What’s a Twitter Chat?
A Twitter chat is a way for Twitter users to gather together at the same time and talk about a particular topic. In this case, we’re moms who have IBD and we want to discuss clinical trials. Our co-host this month is Clara Health, a group focused on making it easier for patients and families to access breakthrough treatments. By searching for, or clicking on, the hashtag, #IBDMoms and #PatientsHavePower you can follow along with all the posts using that tag. In this way, you can see the conversation and also take part.
What You Need to Know About the June #IBDMoms Chat
This chat is about clinical trials and how patients can access them and what the experience of being in a clinical trial might be like. To see all the questions, follow the hosts on Twitter:
Follow the hosts:
Clara Health: https://twitter.com/Clara_Health
IBD Moms: https://twitter.com/IBDMoms
Follow the other members of #IBDMoms on Twitter here:
Amber Tresca (me!): https://twitter.com/aboutIBD
Brooke Abbott: https://twitter.com/CrzyCreoleMommy
Get a Reminder
If you want a reminder about the time, you can respond to this Facebook event, and it’ll take care of that for you!
How to Answer Questions on a Twitter Chat
The hosts of a Twitter chat will pose various questions, preceded by “Q1,” “Q2,” and so on. You can respond by either replying or retweeting the question and beginning your answer with “A1,” “A2,” and so forth. This helps the hosts and other attendees to know which question you’re answering. Putting the chat hashtags, in this case, #IBDMoms and #PatientsHavePower, in the Tweet will also help everyone to see your Tweet.
If you forget either of these things, no worries! The hosts and #IBDMoms can help by retweeting your Tweet with the hashtag, or answering your Tweet.
If You Feel Intimidated…
It does seem strange, almost like walking up to a group of people and joining in the conversation. But it’s OK! You are welcome to join in at any time! You’re also welcome to follow along and read the conversation, even if you’re not moved to answer any of the questions. Tweeting at the host and letting them know you’re around, though, is a great way to make sure they know you’re interested and they can help you if you need it.
…Or If You Can’t Make That Chat Time
Here’s the beauty of it! You can come in at any time after the chat and continue to take part in the conversation. The hosts aren’t going anywhere, they’ll see your responses the next time they log in and the conversation can continue.
…Or You’re Completely New to Twitter
You can get started in 15 minutes by using these steps from my colleague Leslie Walker at Lifewire: Learn How to Use Twitter in 15 Minutes or Less