Spotlight Blog: Twitter Moms Part 1

November 21, 4:38 PMParenting ExaminerTerreece Clarke

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Simple idea - spectacular results.

Twitter Moms is not quite a blog. It's a social networking web site for moms who use Twitter, but beyond that, it's a widely recongnized beast in the web world. Consider this:

• Started in September, Megan Calhoun's web site now has 4,661 members.
• The site has been featured at RealSimple, Tech Crunch, AOL Parent Dish, FastCompany and Computer World.

But for many moms, it's not about the juggernaut nature of Twitter Moms, it's about the interaction and commarderie. Parents's are pretty busy and many may think they don't have time for another social networking site, but this one is different. With groups for every interest, passion and concern, Twitter Moms recongnizes a need for moms to interact with each other and it has become a central place to spread news about a business, recall, parenting concern, etc. I got a chance to interview Twitter Mom's creator Megan Calhoun and because she had such great information, we are breaking the interview up into two parts! Part two will be featured Monday:

Tell me about how you got the idea for twittermoms.com?

Megan: As a stay at home mom, you sometimes don’t get enough adult interaction during the day. My husband suggested I check out Twitter to connect with other moms, and I just loved it. Twitter provides a fun way for staying connected with people, and I noticed a lot of moms on it – but there was no easy way to learn more about them, or make decisions about who would be really interesting to follow on Twitter.
 
That’s what gave me the idea to start a site where moms who are on Twitter could meet and have more in-depth conversations. On Sept. 2, I launched TwitterMoms.com. I added the URL to my Twitter.com profile and the next morning we had four members. Now, at twelve weeks old, membership rushed past 4,600 active members. A new mom joins every few minutes. It’s been quite a rush!

What can moms expect when they join twittermoms?
Megan: "Moms can expect a positive, spam-free, intelligent and supportive community where they can connect with other moms on a variety of topics. The fact that it’s turned out to be fun and interesting – the credit goes to the members, not me! In reality, they are the keepers of the community. Dozens of moms greet new members and make each one feel at home, regardless of political, religious, or socioeconomic leanings. We’re all moms, after all – so we share that bond first and foremost. It’s a welcoming place above all else.  
 
TwitterMoms are definitely social, and they are in a place where they feel comfortable to discuss whatever is on their minds. The quality of the discourse on the site has been top-notch – I’m often blown away by the conversations taking place on the site. People are really getting a lot out of the friendships they’re making there. TwitterMoms has become a success because of the members. These are smart moms who create valuable content, friendships and discussions – a place you want to return to again and again.
 
The word I hear most often is “addictive”. The most flattering tweet I’ve ever witnessed was from a member who, basically said her day starts by loading up her browser with twitter, Yahoo mail, Google mail, twittermoms, stumbleupon, linkedin, facebook and Pandora. Not bad company for a whim that, at the time of the tweet, was only three weeks old!

An example of how members are supporting each other is through the TwitterMoms Holiday Catalog which launched on Nov. 10th. The catalog features the mom’s blogs, wares, products, and services. People can download the catalog for free from www.twittermoms.com. Since the catalog went live, there have been hundreds of tweets directing people to download the catalog or check out specific product, blogs, or service entries. My hope with the catalog is that during these challenging economic times, moms will support each other and will experience an increase in their business."