Those of you who are already tweeting on Twitter probably know this. Perhaps not everyone, though, since I had a couple questions about this little convention that you can use to your advantage. And I'm still learning about it myself. 

Conversations and information sharing on Twitter cover a pretty broad spectrum, and to many it makes no sense when first getting started, but after a bit of watching and participating it begins to sink in - the possibilities of social networking and expanding your own personal on-line network and presence.

The hashtag is used to designate topics or categories of information - the tweets you read or write - that fit together in some way. It could be geographic, an event, or a topic of interest to readers. They are much like the tags in Flickr and can be used as follows:  #topic or #event, such as #Inauguration09, to group together all the tweets related to that topic, provided that the tweeter (twitterer) uses the hashtag in his or her tweets. And of course ANYONE can use the same hashtag to add information to the group, thus creating a record of the on-going dialog in real time. 

So how do you find these groups of information? One way is to do a Twitter search. Simply enter the hashtag you wish to search and the list of relevant tweets will appear. You can also just search for key terms with a hashtag, say "Carlsbad real estate."

Folks who have been taking the social media webinar series offered by Domus Consulting know that the hashtag #domus is used by attendees to indicate questions, or thoughts they are sharing during the webinar that are relevant to the topic and perhaps of interest to others participating in the webinar. And it creates an ongoing record of the conversation for others who may be interested. 

Hashtags are pretty cool for tracking on-going news and commentary in real time about an event (e.g., #mumbai was a hot topic during the disaster). The #sandiegofire hashtag was particularly popular during the October 2007 fire disaster here in San Diego. Another example that may be of interest to folks in California and nearby are posts related to the upcoming REBarCamp to be held in Los Angeles, i.e., #REBarCampLA.

READ MORE about Hashtags

So how could YOU use this little hashtag to your advantage?

Build your on-line breaking news reputation by reporting on topics that would interest others who follow you on Twitter. Others will pick up on the idea and may add their own tweets of information or links to relevant sites. What a great way to further enhance your Twitter relationships. Just don't overdo the hashtags - that get's annoying and will likely only interest you.

But why not be consumer-centric as well and create your own on-going series of breaking news related to your real estate community to share with consumers. News could be:

• about new listings (and why not upload a pic while you're are it with TwitPic?)
• open houses you are holding (use TwitPic again)
• great deals you spot on the road or when touring properties
• recent sales of significance
• market statistics that are meaningful and hyperlocal
• important developments in your particular housing market
• anything else you believe consumers might want to know about the real estate market and the community that you service.  

Much like the information you might share in your blog, these microblogs could provide quick details for consumers to read and can help establish you as a knowledgeable professional in your market. And it will also demonstrate to your followers that you are the go-to person in a particular area - who knows who may know someone needing a referral?

Be sure to use hashtags that are relevant keywords (e.g., #CarlsbadRealEstate) but check to see if the ones you choose are already being used. And don't overdo them, just as you should not overdo keywords in your posts which render them unreadable.

While you're at it, why not join one of the Twitter social groups that are geographically based (e.g., your town) to share information about events, housing, or whatever with other members. You never know who you might meet or you may be reading your tweets of information about your community. 

Feel free to share your thoughts on how you have been using, or could use, Twitter and other neat tools to demonstrate YOUR local expertise. 

Oh, and read Pat Kitano's recent post on 10 Steps for Attracting Twitterers You Want to Connect With. It's  winner for Twitterers.