Twitter parties can be a lot of fun, especially if you love the topics and/or the companies that are being discussed. If you’ve never attended a party before, it can feel a little daunting, but it really isn’t. You can be as involved in them as you want, so if you are brand new to these parties, the thought of downloading additional programs or logging into more sites can seem like a lot. 
I’m going to share the absolute easiest way to attend a Twitter party, and then I’ll share what you can do to take it one step further and organize yourself a little more.
What is a Twitter party?
Twitter parties are a great way of connecting with different people and talking about specific topics that interest you. Whether they are about a product, idea, topic, or to share tips and best practices, you can pack a lot of information and get some of your questions answered in a short time frame. Twitter parties are usually held by brands, companies, or online personalities (such as favourite bloggers, influential Twitter users, etc). This means that the host and moderators are on Twitter during the time of the party and are following along with the conversations.
How do I join a Twitter party?
Twitter parties are often advertised on Twitter or Facebook with a RSVP link. This is a URL that you go to, to register your Twitter handle for the party. Often, prizes are drawn using this list and a random number generator. Most times, you will need to fill in the RSVP to be eligible to win a prize. Make sure you read the RSVP post as it is usually required that you follow the Twitter handles listed.
TIP: Twitter party times are usually listed in ET (Eastern time), so make sure you know what that means for your time zone.
Before and during the party, a hashtag will be used so that you can follow along with all of the comments as the party is happening. Hashtags begin with the # symbol (eg. #TwitterPartyName).
Check list
- RSVP’d to Twitter Chat
- Followed Twitter party hosts and moderators
- Tweet during the party (by answering the questions, chatting)
- Use the applicable hashtag listed
Easiest way to attend a party
Pulling out all the extras, the easiest (read simplest) way to attend a party at first is to follow the checklist above, and watch the Twitter handle of the person asking the questions during the hour that the party is going on.
TIP: When questions are asked, they will be numbered (eg. Q1:), when you answer, add A1: to the front of your tweet so that answers can be easily matched up to the questions. And always remember to include the hashtag. Unless otherwise stated, you usually don’t need to include the Twitter handle of the person asking the question as the party is followed by the hashtag.
This way you can answer the questions and not become overwhelmed by the fast pace of the party and the volume of other responses.
Take it up a notch
If you are comfortable with Twitter parties and want to do a little more than just answer the questions, you can search the hashtag during the party and chat with other attendees while the party is happening. If you do this, you would still continue to use the hashtag so other attendees can see the conversation and join in too. This can become a little overwhelming though. You can organize your Twitter party using TweetDeck. TweetDeck live streams the tweets in a given search where you specify what you want to receive. You can log in to TweetDeck using your Twitter handle and password, and it will organize your party into columns. The columns I use are:
- the hashtag
- a list of the handles moderating and hosting the party (I create a list in Twitter, then follow it in TweetDeck)
- my own mentions (people who tag me in their post. Great for chatting with people who tag you and hearing when you’ve won)
That’s about it. Remember to go at your own pace during the party and do as much or as little as you feel comfortable. Twitter parties are a lot of fun. I hope to see you at one soon.
Sheri publishes, and writes at This Bird’s Day where she shares all of the thoughts in her head without the voices. Sticking mainly with content for Canadians, Sheri shares family stories, product information and anything that fits into her (and her family’s) daily activities.
