Let’s just get this out of the way: I love Twitter Chats. I always learn something. When I’m able to contribute to the conversation with my insight, it’s fulfilling to know I’m helping out.

But mostly they’re just fun. It’s a bunch of people coming to hangout online because they have a passion in common; it’s hard to imagine that wouldn’t be fun.

But if you scratch below the surface, you’ll find some not-so-obvious benefits to participating in Twitter Chats that will make you a better marketer, and fast. You can learn more, expand your Twitter tribe, become a better Tweeter, and even get inspired with new content ideas in just an hour a day, a few days a week.

So, let’s dive in and take a look at four surprising benefits of Chats and how you can start taking advantage of them right now.

1.  When You Share Your Knowledge, You Learn from Yourself

Obviously, Twitter Chats are a great place to share your knowledge and spread the wealth. That’s great. I love sharing info and helping others.

But let’s consider the selfish aspect of dropping knowledge in a Chat. There’s a Latin phrase, Docendo discimus, which means, “By teaching, we learn.” Oh, Latin, you’re so, so wise.

When you teach, you’re forced to think deeply about why what you’re saying is true. This reflection often leads to greater insight into topics you’re already knowledgeable about. You’re essentially learning from yourself while teaching others. If you ask me, that’s a pretty sweet deal for everybody involved.

2. Easily Expand Your Network with the Best Kind of Followers

Chats are amazing places to expand your Twitter network and connect with ideal users. If you’re looking to make the most out of Twitter, connecting with Tweeps through Chats is kind of a no-brainer.

Just think about all the traits we can glean about someone just from the fact that they showed up to a Chat. These people may be experts on the topic, complete noobs looking to learn, or somewhere in between; but they’re all interested and engaged. Connect with them.

People in Chats are also some of the most active, and more importantly, relevant users on Twitter. Spammy accounts don’t often participate in chats. Nurture your new connections by making it a point to engage with them outside of the chat. Once you’ve made a memorable connection, they’ll be more likely to notice you and your Tweets and engage. These are the gold followers, and you can pan for them in Chats!

3. Become a Better Tweeter Lightning Fast

Getting your point across in 140 characters or less with some personality isn’t easy. In fact, at times it feels damn near impossible. But being able to do this, and fast, is a powerful addition to your Twitter toolbox.

One of my favorite social media personalities, Brian Fanzo (@iSocialFanz), can often be spotted wearing a hat that reads, “Talk Fast, Tweet Faster.” Well, the hat gets it. (If you’re not already, I highly suggest you follow Brain at @iSocialFanz for some great social media info.)

Twitter moves fast, really fast. There is a ton of value in being the first, or one of the first, people to get the word out. And if you’re skilled in Tweeting quickly, with some personality, in less than 140 characters, it could make all the difference between a slew of retweets and crickets.

But becoming one of these Jedi Tweeters takes effort. Twitter Chats are a great place to practice quickly organizing your thoughts and getting them down succinctly enough to fit into a tweet with a hashtag. Do all that with some personality, a little flair or some wit, and now you’re cooking with gas!

Basically what I’m talking about is finding your unique Twitter voice, and Chats can really speed that process up. You should basically send out as many Tweets in the hour as you can type, assuming you have something relevant to add or ask. Under normal circumstances, Tweeting nonstop isn’t exactly a best practice. In Chats, it’s expected.

Plus, you’ve got a built in audience that’s giving you instant feedback through retweets, mentions, and favorites. Use that info to examine what people are engaging with, and then do more of that. Practice makes perfect.

4. Mine for Relevant and Engaging Content Ideas

Finally, Twitter Chats are a fantastic place to mine for content ideas. Pay close attention in a Chat and you’ll probably notice some interesting things that get your creative juices flowing for your next blog post.

You may recognize that several people are having a similar pain point around a certain topic. You may notice that a lot of people share a common misconception about some subject matter. Someone may Tweet an insightful answer or comment that you agree with and can expand upon. Create content around these ideas!

You’ll even have at least a couple people to share it with directly. Take note of the people that you got the idea from and contact them directly. I know I’d appreciate a Tweet that went something like this:

@dmboutin We remember you asking about buying FB likes at #WhatsYourFomula chat. Here’s a post you may like http://t.co/Foy23ljQqk

— Lab3 Marketing (@Lab3Marketing) July 5, 2024

A word of caution: don’t get caught up in trying to mine for content ideas during the Chat. Participate and get the most out of it you can. You can always search the Chat’s hashtag later and examine what was going on. Really, you’ll never see all the Tweets from a Chat live if you’re participating anyway. The one that may have produced some content gold could easily be missed in the flurry of the Chat.

For that matter, you can even search previous chats or those that you missed to mine for content. There’s a lot of great material that comes out of Chats that makes for excellent content if you know where to look.

Wrapping Up

So, are you psyched to go get involved with a Twitter Chat? Awesome! (I’ll just assume you said yes.) Good news! There are tons of Twitter Chats all over the place. For a great list of marketing chats, check out this post from ThinkSEM.com.

Find a few Chats you like, participate weekly, and see for yourself how powerful a tool Chats can be. You’ll be a Chatting pro and better marketer for it in no time!