Today’s post comes from Jenni Izzo, a Drexel University graduate turned PR Account Coordinator with a social media obsession. You can follow Jenni at @jenniizzo.

Whether large or small, Twitter can enhance your event in a number of ways. Take a hint from MTV, who recently used a live Twitter Tracker for their 2010 Movie Awards. They encouraged those in the audience, as well as those at home, to get in on the action by tweeting their thoughts, reactions and questions. Throughout the night, tweets containing “MTV” hit over 400 per minute. But, even if you aren’t planning a star-studded event, you can still use the following tips to create a tweet-worthy event.

Establish an event hashtag.
Long before you start promoting the event, create a hashtag. It should be easy to remember, short and relevant. This will be key in incorporating Twitter into your event. Include the hashtag on everything from the Evite to the Facebook page to signage at the event. Other creative ideas include: event t-shirts, business cards and centerpieces.

Create buzz before the event.
Now that you’ve established the event hashtag, get out and there use it. Tweet about sponsors, ticket sales, guest appearances and topics. Get people excited before the event and it will ensure that the enthusiasm carries over to the day-of.

Encourage attendees to tweet during the event.
Using the previously mentioned tips, make sure the hashtag is visible at the event. If you have a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation, make sure it is included on the title slide. If you will be taking planned breaks, display slide encouraging attendees to tweet — or better yet…

Host a live stream.
During scheduled downtime, replace your presentation with a live stream. A live stream should also be incorporated at all times on a projection screen. If you are announcing winners or honorees, use Twitter to share the big news. Also keep your audience actively engaged by tweeting trivia questions and giving an award to the first to tweet the correct answer.

Take advantage of post-event insight.
Twitter gives event coordinators a valuable opportunity to look back attendees’ candid thoughts. Review tweets marked with your hashtag to see what worked and what didn’t. Use this as an opportunity to improve your next event or connect with people who had further questions.

When it comes to using Twitter to enhance your event, the possibilities are endless. Feel free to add to this list and share some of your favorites in the comments.

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.



How To Incorporate Twitter Into Your Event

More and more Businesses are getting onto Twitter. The word’s out – but so many businesses get it wrong. In this post Aira Bongco (@airabongco) shares some tips especially for businesses wanting to use Twitter effectively. Image by photoj :-]

You may have seen a lot of companies using Twitter to promote their products and services. Some do it discreetly by sending in various links to your direct message box while some generally tweet their website links on a constant basis. However, these people got it all wrong. We, Twitter folks, view these promotions nothing more as spam. Trust must be built from the ground up in Twitter. It’s a social networking site. It is not called “social” for nothing.

Here are some tips to rub your Twitter followers the right way. Soon you’ll find out how loyal and supportive these people can be if only you took the time to get to know them.

1. Be more interested in helping than making money

Twitter followers are people. They don’t have dollar signs plastered on their foreheads. Help these people out and they will help you back. They may not always have the money to purchase your products but they will happily retweet a product for you.

2. Create relationships first

Before you go into blasting business messages through Tweetlater, it would be advisable to create relationships first. Twitter is a huge community. No one will care about your tweets if they don’t know who the hell you are. Talk to people first. Interact.

3. Introduce your company at the right time and place

I remembered encountering a Twitter follower and we had a nice chat. The only problem is he loves his company and product too much. Of course that is not really the problem. The problem is that he introduced it to me almost right after I said “hi” to him. I tried to change the conversation but then he would steer the conversation back to his company and his product.

You know what I thought during that time? Hey! This person is more interested in my money than me. He didn’t want to have a relationship with me. He just wants my money right away. And as you can expect, I lost the interest to buy. Furthermore, I didn’t think about promoting him to my friends.

The lesson here is to promote your product at the right time and place. Your Twitter profile is there for a reason. Use it. And learn to warm up conversations. Ever heard of an icebreaker? Don’t steer conversations to your product immediately.

4. Don’t repeat the same message

One of the most popular problems of Twitter users today is spam. There are idiots that think that if they repeat a particular message a gazillion times, they will get sales. Well let me tell you something. Your message will quickly get trashed into the bin with a fast unfollow from the person you spammed. Even if you are promoting, there is a right way of doing it. Post your message once and ask people to retweet your message for you. Repeat only after 2-6 hours if necessary.

5. Reach out a helping hand

Help other people in your niche. Retweet their tweets as well as help them in other social networks such as Digg and StumbleUpon. Don’t concentrate on you and your products. Promote the products of others without asking anything in return. Concentrate on building a network of people who help each other, a community.

A lot of Twitter users are wary of businesses entering the Twittersphere. They are thought to be sources of spam and impersonal relationships. Truth is, there are two types of business people on Twitter. The first one is the one who talk to himself and promote his own product or site over and over again. While the other is the one who manage to get customers not only because of his charm but because he had an authentic intention to help. Which type you want to be is up to you.

What Tips Would You Give a Business Exploring Twitter?

From Darren: There’s a lot more to say on this topic – in fact we’re planning on publishing quite a bit more on the topic of businesses and how they should approach Twitter.

In the mean time – what would you add to the tips that Aira has shared in this post?

Also – what businesses do you see approaching Twitter in an effective way? What are they doing right? I’d love to see some examples.

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.



Use Twitter for your Business the Right Way