10 Twitter Chats Every Blogger Should Follow

By Brandon Olson April 30, 2015

The Twitter stream moves at an alarming 9,000 tweets per second. How in the world are you supposed to gain exposure for your blog when the news feed becomes outdated within seconds of posting your tweet?

One of the best ways to break through the noise on Twitter is by participating in Twitter chats. It’s a great way to increase your knowledge of a specific topic, build connections with fellow bloggers and gain exposure for yourself and your blog.

What Is a Twitter Chat?

A Twitter chat is a regularly scheduled online discussion that takes place on Twitter around a specific hashtag. Participants get involved and follow the conversation by using and following the chat hashtag.

There’s usually a moderator or host who directs the chat, asking questions and participating in the discussion. Some chats might also feature a special guest expert.

How to Participate in a Twitter Chat

To participate in a Twitter chat, you’ll need to create a Twitter account, if you don’t already have one. And make sure it’s set to “public” or no one will see your tweets during the chat.

Most chats follow a Q&A format where the host will ask a question, preceded by Q1, Q2, etc. preceding it. To join the conversation, all you have to do is provide your answers, preceded by A1, A2, etc.

First question is for all of our experts… Q1. Why has content marketing emerged as a key trend in marketing? #AWeberHour

— AWeber (@aweber) July 16, 2014

A1 Content marketing represents an opportunity to create useful, inspired marketing people enjoy/want, vs. things that annoy. #aweberhour

— Ann Handley (@annhandley) July 16, 2014

A1: Content marketing is a huge trend because it represents the gap b/t what brands produce and people actually want! #aweberhour

— Michael Brenner (@BrennerMichael) July 16, 2014

Always include the chat hashtag in your tweets so other participants can see your comments. Without the hashtag, you’re gonna be scratching your head, wondering why no one is talking to you. (If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?)

There are a number of tools that make participating a whole lot easier. These tools will automatically add the chat hashtag to your tweet, ensuring that your tweets are always seen.

• TweetChat
• tchat.io
• Twubs

If you’re planning to host a Twitter chat and want to measure the reach and participation levels of your chat, a couple of great tools to use are Hashtracking or Spider by oneQube.

Twitter Chat Etiquette

While each Twitter chat has its own “house rules” there are some pretty standard points of etiquette to keep in mind when participating.

Converse

Remember, it’s a chat, not a shouting match. You wouldn’t go into a cocktail party and start shouting, “Hey everybody, look at me!” The purpose is to learn, educate and connect, not to pitch.

Relevance is Key

Make sure your comments are relevant to the topic of conversation.

Don’t Spam

Posting the same thing over and over again will likely get you blocked or flagged. No one likes it, so don’t do it.

Top 10 Twitter Chats for Bloggers

While there are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of Twitter chats that exist today, here are 10 that every blogger should participate in on a regular basis:

1. #BlogChat

When: Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET
Host: @mackcollier
Topic: Personal and professional blogging

2. #ContentChat

When: Mondays at 3:00 pm ET
Host: @JeniseFryatt
Topic: Content marketing

3. #CMWorld

When: Tuesdays at 12:00 p.m ET
Hosts: @CMIcontent
Topic: Content marketing

4. #LinkedInChat

When: Tuesdays, 8:00 p.m. ET
Host: @LinkedInExpert
Topic: LinkedIn best practices

5. #GetRealChat

When: Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET
Host: @PamMktgNut
Topics: Social business, technology, entrepreneurship, marketing, commerce, and more

6. #BrandChat

When: Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. ET
Hosts: @MariaDuron, @Mr_Mcfly and @GeraldMoczynski
Topic: Branding

7. #BufferChat

When: Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m. ET
Host: @Buffer
Topic: Social media, digital marketing, automation, productivity and more

8. #Insiderchat

When: Wednesdays at 1:00 pm ET
Host: @BrianHonigman
Topics: Interviews of experts on social media, content marketing, entrepreneurship and more

9. #SmallBizChat

When: Wednesdays at 8:00 pm ET
Host: @SmallBizLady
Topics: Interviews with small business expert on issues related to running and growing a small business

10. #SEOchat

When: Thursdays at 1:00 p.m. ET
Host: @Dan_Patterson
Topic: Search engine optimization

What’s your favorite Twitter chat? Share it in the comments below.