Whats Next DC Live Blogging, Stephanie Schierholz, NASA Tweetup

People have tweeted in a lot of places, but who’d have thought that astronauts tweet from space? In 2010, NASA launched a new program in which they have astronauts tweet while they are circling the Earth.

NASA also holds in-person tweetups (#NASATweetup) which help them gain media coverage, spread the word, diversify their audiences, and build not only internet participation but also in-person participation. Not all tweetups are successful, however. It’s important to make them unique and memorable, not boring and stale.

But what exactly is a tweetup? An in-person meeting where participants tweet about a particular subject.

And how is one organized? Check out the bullet points:

• Begin planning early
• Draft press materials which publicize the tweetup
• Note the type, length, and location of the event
• Let people know who is going to speak
• During the event, provide a tour and make sure all types of people are encouraged to participate.
• And, oh yeah… Provide WiFi

By the way, does a NASA tweetup sound interesting to you? Then check out www.nasa.gov/tweetup.