Twittering Onsite: A Real-Life Case Study

In an earlier post, I wrote about the utility of Twitter for communication with attendees onsite at conferences. Well, last week I used Twitter’s GroupTweet mechanism for the first time to communicate with conference delegates. Here’s what I learned during the test.

1) Twitter is only useful if you have critical mass. Even at a conference for a computer-related association, just 101 of our 2400+ attendees signed up to follow the conference feed. If you are planning to use Twitter for critical announcements, ensure that you have other mechanisms in place for those who don’t participate.

2) Mobile access is a must. I admit, I am an early adopter of the iPhone and rarely go anywhere without it. I was able to use the Twitterfon application to send updates while on-the-go, which made it easier for me to stay in touch with the group. Folks with another mobile device such as a Blackberry or PDA can find similar freeware. Text message updates are also possible though do deplete your monthly text allotment. I would never have been able to manage the feed if I had to run back to my office to post the updates.

3) Updates can be time-consuming. Even with my handy iPhone app, I had to make a conscious decision to keep Twitter at the forefront of my mind to remember to post the updates.

4) Network access speeds the pace. I was lucky that our convention location had good, reliable wireless access throughout the space. This allowed me to make updates in real time, instead of texting my updates to the Twitter server and waiting for them to be posted.

I’m not convinced that Twitter will replace morning announcements or the message board right away, but overall I would say that our use of this communications mechanism was a success. Considering using Twitter for your next meeting? Click here to visit our conference feed and see how we used this free tool to improve communications to and between delegates.

Reach out and "Tweet" Someone

Twitter is a free social networking tool designed to answer the universal question, “What are you doing right now?” The site lets you send short messages (called “tweets”) to people who sign up to follow your activities. If your colleagues follow your tweets, you can let people know that you’re running late, schedule a lunch date for later in the day, or invite your co-workers out for a drink – all en masse. Think of it as an instant message sent to lots of people at once.

But the real beauty of Twitter is that it’s short and sweet: tweets are limited to 140 characters, which can be submitted online, by email, or from your mobile phone. Beyond simply being interesting, some organizations are harnessing Twitter to connect with conference delegates, and to connect them with each other. Creating a Twitter site for your conference ties attendees together, creating a back channel where attendees can communicate with each other about sessions or activities.

Twitter also allows developers to create add-on applications that build on their platform. One outstanding example is GroupTweet’s group message broadcasting. Want to let attendees know that there has been a time change, or that the break is open? GroupTweet is an efficient way to get the word out, sort of like putting your message board in the palm of your attendees’ hands.

Twitter also provides a forum for you to monitor and respond to attendee comments and concerns in real time. You’ll definitely end up with more data than you need, but it’s an excellent tool to remind your attendees that you value their input and care about their experience.