Joining and Hosting Twitter Spaces: Real Advice From a Beta Tester

There’s no denying that Twitter Spaces is blowing up right now.

Many people taking advantage of Twitter’s latest feature have been seeing great results, whether they’re joining as a listener or hosting Twitter Spaces of their own.

These results are clear when you look at my interview with Gabbi. Since becoming a Spaces beta tester, Gabbi has seen her follower count increase, a boost in engagement, and more. However, it’s not just Gabbi that’s seeing the benefits of using Spaces consistently.

I reached out to May King Tsang to share her experience with hosting Twitter Spaces for an upcoming course I’m creating. But her story was so good that I had to share some of it here on the blog. If you’re on the fence about using Spaces, I think you’ll change your mind after this.

Joining and Hosting Twitter Spaces: Real Advice From a Beta Tester

May King is a FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) Creator. She helps conferences, workshops, festivals, and summits by creating excitement to generate more ticket sales. She does this through the power of Facebook Live, Live Tweeting, and also by interviewing and live reporting on LinkedIn and Instagram.

What Specific Results Have You Seen Since You Started Spaces?

May King has been busy hosting Twitter Spaces, as well as joining ones that other creators are hosting. With some of the Spaces she joins having quite a big audience, it’s a sure-fire way to gain more exposure for any online brand. You just need to take the initiative to go up to the virtual stage and share your thoughts with everyone listening.

Here are just some of the results May King has seen since she began joining and hosting Twitter Spaces in early March:

• Follower count has increased simply by publicizing she’s a Spaces beta tester with a purple dot in her Twitter name. The community of beta testers wants to support one another and this provides an easy way to do so.
• Increased engagement on tweets, whether it’s a retweet of a pinned tweet or likes on the last few tweets on her timeline.
• Spaces attendees are following her on Instagram and connecting with her on LinkedIn, leading to new connections and great conversations with many of these people.
• More DMs about the services she offers and increased lead generation.
• Invites to speak on other creator’s Twitter Spaces, live shows, and podcasts (which means even more exposure for her brand).

And honestly, that’s not all! Overall, May King has had a very positive experience in less than two months of using Spaces. She’s another example of just how powerful hosting Twitter Spaces can be when you’re using this as a platform to consistently provide value.

What Kind of Feedback Have You Been Getting From Your Audience?

One of the great things about using Spaces is that it provides a way to get real-time feedback from your audience, as it’s a new way for you to have a conversation with one another. But sometimes you get feedback from people long after the live conversation has ended.

When May King was unsure if hosting Twitter Spaces was worthwhile for her, a friend provided the support and encouragement she needed the most. Here’s what she had to say:

“I had a wobble and on week five, I wondered whether I should continue Twitter Spaces. I was worried I wasn’t providing enough value to attendees. My biggest fan and gorgeous partner @salisburywriter had listened to previous weeks and heard the positivity and advice I bestowed. He suggested I should carry on because people need FOMO in their businesses and I am there to help them with that. I reluctantly and nervously went onto Twitter Spaces in week five and he was right! A few of my business colleagues, friends, and acquaintances came on, and attendees from the previous week came on as well, and this was the week that I unexpectedly had two leads! Just goes to show that as a business owner, you should keep going. You never know where it leads to!”

As Spaces is still in its early days, many creators will be hesitant to fully jump on board. And there will be times where you don’t have a huge audience listening as you speak. But even when it seems like things aren’t working, you shouldn’t get discouraged. You should still show up and provide value because you never know who might be listening that needs to hear your message.

For Those Who are Brand New to Spaces, What Advice Would You Give Them?

At first, it can feel intimidating to try something new. You wonder if you’ll be good at this new thing and whether or not it’ll be worthwhile for you to pursue. To help ease your concerns, I want you to remember this advice from May King:

• Attend as many other Spaces as you can. (This is a great way to get yourself in front of a new audience, plus it helps you gain even more experience as a Spaces user.)
• Listen, observe, and respect the format and style of each of the Spaces you attend.
• Note what you liked and what you didn’t like, which will help you determine how you would like to host your own Spaces. (Although, no pressure if you’d prefer to listen and lurk on others’ Spaces instead.)
• And here are a few additional things to consider when you start hosting your own Spaces:
  • Duration: How long should the Space be?
  • Frequency: Weekly? Twice weekly? Monthly?
  • Time of Day: National/International
  • Co-host? Solo host?
  • Format: Q&A, speaker panel, formal or informal, chatty or professional, educational or a catch-up, special guest or host speaker only, etc.?

And if you’re ever stuck for ideas on what to talk about during the Spaces you host, this post has six ideas you can use. That means you don’t have any excuses to try it for yourself!

Any Final Tips You’d Like to Share?

To wrap things up, I asked May King to share a few final tips that any Twitter Spaces user can take advantage of. Here’s what she had to say:

• Be consistent and don’t give up. May King said, “I wobbled thinking I wasn’t good enough, but the love and support of my partner told me not to, and if I did give up, I would not have gained those leads!” When you’re in it for the long haul, you’re sure to make progress over time.
• Ask for feedback. You can ask people to provide feedback while you’re on Spaces or encourage them to send you a DM. Feedback allows you to improve and even gives you the chance to learn more about what your audience would like to see from you.
• Find a structure that suits you. May King says that you can be inspired by what others are doing, but you don’t want to copy someone. It’s better that your Spaces structure suits your personality and a time and frequency that works for your audience.