10 Tips on How to Lead a “Live” Chat on Twitter

Good Soil“The sower went out to sow. …Some seeds fell on good soil.” (Mark 4:3b, 8a)

I’ve been teaching the Bible on Twitter in recent days via a “live” chat. (For more information, click here.)

I have come to recognize a number of things that are helpful in leading / promoting a “live” chat.

I thought I might share them with you…

10 Tips on How to Lead a “Live” Chat on Twitter:

Tip 1: Write a blog post on the topic prior to. (You really should have a blog as a home base for all of your social media efforts.) Build momentum, anticipation. (To read: 7 Mistakes Christian Bloggers Can Make, click here.)

Tip 2: Have an outline of tweets beforehand. It doesn’t have to be comprehensive (though mine always are ~ that’s just me). Then you can offer a free download. (To read: How to Create a Free Download, click here.)

Tip 3: During the chat, don’t just tweet with your friends. Be humble enough to leave the “clique” and communicate especially with the newbies. Prioritize them via retweets.

Tip 4: Build your own followership apart from the chat time. You will always have them as part of your chat audience.

Tip 5: (Goes with Tip 4) Don’t worry about who’s there and who’s not. (I once taught a Bible study with only one in attendance ~ a large spider on the ceiling.) And always remember: You never know who’s lurking (listening in, but not making their presence known).

Tip 6: Promote, promote, promote. And then after you’ve done all that, promote some more. Tweet your blog post (Tip 1) and the time of your chat often.

Tip 7: Pray, pray, pray for God to anoint (energize) you as a chat facilitator / teacher. Call upon the Lord to move upon those who are supposed to hear what you have to say. Leave the results up to Him.

Tip 8: Do your best to be present on Twitter as regularly as you can aside from your chat time (and the chat hashtag stream). Again, reach out beyond the friends / followers (Tip 3) that you already have.

Tip 9: Capitalize on the popularity of Pinterest. Create a “board” on the topic of your chat, then tweet it with the time of your chat. (To see my Escape from Egypt Pinterest board, click here.)

Tip 10: Add a level of podcasting to further personalize your chat. Use iTalk on the iPad. Keep it under a minute. (To listen to my first try, click here.)

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About Pastor Mike

Pastor Mike is making the most of web technologies to encourage disciples. A self-proclaimed “twitterholic,” one twitter follower describes him as the “jogging, blogging, tweeting Pastor.” Visits to Pastor Mike’s blog (A Heart For God) number in the hundreds of thousands. His video blogs have been viewed over a half a million times.

Comments

  1. These are not your typical Twitter tips. Great ideas! 🙂

    ~Sheila (@HastenHome)

  2. As always Pastor Mike, great ideas and helps!

    thanks for all you do, for how you lead and for the heart of God that shines from you!

    @spreadingJOY