This Twitter Marketing Tip is actually about a couple things. Hashtags and Twitter Parties. Since they work  together well, I think they need to be addressed together.

Many people don’t know what Twitter hashtags are or how to use them. This is a simple explanation of how to use Twitter hashtags to simplify and enjoy your Tweeting more,how to attract new followers and maybe even how to monetize with a Twitter Party.

On your Twitter homepage you will find Trending Topics on the bottom of the right side bar. You will notice that many of the topics have the hashtag or # sign in front of them.

If you click on a #topic (like #swineflu), it will bring up a search for all the Tweets about or containing that topic that have used that hashtag. All these people will be talking about that particular subject.

It’s a way of categorizing Tweets across Twitter for like minded people who are Tweeting about the same topic. It’s a way to organize them so they can easily converse with each other and see what people are talking about on that particular topic. This is also a great way to Tweet only about what you are interested in.

There are third party applications out there like TweetDeck and TweetGrid which are free and totally safe to use. They help by letting you search for everyone who is Tweeting about a certain topic. They also let you see who is replying to all your Tweets on this topic.

So, you can quickly and easily see all the people who are talking about a particular topic, reply to them and see who is replying to you. How cool is that? All on one screen.

This leads into…

How to have a Twitter Party?

A Twitter Party is a virtual party that is a fast paced and fun way to connect and discuss a topic of choice. Most Twitter parties have an expert panelist or moderator to keep the party on topic.

A group of users or a moderator will organize a Twitter Party at a certain time to Tweet about and discuse a certain topic. They will advertize it on their blogs, websites, send out emails and then Tweet about it on Twitter all day long. Then people can go to Twitter at the pre chosen time and put in a chosen #hashtag.

You then just set TweetGrid or TweetDeck so the #hashtag is on the left column. Your own Tweets and replys should appear on the right column and  the moderator or whoever is hosting the Twitter party should be in the center. How easy is that?

Twitter Party attendees encourage each other to reach goals. They get together for fun, friends and support. Sometimes there are prizes given for the one who Tweets the most, etc.

Twitter Parties can be held for pet lovers to chat about their dogs, Autism parents to get support and answers for their children, or even Twitter users to get new ideas on how to monetize Twitter. Any subject is OK and the sky’s the limit.

Twitter Parties can also be held at a pre determined public location, like a bar or restaurant or a seminar. Twittering can be a lead into a very important person to person chat. Everyone who shows up and or Tweets can then be eligible to win a prize or gift. This is really just a new spin on the old Tupperware and Amway parties. You can have them from the privacy of your home or in a group or even out in public. Any subject is fair game and the contacts you can make and the relationships you can build are priceless.

I hope this Twitter Marketing Tip has given you some ideas for new ways to use Twitter in your business and personal life. Who do you know? Tweet ‘em.