Twitter is a great tool to live tweet a news story, especially a breaking story. What’s even better is that you don’t have to be a professional reporter. All that you need is a Twitter account.
After that, the platform is ready and waiting for you. What’s more you don’t have to worry about creating readers or viewers. They are already there.
Your challenge is to tell the story in a compelling manner.
Here are eight tips to live tweet an event:
Tip 1
Choose the right keyword: Let’s say the news story you want to live tweet is the action at Jaipur Literary Festival. You can use Jaipur Lit Fest or Literary Festival or Lit Festival Jaipur as the keyword because people are familiar with this name; you can use Naipaul as the keyword if the Nobel laureate is visiting the festival and you want to tweet the action on the day he is there; or you can use a book name as the keyword if there is controversy about its launch or reading.
Once you decide the keyword, you must ensure that every tweet uses the keyword.
Tip 2
Use hashtag: You must prefix the hashtag (#) before the keyword in every tweet. The hashtag increases the chances of the Twitter search engine picking up your tweet faster. The tweets then get bunched, and their chances of being noticed by other tweeters increase. There is a possibility that some may retweet your tweet or post their own tweet using your keyword. If that happens, then the chances of your keyword catching attention go up.
Tip 3
Describe the event: You may have only 140 characters to play around with but you can still live tweet a compelling story. Your job is to describe what is happening around you, very much like a radio commentator. What is the crowd like? What is the mood? Is it festive? Is it sullen? What is happening on the stage? Are the visitors only from India or have they come from different parts of the world? Are there any celebrities in the crowd? What is the law and order situation?
You are the eyes and ears of the Twitter universe wanting to know what is happening at the Literary festival. It is for you to live tweet the colours, the smells, the mood, the happenings. If you do this, then your followers will wait for your next tweet.
Tip 4
Be alert to key moments: Every developing story has key moments. These are the suspense moments when something new happens. You have to be alert to tweet these moments. For instance, you must listen to announcements being made – the arrival of celebrities; the launch of new books; the panel discussions on the stage.
Tip 5
Use quotes: If a famous writer makes a statement, quote him. Quotes can make your tweets sparkle. The same applies to the statements of people around you. Live tweet the conversations that best sum the mood.
Tip 6
Respond to tweets: Keep refreshing your Twitter page to see if there are any tweets for you. Respond to such queries, especially if someone wants an update or clarification. This will increase your fan following and your message will start spreading to a larger audience.
Tip 7
Avoid comments: Be fair, and report what you see and hear. Do not jump to surmises or conclusions. Also, do not burden your followers with your point of view. People want to know what is happening. Tell them that.
Tip 8
Post images: The best way to describe an event is with photographs. Post as many pictures as you can. Remember people want to savour what is happening at the festival. Photographs give them a sense of watching events unfold – in real time.
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