By scheduling regular tweet chats on topics of interest to your followers, your firm will be viewed as a go-to resource for the latest information

So, you’ve been on Twitter for a while now. You are building a nice number of followers and are conversing with them on a regular basis. Your posts are informative and interesting, and you are even retweeted on a fairly regular basis.

So what’s next? Why not hold a Twitter Chat? For the uninitiated, a Twitter Chat is when a group of people participates in a real time, online conversation around a particular topic, identified by a hashtag. Think about it as a conference call with people all over the world, where each participant can share their thoughts by typing 140-character tweets rather than talking over each other. It’s an easy way to get people who are interested in your topic to discuss concerns and share new ideas.

Sounds fun, right? While it is easy, there are some things to consider first. When setting one up, make sure you:

• Choose a topic, time and a hashtag that makes sense
• Choose a format and share that with your followers. It may be on a single topic (typically best), a forum for followers to ask you questions, or any number of other formats, but define it up front and stick to it.
• Promote it in advance. Otherwise, you’ll be chatting by yourself.

So those are the basics. Scheduling and conducting a Twitter Chat is one thing, but doing it in such a way that followers will participate and want to come back for future ones is another. Here are some suggestions for doing it well.

• Choose a topic people are interested in. What are your clients consistently asking you about? What do you see trending on Twitter lately? Put a bit of thought into your topic to ensure it’s one that will draw participants.
• Be real. One of the beauties of social media is that it tends to break down barriers between people and allows them to show a bit of personality along with their expertise. So be authentic in your approach and don’t be afraid to show a bit of your fun side too.
• Be consistent. If you plan to hold regular Twitter Chats, find a time that works for most of your followers and stick to it. That way people will add it to their schedule and be more likely to attend future ones.
• Invite others to host. Just like in-person events, it’s good to mix it up a bit. Bring in other thought leaders and have them “guest host” by leading the conversation or answering questions. It will keep it more interesting and bring in entirely new participants since the guest host will promote it for you as well.

For example, Colorado Supreme Court initiated the new Civil Access Pilot Project this year, which makes significant changes to the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure for certain types of business cases in specified judicial districts. The new procedures dramatically affect the way certain civil cases are litigated, and attorneys are beginning to wade through the new restrictions right now. Here’s a great opportunity for a Colorado firm to hold a Twitter Chat to hear what others are thinking, share their own views, and even discuss what their experiences have been with the rule changes so far. Who’s first?

Hosting a Tweet Chat can be a great way for you to add followers and increase exposure for your firm and practice area. Attend a few first to see how it’s done and take notes on what works well and what doesn’t. You can find them directly in Twitter, or TweetChat is designed to help with the process.

To read more, check out Mashable articles, 7 Tips for Better Twitter Chats and How to Start and Run a Successful Twitter Chat.