The Power Of The Tweetup

Travel bloggers are among a physically shifting community and most are adept at social networking online. Take those skills and apply them to a powerful way to connect with other travelers – a tweetup.

Embrace Twitter

Next week I’ll be posting a number of resources to get you started with Twitter but you don’t have to be a Twitter guru to do something in the virtual world you do in ‘real’ life all the time. Talk to people and get to know them – it’s as simple as that. Twitter is a powerful tool and has become almost essential if you’re a travel blogger.

What’s A Tweetup?

Sometimes we forget that all of those little icons we speak to everyday actually have real people behind them. A tweetup is when you use Twitter to meet a few other people on Twitter at a common location. Whether you’re traveling actively or have a home base, you can see if anyone is available for some coffee (or a beer) from time to time. You don’t need thousands of followers either to do it either. Make connections with the people who do follow you and never take the human element out of Twitter or anything else you do online. You can also search for other tweet ups that might be happening nearby or where you might be traveling.

• Don’t prevent yourself from trying to organize a tweetup by worrying nobody will respond. Start in a small circle and work your way outwards.

Connections

I’ve been talking quite a bit about connections and the reason a tweet up is so powerful is because it’s the best way to connect with other people and learn more about them. In person. You see it happen all the time, in hostels, offices, and schools. When people meet face to face it creates a bond that can’t be accomplished online only. You’ll get to know people, hear their stories, and tell a little bit about yours as well. As a travel blogger you’re bound to find travelers coming to a city nearby where you are.

Don’t Be Shy

I’m a pretty introverted person and a bit shy in unfamiliar surroundings myself, but chances are that so are some of the other travelers you’ll be meeting. Travelers are typically a friendly group and they usually have plenty of interesting stories to tell you about. Tweetups in active places help too so there is enough going on around you to take off the edge or pressure. After the first few minutes though the anxiety will fade and you’ll be having fun.

Safety

People have asked me in the past whether I feel tweetups are safe. I do because I believe people are generally good and I’m not scared meeting people in public places. Also you’ll probably have an idea of who you’ll be meeting too based on their online personality.

Where To Start – Ask and Notice

Keep tabs on where people are tweeting from and if they may be headed your way. The tweeters who seem interesting or you’ve gotten to know online might be in town soon so ask if they’d like to meet up for a bit while they’re passing through. Don’t be shy and hop on in. Look for hash tags of the tweet up (i.e. #dcthh) and follow the conversation. Once you’re at a tweetup more are sure to follow and you can plan them on the spot.

That’s how I had the pleasure of meeting @RTWDave (GoBackpacking) and @20sTravel (Twenty-Something Travel) among several others recently in Washington DC.

A Few Resources

Still looking for more information on organizing a tweetup?

• Mashable: How To Organize A Successful Tweetup
• How Tweetups Work
• How To Host A Tweetup

You might be a bit hesitant to join, organize, or look for tweetups but after the first one you’ll realize they’re fun and a great way to meet people. A critical part of developing a successful travel blog is by cultivating your persona – your blog is tied with you personally – and there is no better way to show off your personality than in person.

[photos by: jeremy.wilburn, netzkobold, tibchris, Squonk11]