications and mentions.
2. The latest Tweets using your hashtag.
3. Your account’s feed (to make sure pre-scheduled
tweets are sending out).
You can use Tweetdeck or Hootsuite to manage these
different streams.

36. Remember to have fun!

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Step 10:
Say thank you.

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Send out a general thank you Tweet at the end
of your chat.
The next day, thank the biggest contributors
individually with a Tweet, a DM or an email.

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Step 11:
Create follow-up content.

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Twitter chats are content generation machines. Use Twitter Moments,
Storify, Facebook SlideShow and LinkedIn SlideShare to create
roundups of your chat.
You could also send out an email recap or even create a blog post,
video or podcast expanding on any interesting points.

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All that’s left to do now is plan the next one!

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You can read the full blog post on ‘How to start a Twitter
chat from scratch’ here:
http://blog.quuu.co/start-twitter-chat/

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Fancy a slice of the action? Join our next #Qchat on
Tuesday 28th March at 6pm GMT over @quuu_co, where
we’ll be discussing how to work online communities like a
pro with special guest Brian D Evans.