How To Use TweetDeck.com for Twitter Parties and Chats

Monday, July 15, 2013

When participating in Twitter parties, I always found it easiest to follow along using TweetGrid. Now that the site is no longer available, I am turning to TweetDeck. I like to use the web version versus the mobile version since it's easier for me to follow on a big screen as compared to my small iPhone. Here I provide a tutorial with six steps on how to use TweetDeck for Twitter parties.

Step 1: Create an account on TweetDeck.com. You will need an email address and will be asked to create a password.

Step 2: Add a Twitter account. I am assuming you already have one. Simply click on the 'Add Twitter account' button.

Step 3: Authorize TweetDeck to use your Twitter account. You will be asked to log on to your Twitter account first. If you're already logged on, you will just need to click on 'Authorize app.'

You will then be redirected to the application.

You will be returned to your settings screen and it will look similar to this:

Your profile will look something like this:

Step 4: Create a list of the hosts, sponsors and/or moderators. If there are more than one moderator, host and/or sponsor, you may choose to create a list which you can use to create a column dedicated to their tweets only during the party. You can always delete the column later.

Give the list a name (do not use any symbols such as #).

Search for the moderators names or Twitter handles. Their profile should pop up on the left. Add their name by clicking on the + sign and their profile will appear on the list to the right. Then click on 'Done.'

Now you can click on 'Add Column' at the bottom.

Step 5: Create a column for the party hashtag. Hover over the + sign on the left and click on 'Add column.' Click on the 'Search' icon.

In the search bar at the top, type in the Twitter party hashtag and hit 'enter'. Tweets containing the hashtag will appear beneath the search bar.

Click on the blue 'Add Column' at the bottom.

Step 6: Customize your TweetDeck. Generally, your TweetDeck will automatically include your timeline, interactions and generic activity columns. The activity column is quite, well, active, so you may choose to delete that entirely as it is in a constant state of updating. I added a column for my own tweets. You can also add various other columns.

One handy reference tool is located in your Settings menu. These keyboard shortcuts are an alternative way to using TweetDeck instead of clicking on icons.

There is no way to automatically add a hashtag to your tweets (yet?) but the good news is that once you use a hashtag, it will automatically pop up once you start to type it again.

And there you have it, ladies and gents. Hope this tutorial on How to Use TweetDeck for Twitter Parties was helpful! If the party requires an RSVP, you can read my tutorials on How to RSVP for a Twitter Party and How to Add a Column on TweetDeck.com Using a Twitter List. Hope to tweet you at the next party!