Hosting a Twitter Q&A Session

I have been wanting to host a Q&A Session to gain more fans for Music Update. I have contacted some artists and they are interested but just want to know more about it. Here is how you host a Q&A Session:

1. Pick A #
The first step is easy - 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

2. Pick A Time
The Q&A session should take place at a specific time so you can encourage people to “tune in” and follow along. The duration is up to you, but we’ve found that anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes works best.

3. Tweet about itTweet about your Q&A session a few days beforehand. This way you can start collecting questions in advance. Make sure you tweet about the Q&A on the day it’s happening as well, to remind people when they should tune in. In your tweets, tell users what hashtag to use and guide them if there is a specific topic you’d like to focus on.

4. Get the word outEmail partners, employees, or influential friends to tell them about the Q&A session and encourage them to tweet about it (using the hashtag, of course). If you have a website or a blog, put the hashtag and a description of the session there too. The people visiting those sites are the ones who are likely most interested in asking questions and engaging.

5. Go timeAs you sit down to begin answering questions, send a tweet so people know you’re getting started and if possible, add a picture.
You can follow the questions by doing a search for the hashtag you’ve chosen and by checking your mentions tab. You don’t have to answer every question. We suggest answering a dozen or so questions over the course of the session, depending on its length.
Once you’ve found a question you want to answer, retweet it. This way all of your followers will see it. Answer the question in a tweet. Instead of starting the tweet with an @reply, as those will only be seen by users who follow you and the user who the @reply is directed to, compose a new tweet and start it with a “.@name” or a word. Here are some examples:

• TeamGB
• BusinessLink
• Richard Branson answering a question from Lord Alan Sugar
• Chloe Green

When you’re all finished, tweet that the session is wrapped up.