How to engage on Twitter :Events

This article will show you how to engage on one specific tweet category called ‘Events’.

It is part of our series of 8 articles 'how to engage on twitter' covering the following 8 categories of tweets: Opinion, Emotion, Authored Content, List, Local News, Endorsement, Question & Request, Event.

In markets where prospects are Executives, Affluents, Entrepreneurs, Celebrities - and more generally people who need to manage their personal brand-, there are two things you can be sure about:

These people are very active in social media &They go to a lot of events!

As you try to build relations with these prospects, you will notice that these people also frequently TWEET about events:

• Events they speak at

• Events they go to

• Events they organize / events they need help to organize/look for sponsors

Tweets about these events are excellent opportunities to engage and build relations, and here are a few tactics you can use to get the conversation started.

Warning: the objective of this short article is to make you realize how you can use Twitter to build relations and give you examples. Keep in mind that conversations have to be authentic and fun so don't rush in building a "chatbot" or an automate.  It never works.

1.) EVENTS THEY SPEAK AT

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a. You need to quickly decide whether you can attend the event. If this is an option for you, great!I

In this case, you can ask a question about the event and get the discussion going. When you meet the speaker, you will reference the exchange you had on Twitter. With one tweet you'll have already replaced a cold introduction by a "follow up on an exchange we had on Twitter". Way more powerful.

b. If you cannot go, or if the prospect is talking about a past event: You can still ask whether you can get a copy of the slides, a recording of the event, or if there will be another event like this in the coming weeks where he/she will cover the same topic. 

c. There are also several occasions where the speaker publishes a link to the conference proceedings, slide set, etc., that is broken.

If you tell the speaker about this and ask him/her to republish, he/she will be appreciative and the reply will be positive. And any positive step is a step in the right direction.

2.) EVENTS THEY GO TO

a. Again you need to determine whether or not you are able to attend. If you plan to go:Ask a question about whether or not you should go, if he/she knows the speakers, has attended a previous event, any specific session he/she recommends...When you are at the event, you then go see the prospect and thank him/her for recommending the event, stressing he/she helped you make a good decision.There is a good chance that you may even schedule a coffee / lunch after exchanging a few tweets. Agenda abhors a vacuum and people love to socialize.

b. If you don't go: You can still Retweet or Like. Then when the event is done, check if the prospect talks about the event again (I bet you he/she will) and you're back at 1b.

You can also tweet to the prospect and tell him/her you were not able to attend and ask whether he/she knows about follow up, recordings, share notes....

3.) EVENTS THEY ORGANIZE / LOOK FOR SPONSOR

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Sponsoring an event organized by a prospect is a unique chance to spend some quality time with the prospect and build up opportunities for regular one to ones.

When a prospect mentions an event he/she is organizing or for which he/she is looking for sponsors, if it fits your company budget & practices, you should by any mean engage and ask:- whether the prospect needs a room, a sponsor, or whatever you may bring on the table that improves the event.- work with your marketing team to see whether this could be a more global opportunity to talk to a large group of prospects.

Affluents / Execs frequently participate in charity events and fundraising. If your company policies/budget/regulations allow this, you can both build up the relation and make a positive difference.

Last but not least, don't forget to close the loop. After the first exchanges, follow the prospect and if he/she follows you back, consider inviting him/her on Linkedin.