#Clothdiapers Twitter Party? A year ago, I did not even have an active Facebook account. I just did not have the time and energy to spend time on social media. Now that I am a stay-at-home-mom and have a little more free time, I have embraced multiple social media formats. I check my Facebook page several times a day, I use Twitter, I blog, and I even just opened a Pinterest account (although I am still trying to figure out how to use it!).
Twitter Parties
One of my favorite new social media activities is Twitter parties. While becoming involved in the online cloth diapering community, I learned that CottonBabies (who makes BumGenius and Flip diapers) hosts a #clothdiapers Twitter party each week on Monday evenings from 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Many cloth diapering mamas gather to share their knowledge about cloth and even to ask questions each week. Oftentimes, on Tuesday evenings another cloth diapering company or blogger will host a similar event.
For those of you who may be new to the Twitter arena, Twitter itself is a microblogging website that allows users to gather followers and share 140 character “tweets” with them. It is free to sign up and free to use. Check it out at www.twitter.com.
Virtual Parties
Twitter parties are virtual parties which, like real parties, are scheduled for a specific period of time and are hosted by a specific person or business. Each person who wants to participate in the Twitter party blogs with a certain prespecified hashtag. Some Twitter parties require you to RSVP to win prizes while others allow you to jump right in without an RSVP.
When participating in Twitter parties, I highly suggest that you use the free service TweetGrid. This is an awesome little application that allows you to see all the tweets using the hashtag you are following, all of the tweets of the party host, and all your tweets. Usually, there are many people tweeting at these parties so it is hard to use the regular Twitter platform to keep up.
Why You Should Join
I have enjoyed joining cloth diapering Twitter parties so much that I have come up with my Top 5 awesome reasons to join cloth diapering twitter parties:
1. It’s fun:
It sounds strange but I honestly look forward to Monday nights when CottonBabies host their #clothdiapers Twitter party. It is a great time to talk to other mamas and to socialize without ever having to leave the house. (Yes, I am a total homebody!)
2. You can win great prizes:
A few weeks ago, I won a $25 gift certificate for cloth diapers by participating in an impromptu Twitter party hosted by Jennifer Labit (owner and founder of CottonBabies). I was able to use this gift certificate to buy a bumGenius Freetime (one of my new favorites) and a hemp liner.
3. You can get your cloth diapering questions answered:
While I would not say that cloth diapering is hard, it is always helpful to talk to other cloth diapering mamas when a new situation or problem arises. I was recently planning a trip and the hints I got from the Twitter parties about traveling with cloth were invaluable.
4. You are able to get to know other cloth diapering mamas:
I do not know about you, but I always like to have a group of people who are doing the same thing as me. The group of mamas who gathers for the #clothdiapers Twitter party is very knowledgeable about cloth and always willing to share.
5. It is great exposure for your blog/business:
Honestly, I first was interested in the #clothdiapers Twitter party because I had started a new blog and wanted to share it with new people. This has worked extremely well for me as I usually get at least a couple new followers after each party. However, the parties have become much more than that and I now look forward to them each week.
Two Task
Now that you know all about the cloth diapering Twitter parties and the reasons why you should be there, I have two tasks for you… first, head on over to Twitter and follow me (@YourClothDiaper), second, join in the #clothdiapers Twitter party hosted by CottonBabies each week on Monday night at 9:00 pm Eastern Time. I hope to see you there!
