People line up and sit patiently in the chat room ahead of time to avoid missing counsel from The Boston Globe's handyman columnist. Building ice trenches to avoid water damage was a favorite topic last winter. Regular schedules foster participation. Chats should be at least weekly and held at the same time of day. Remember, chat requires promotion.
Radio shows have the advantage of being in front of listeners constantly.
But publishers can draw users to chat sites with a marketing plan. Don't bury schedules on the Web. Programming, even if it's your own programming, belongs next to the paper's daily television schedule. Of course, it depends on phrasing, too. And, the researchers say, don't levy a charge to chat.