A Twitter Chat or Twitter Party is a great way to have a specific conversation with others on Twitter. Some groups hold Twitter Chats at regularly scheduled times, and sometimes people learn about special events or brands via a Twitter Party (where there are also opportunities to win prizes.)

How it Works

1. In order to participate, you must have a Twitter account. For example, our DSEF Twitter Account can be found here: @TheDSEF
2. Follow the conference organizer and any featured guests with your Twitter account.
3. Everyone that wants to participate in the chat or party needs to use the same code, called a hashtag, in each Tweet they use as part of the conversation on Twitter. So for example, if you are participating in the Women’s Money Conference party, each time you answer or ask a question, you need to type #WomensMoney on the end of your Tweet. This allows others participating in the chat to see your comment.For example: 
   One way we save money is by having a percentage withdrawn automatically from each paycheck and put in our savings account #WomensMoney
4. During the set time for the chat or party, you need to search Twitter for the hashtag provided by the organizer in order to see the conversation. You can use Twitter’s search function, set up a search column in a tool like HootSuite, or use a tool like TweetChat.
5. Tweet! During the event, the organizer will likely be asking questions. Feel free to answer those questions, share your thoughts, and jump into conversations that others share during the event. Conversation is what it’s all about! You can also speak to the organizer directly by typing their Twitter name following the @ sign (for example, @TheDSEF) and then your message, followed by the hashtag.For example:
   @TheDSEF What tips do you have for paying off debt? #WomensMoney

That’s it! Twitter parties and chats are a great way to meet new people, learn new things, and often a way to win prizes. So have fun with it!