How to Use Sports Twitter Chats To Increase Your Network and Knowledge

This article is a guest post from Rich Campbell, Sports Marketing Professor at Sonoma State University follow him on Twitter:@SprtsMktgProf

In Part 1 of this post,  I offered some suggestions on how to go from “following” someone on Twitter to being noticed and ultimately developing a relationship with that person via Twitter.  This post will focus on another resource that can be used to develop your network: Twitter Chats.

Briefly, Twitter Chats are regular gatherings (typically weekly) where people “chat” about topic-specific themes in an area of common interest.  The chatting is categorized by the shared use of a designated hashtag (fictional example: #ChattingSports) that allows the conversation to be followed easily.

First, a look at the considerable advantages of participating in chats.

1: It is a tremendous opportunity to discover new people that you’d like to follow on Twitter.

The advice in the first part of this column was predicated on the fact that you already had people you wanted to follow.  If you don’t know where to start, jumping into the chats will expose you to new people interested in the field of sports business.

2: You can attract followers that may not otherwise find you!

The more you participate in twitter chats - and make meaningful contributions – the more others will notice. The result will be a real spike in the number of followers you draw to your account.

3: You can listen to leaders/celebrities in the field discuss current topics in real time.

Often the chat will include industry leaders. Sometimes, athletes may even join in, as the NFL’s Larry Fitzgerald did after his Twitter handle was mentioned in this October chat.

Sports Twitter Chat Suggestions

Here is a list of Sports Business Twitter Chats that I can recommend based on having participated in them:

• #SBchat happens on Sunday nights (9:30 Eastern/6:30 Pacific).  Experienced sports business executives @cannonjw and @LouImbriano moderate this forum that discusses a broad range of Sports Business topics.


• #SportJC meets first and third Mondays ( 8:00 Eastern/5:00 Pacific) This chat focuses specifically on getting a job in sports and exploring career related topics.


• #Social4tixsales occurs each Tuesday ( 8:00 Eastern/5:00 Pacific) A great place to hear the latest on ticket sales tactics and careers in the sports industry.


• #Smsportschat gathers each Thursdays (9:00 Eastern/6:00 Pacific) to discuss the intersection of sports and social media.  A great place to find out about the latest applications of tech in sports.


 

But Wait, There’s More!

I’m certainly not the first person to suggest joining chats as an effective tactic for fully realizing Twitter’s potential!  Other great options for sports business chats can be found in this article from Kristi Dosh (@sportsbizmiss).  And new chats are springing up, one example is #SportChat360 which debuted on January 21.

A nice opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a new chat!

Finally, consider looking at chats beyond sports.  There are many chats focused on business, technology, sales and social media, etc.  Identify a topic you are interested in and search it with a hashtag and you are likely to find a chat.  One I’d recommend is #GetRealChat, which is facilitated by @pammktgnut.

It is a friendly environment to give a general business chat a try.

Final Thought

Regardless of which chat(s) you sample, give each one a few tries before moving on.  Sometimes it takes a few sessions to figure out the culture/style/format of the group.  On the other hand, don’t feel like you have to stick with a chat – keep sampling until you identify a few that become “appointment chatting” for you!