Some Twitter users have attended hundreds of Twitter parties and love them. Others have just heard about them and are curious to learn more. If you fall into the latter category, here’s a short ‘Top 10 List” of reasons why Twitter parties are worth delving into:

1. They’re Free All you need is an internet connection and some free time. You don’t have to pay to get in or pay for gas to get there.

2. You Can Attend in Your Jammies How many parties can you attend in bunny slippers? Have nothing to wear? Who cares! Bad hair day? Not on Twitter (unless you dare to post a pic)! So grab a comfy blanket, pillow and your laptop. And remember: BYOB. Or BYO mug of cocoa.

3. You Can Learn Something New Most Twitter parties have an element of education or tip-sharing to them. There are often expert hosts who have vast knowledge on a subject whether it’s parenting, auto maintenance, sewing, travel-you name it! Also, often attendees are experts themselves on a variety of topics and contribute advice and helpful tidbits to the parties. The bottom line is: come to a Twitter party and you’ll most likely have learned something new by the time you log off.

4. You Can Make a New Friend (or Two) When I first started attending parties, I was surprised by how many new Twitter friends I made. People whom I then followed and chatted with afterward. The topics and themes of Twitter parties usually bring together like-minded people who share similar reasons for attending. A lot of times you will see attendees address each other like old friends do. That’s because they are just that. Twitter is social, and there’s no better way to get people socializing than throwing a party.

5. You Might Win a Prize Usually at parties in ‘real life’ you give gifts. At Twitter parties you get them. The hallmark of the Twitter party is the giveaway. Most parties have them. Businesses sponsoring the events draw more people to them by giving away their products and services. So if you register for a party and attend, there’s a chance you’ll walk away from the party with a nice gift.

6. You Can ‘Ask an Expert’ Many parties include an expert guest host who contributes to the topic by tweeting tips and advice. If you attend a party, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to ask a question about the topic and have it answered by an expert on the subject or a representative from the company sponsoring the event. Twitter parties are fast-paced, and not every question can be answered during the event. Most often, sponsors are more than happy to answer your questions afterward via Twitter or e-mail. All you have to do is ask!

7. You Might Gain Some Followers When you attend a party, you make new friends. In Twitter, friends follow each other. It’s as simple as that!

8. Great Chance to Network First let’s just say this: never, ever spam a party. Someone else’s Twitter party is not your opportunity to spread the word about your business unless you’re asked to do so. But in meeting new friends through parties and gaining more followers, you might make new connections that can lead to more opportunities down the road. Maybe even think of the parties as ‘soft networking’ events. In the future, maybe a follower will see a special offer you’ve tweeted about, recognize you and take you up on it.

9. You Can Multi-Task I’ve attended parties while watching t.v. Actually, some Twitter parties are hosted by t.v. networks and held solely for the purpose of discussing a particular show while it’s in progress. It is possible to attend a Twitter party while working on a project, surfing the ‘net, or making out your grocery list. You might not see every tweet or take party in every conversation, but parties can be something fun to attend while tending to a project a bit more tedious.

10. You Can Help a Good Cause There are many parties that have a theme that involves helping a good cause. Recently, there have been breast cancer awareness parties,an ovarian cancer awareness party, a pet adoption party, parties that discuss issues such as bullying, self-esteem and other topics of interest to parents. By participating in such parties, you help generate more awareness by placing that hashtag out in the Twitter stream. By retweeting the party, you help spread the information to your own followers, and thus help bring attention to a good cause.

So that’s the list! If you haven’t yet attended a Twitter party…what are you waiting for? Check out the TweeParties Twitter party calendar and find one to explore! And have fun!

Tags: party attendee tips, top ten lists, Twitter party, value in twitter parties