Congrats! You are going to perhaps the biggest social media event in the universe. (Am sure if aliens had it, they would not call it social media – what a boring, academic term for something so mercurial and interesting!)
Now that your tickets are booked, and your plans are set, how do you let the world know you’re coming?! Twitter is one good tool to use, and like all tools in the universe, its effectiveness depends on the capability of the person using it! But not to worry – whether you’re an expert, or you think that twitter is a just a bird language, we’ll get you up to speed in 6 easy steps.
1. Use the event hashtag extensively – #SMMW14
Tweet regularly about the event, or social media in general, and always add the #SMMW14 tag. But do make sure that the tag fits with what you’re saying, and is not in just for the sake of it. Mashable has a very good article on hashtags, you could look up.
Some examples of hashtag usage are:
- Is #SMMW14 the defining social media event of the decade? I’ll be there to find out.
- Is the #infographics’ popularity on the wane? Let’s discuss at #SMMW’14
2. Keep a list of relevant hashtags handy
While using #SMMW is good, do remember that it is just a start. You need to get in deeper, and the next step is to use other hashtags related to the event. Below is a good list. Keep a copy of this near you, and each time you tweet, insert a couple of the relevant ones. But, make sure you don’t stuff tweets with hashtags. More than 3 makes for a clunky tweet.
#marketing
#seo
#contentmarketing
#inboundmarketing
#entrepreneur
#startup
#emailmarketing
#growthhacking
#podcast
3. Follow speakers and kickstart a conversation
Getting SMMW14 speakers’ twitter handle is easy. Tweeting them a ‘hi’ is too. But starting a conversation with them – that’s tricky! It’s a hit or miss game, and there’s a thin line between provocative and pushy. Here are a few examples. Up to you to judge if they will work!
@marismith, will your #SMMW14 session be based on your book on #FacebookMarketing?
@marismith, will reading your book on #FacebookMarketing help me get noticed at the Q&A after your #SMMW14 session? 🙂
4. Live tweets on the go, with photos if possible.
Being the first to do anything is sure to get you noticed. And on twitter, it is no different. Send live tweets during sessions, between sessions, and even while networking. Being the first to report a radical new idea, or presenting your take on a notable happening is a good way to get talked about at the event. If you don’t believe me, ask Ellen DeGeneres – owner of the most retweeted photo ever!! Of course, she is already famous to begin with, not to mention the folks in the picture!
5. Use tools like Hootsuite to monitor hashtags/ people, and respond instantly
With tools like these, you can monitor certain hashtags or people. Which means, you will see any and every tweet that involves them. As a result, the moment you spot one that you like, you can retweet it. Or better yet, respond with a witty or thought provoking one liner!
6. Write blogs
Tweets that contain links have an 86 percent greater chance of being retweeted. And what better link to tweet, than your own blog post?! (And that’s exactly what I am doing here!:))While twitter gives you an opening, a blog delivers that killer punch. So blog before, during and after the event. Tweet your blog about a certain session, with the speaker’s twitter handle. And maybe even invite them to review it! After all, everyone likes publicity.
In case you’d like to meet up with me at SMMW’14, just tweet! @kmukund7