What is Twitter?

Twitter (www.twitter.com) is known as a micro-blog. Users sign up and post their ramblings/links/ponderings in 140 characters or less to their group of ‘followers’. It was launched in 2006 and has fast become one of the internet’s biggest success stories. People credit it with changing the face of world news, and call it the “new Facebook”.

According to Wikipedia, Twitter is “sometimes described as the ‘sms of the internet’” due to the fact that Twitter is used to send and receive short messages of the kind usually received or sent as SMS.

As well as broadcast messages, Twitter also provides the option to “direct message” a follower – a private message that’s just shared between the two of you.

Who uses it?

Millions of people, all over the world. It’s used by individuals, businesses, big brands, small brands, celebrities and wannabe celebrities.

According to an article published on Mashable, there are currently around 6 million registered users on Twitter. This doesn’t include the huge volume of ‘passive users’ – people who observe Twitter and read posts, but who haven’t registered. According to Oprah, there are over 14 million total Twitterers (and she’s one of them).

What’s the point of it?

Twitter provides rapid, real-time sharing of information – with people all over the world. Someone once described it as being like “group instant messaging, a water cooler and market research all wrapped in one”.

Why is it valuable?

• It’s real-time. People post thoughts as they come to mind, or facts as they come to hand. There’s no editing, reviewing or delays. Information is on Twitter as it happens.
• It breaks news. Details about the Mumbai bombings, for instance, were first spread around the world on Twitter, and news of Michael Jackson’s death hit Twitter before it hit the Australian newspapers. According to Wikipedia, Twitter has also been used in campaigning, legal proceedings, education, emergencies, protest and politics, public relations, reporting dissent, to survey opinion and even in space exploration.
• It’s mobile. People can update their Twitter account from their PCs or their phones – any time of the day or night. This means that the Twitter community is always connected, and never out of touch.
• It’s international. People from all over the world use it – so the perspectives and opinions on Twitter are global as well as local.
• You choose who you follow. This means that information is pre-filtered depending on who you trust. As such, you’re only getting the information that you want to see.
• It’s ruthless. Twitter is fast paced and changes on a daily basis. If you’re not happy with a follower, you can simply ‘un-follow’ them. You have ultimate control over the quality and type of information you see.
• It’s honest and transparent. There’s nothing to hide on Twitter, and false information or exaggerated claims will quickly be publicly slammed – so you can be fairly certain that what you’re reading is based in truth. Also, Twitterers will often include links to third party information to back up what they say.

How can businesses use it?

While Twitter does receive its share of criticism for allowing people to publish “nonsense”, Twitter does have a serious side – and can provide enormous marketing potential. There are countless examples of how the site has helped businesses achieve record sales figures and generate return on investment.

For your business, some of the key benefits of Twitter include:

• Free research. This is perhaps the most valuable aspect of Twitter. It allows you to receive up-to-the-minute statistics and information – and to stay in touch with what’s happening in your industry. By following the right people, you can ensure that you always have access to the right information.
• Free marketing. You can communicate with your followers regarding anything you like: new products, new services, up-and-coming offers, or simply what’s happening in your business on a daily basis.
• Free PR. Twitter is a fantastic public relations channel for any small business. You can position yourself as a thought-leader by sharing valuable articles and information with your customers.
• Free customer service. Twitter also provides you with a fantastic avenue to have a two-way conversation with a customer who happens to be following you. You can respond directly to a comment that they post – or could perhaps send them a direct message suggesting how you will fix an issue that they may have had.

Here’s an example:

Kogi BBQ is a Korean mobile BBQ truck based out of the US: http://kogibbq.com/.
They have over 52,000 people following them on Twitter.

They use Twitter to alert their eager followers as to where their mobile taco trucks are – and when they’ll be in specific areas. Being a mobile business, Twitter is the perfect way to drive awareness and encourage people to pay their truck a visit and make sales.

Still confused about Twitter? Not sure if it’s for you or what you could be doing? Talk to the team at Big Click Studios about how we can help.