Remote Networking Tips #28: Host a Q&A or “Ask me Anything” Session on Twitter

If you are looking to run a Q&A session, both Instagram and Twitter can be great ways to do this. You can start an online discussion by asking a question, or hosting Q&A or an Ask Me Anything.

Twitter Q&A

Doing a Twitter Chat Q&A can be a great way to start an online discussion and engage with your audience. There are no rules for hosting a Q&A session on Twitter, however, here are some tips to get you started:

01 Have a HashTag

Use a specific hashtag in your tweets to set them apart from your day-to-day output and provide context for your followers. Try to pick something short that speaks to the topic you would like to address or consider simply using #Ask….

02 Pick a Time

Your Q&A session should take place at a specific time so you can encourage people to join in. The duration is up to you, but most people choose to do anything between 30 and 90 minutes for their Twitter Chat/Q&A. Some people use Q&A and Twitter Chats as part of their regular activity and host monthly or weekly twitter chats using this format.

03 Promote your Q&A

Tweet about your Q&A session a few days beforehand. Promote your Q&A on your other social media platforms, blog and mailing list and encourage people to submit questions and join in. This way you can start collecting questions in advance to help get you started/

Make sure you tweet about the Q&A on the day it’s happening as well, to remind people when they should join in. In your tweets, tell users what hashtag to use and guide them if there is a specific topic etc.

04 The Q&A

When your Q&A Starts, sent a tweet so people know you are starting (include a picture to draw attention to your post). Answer the questions and follow along by doing a search for the hashtag that you are using (and checking for any mentions).

Retweet and Answer your Questions in Tweets (rather than send an @reply) and also include the Hashtag, this will mazimise the number of people that will see the Q&A posts on twitter.

You don’t have to answer all the questions, pick the key ones. Depending on the length of your Q&A stick to a handful of key Q&As that are on topic. If you do them all great, if you don’t have time you can always revisit the other questions at a later date, reply privately, or use them for another chat or other types of content.

Keep time and when you have finished tweet that the session is over and thank everyone for particpating.

05 Use the Q&A in a Blogpost

Once the Q&A is over, use this content to create another piece of content that is available after the Q&A Session. The easiest way to do this is by creating a blog post that shows the questions and answers or provides a summary of anything that came out of the discussion.

This means that people who were unable to attend the session can read the content and gives you an opportunity to categorise the questions, re-highlight key points/takeaways and answer any questions that got missed.

Further Reading:

• Use Twitter Chats to Network Online
• Use Social Media to Network at a Live Event
• C is for… Chats