This post was originally posted in the forum at the new Social Media Mafia social network created by Don, Chris Hambly a huge influencer of mine. I have learnt a great deal from Chris and his approach to social media. An educational technologist his academic analysis of attitudes and behaviours to social media development is inspirational. I'd like to extend my forum question to you, my blog reader. I also have some invitations to the Social Media Mafia network. If you would like to join let me know.
My forum post.
I often tweet at events on behalf of the event taking place. The event or project will have established a Twitter account and built up a following separate from the host companies twitter identity. @pilot_theatre with the @shifthappens event account for example. Using Twitter as a back channel during the lead up and on the day delegates are invited to tweet to their hearts content. Some events have tweetdeck streaming by on the screen at the main stage. With a hash tag running, pooling together the twitter buzz is a satisfying and compelling viewing. With twitter novices the tag often is a repeat of the twitter account. For example @getambition's series of roadshows thoughout the UK began with a hash tag #getam selected for being identifiable with the project and easy to remember plus consideration for efficient use of those precious140 characters but before the conclusion of the first event our #getam tag had been unanimously superceded by #getambition. It proved to be a chatty back channel with delegates discovering fellow tweeters in the room and delegates from previous events returning to chip in with questions they hadn't asked at their regional roadshow. The extended networks of the Amb:IT:ion team @billt, @documentally, @hannahrudman, @beyongolia, @pcmcreative, @manthorp were also key and gave us the delights of @bubblino (http://www.qik.com/video/1523629) a great example of the generosity of the Twitter community.
I discovered that the hash tag commenter's did not necessarily follow the event's twitter account and the account followers were not following the hash tag meaning I ended up feeding the hash tag chat in to the event accounts followers.
In all, getting the opportunity to tweet repeated format events gave me great experience of how to balance conversation across twitter.
I'd like to hear about your experiences as custodian tweeter or as a delegate at an event encouraging tweeting and your experience as a remote follower.