In 2014, it isn’t weird to have Internet friends… so why not have Internet parties?
That’s actually a thing on Twitter. Not to be confused with a tweetup (an in-person meet up with fellow tweeps), a Twitter party is a virtual “party” hosted in real-time on the Twitter platform, most commonly by a company or influencer to build brand awareness. Many are even moderated by an expert panelist. Given a particular topic, a hashtag is determined and announced prior to the event’s scheduled date/time.
For example, @ResourcefulMom mediated a discussion with @Entenmanns on National Donut Day, using donut giveaways as an incentive while spreading awareness about their donuts and the brand’s charitable efforts toward Salvation Army.
Question 8: How do you prefer to enjoy donuts? Quick breakfast treat? Afternoon snack? #EntenmannsDonuts
— Amy Lupold Bair (@ResourcefulMom) June 6, 2014
Seems cool, yes? And simple. And harmlessly beneficial. HOWEVER… When brands involve contests and/or giveaways in their Twitter parties (which is pretty often), they may possibly be directly or indirectly violating the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)’s rules when using the social platform to promote their brand(s)/product(s).