As we all have come to learn, Twitter has a language all its own. Almost daily I find myself using terms that were not in my vocabulary before I began using Twitter…(as to be expected, they all begin with “tw…”) But there is one word in particular that I have been using very frequently in the past few weeks: “tweetup”.

What’s a tweetup? A tweetup is an event where people on Twitter come together to meet in person. It is a great opportunity to futher network with the people you usually tweet with, allowing people to share just a little more than the 140 characters they are used to sharing at a time.

Recent articles have suggested that social media could overtake real human interaction, but I beg to differ. Social media does make it easier to converse with people online. HOWEVER, these conversations are translating into real-life interaction through events like the tweetup. In fact, social media could actually be increasing face-to-face interactions among people who would not have met otherwise.

Want an example? A client of mine, CorasWorks, is hosting a tweetup tomorrow night in LA. Prior to the event, CorasWorks has been asking its Twitter followers to check out its Tech-Ed booth for a chance to get some free drinks at the tweetup. Not only does this help CorasWorks with some sales leads, but it also allows like-minded SharePoint users to network face-to-face in a relaxed, low key environment. Without Twitter and the tweetup, would these individuals have met? I can’t say for sure, but I’ll let you know how the tweetup goes. For more information on the tweetup, click here.