Twitter Parties Are Stupid

09.16.09

Not a little bit stupid, but a lot.

They clog up the twitter stream, they alienate people, they make the participants look silly and desperate and they are gone as quickly as they begin.

Do something else please. No matter how many times I see #landsend I’m still not buying that shit.

  • http://mommy-is-rock-n-roll.blogspot.com Lauren

    Like #GNO? I think that’s so annoying.

  • http://www.BriefEpisode.com Gib Wallis

    Sorry I couldn’t make it to the Tweestival to see you! I would have made you have 8.623% more fun than you did!

  • http://mommymaria.wordpress.com/ Maria @BOREDmommy

    I ADORE your honesty. Its so damn refreshing, I may never be thirsty again.

  • http://domesticpsychology.com/blog/ Cathy McCaughan

    They are rude to anyone who interrupts to ask a question. They all talk at once. You just know that someone gets a bonus if they make whatever they’re pimping a trending topic. It’s like a spam attack in your Twitter stream. Take it to a private chatroom please.

  • http://www.3greenangels.com Sommer

    Hey Jessica, it’s Sommer from @greenmom and I have to respectfully disagree (seeing you know the sweet person that I am and love me -right?). I think when we have Twitter parites that are just promoting a company than yes (#crayola) but when we have a hashtag that is genuine, real and promoting education and conversation than the Twitter Parties take on an entire meaning.

    I say this becasue yes they are sponsored, yes they have panels but they also are lead by “real” conversation that frankly cannot be controlled – that equals people and conversations that people can relate to a companies can learn from. Some of these that we run for #ecowed aren’t paid for (most actually) but have to do with disucssion, dialogue and education.

    My point, wrapping up “Twitter Parites” into the entire specturm of evil in my case…not fair!

    Smiles! =)

  • http://JessicaGottlieb.com Jessica Gottlieb

    Sommer, I adore you, but I still think they’re stupid, they leave no tracks, it’s an echochamber and if a company is going to pay, they should get more than 90 minutes of hits.

    Twitter links are all no follow. There is no lasting benefit for companies.

  • Janelle Sorensen

    I have to disagree, too. While I’m annoyed by corporate ownership of twitter discussions, it can also be a useful tool for people to share information and network/connect. If you create a valuable hash tag, people can constantly access it and see the conversation and find the links and connect with the people, despite not being involved in the “party” (although, the party creates the richest, fastest, stream of thoughts).

    I guess, whomever is hosting, they clearly seem valuable to many people. If not to you, maybe you haven’t participated in the right one yet.

    I can see how having it “contaminate” the overall stream of tweets would be annoying. I’ve felt that too. But, it’s also prompted me to engage in conversations I would not have otherwise and prompted new people to engage in random parties. Transparency can be annoying, but it can also be extremely beneficial.

  • http://wwwjackbenimble.blogspot.com/ Jack

    Part of the problem is that we have people who have no marketing experience or skills desperately trying to get a piece of the action.

    They see an opportunity to make some easy cash from brands who are all too willing to burn a tiny portion of their marketing budget to see what happens.

    If they are ever asked to supply metrics that support their expenditures these parties will die or be dramatically changed.

  • http://Www.momswithoutblogs.com Lee of MWOB

    Ha ha! Love it! I’ve thought this very thing but don’t have any influence for anyone to care. But hell yes…..and besides Twitter parties promoting crayons or soup, the only thing more depressing to me is wine-tasting Twitter parties.I don’t get it.

  • http://livinglocurto.com Amy

    Hey Jessica,

    I’m just curious… What do you mean exactly by this?

    “Twitter links are all no follow. There is no lasting benefit for companies.”

    I have found many companies that I have never heard of through Twitter and bought product and told my friends about them. Maybe it’s not benefitting the large companies because we all know about them, but I think it’s great for smaller ones that want to get the word out. Maybe I read your comment wrong?

  • http://ssmirnov.wordpress.com stephanie smirnov

    I’ve been thinking a lot about this and whether we should keep recommending them to clients as tactics. I’m leaning more and more towards no because as you say, it’s too ephemeral. If the point is meaningful conversations between a brand and digital influencers, why not do it as a webcast that can be archived and redistributed through various channels (including via tweeting?) That said, I admire the twitter chats that have sprung up around industry topics and networking — one of the best examples being #Journchat created by Sarah Evans. That seems relatively controlled and generates really useful information and connections.

  • http://www.MotherhoodinNYC.com Marinka

    #stoopid and not just because I’m never invited to them.

  • http://momitforward.com Jyl (Mom It Forward)

    You know I love you, Jessica! Of course I respectfully disagree, but I heart you for your candor and for mixing it up for us!

    I love the parties for many reasons but for two main ones: 1) the connection, and 2) the sharing. Lots of other ways to do this, I know. But, after hostessing #gno for a year now and seeing the people that have come into my life… who have ended up being really good friends of mine… I find it a really healthy and fun place to build relationships all while sharing great info. I’d love to have you participate one night and see where you land on this opinion after that! Come on, you know you want to.

    xoxoxo

  • sherri haymond

    Jess, I totally hear what you’re saying and mostly agree with you – but also agree with Stephanie that industry-focused chats can be extremely beneficial. Participating in #eventprofs, #journchat and several others has really helped me to network and learn a lot from really smart people.

  • http://www.dirtysocksandpizza.com deb williams

    twitter parties have jumped the shark. what MIGHT have originally been an intimate or personal exchange of good ideas/products WHILE getting to know each other has devolved into meaningless nothing.

  • http://JessicaGottlieb.com Jessica Gottlieb

    Y’all once again… just listen to Jack.

  • http://JessicaGottlieb.com Jessica Gottlieb

    Jyl, no disrespect, your parties are the only reason anyone else attempts them. I’ve actually watched them evolve from incredible forums where brands spoke to women into something I’m not sure I understand.

  • http://wwwjackbenimble.blogspot.com/ Jack

    But, after hostessing #gno for a year now and seeing the people that have come into my life… who have ended up being really good friends of mine… I find it a really healthy and fun place to build relationships all while sharing great info.

    That is great for you and I am not knocking that. But let me pose a question to you.

    Brand XYZ decides to run a test to see how Twitter parties work. They dedicate $50,000 that they’ll allocate between 5 bloggers that they believe to be influential.

    When it is all said and done they need to be able to measure the effectiveness of the Twitter party. How do they do it? What metrics do they use to determine that it was effective?

    Are the hosts providing them with lists of participants? Are the participants filling out any sort of demographic information?

    10 years ago you could have gotten ridiculous amounts of money to play with, but those times are gone. I am just wondering what sort of feedback you are asked to give.

    I don’t think that anyone is being held accountable for the money that is being spent on this.

    If I am mistaken please let me know because I truly am curious.

  • http://wwwjackbenimble.blogspot.com/ Jack

    P.S. Let’s hear it for dads who can leave comments while their five year old daughters do their hair. Hope that last one made sense.

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  • http://hoo-dee-hoo.com meredith

    As a girl new to twitter, I must say they are a complete turn-off.
    I tried to join some Crayola party, and found myself feeling like an idiot trying to explain to my husband what the hell I was doing on the computer. It’s a very weird thing these fake parties.

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