If one hasn’t heard the word Twitter in the past year or so then they have probably been living under a rock. Twitter is the next trendy fad in the wave of social media that is devouring people’s lives update by update. That alone prompts another question that leaves people scratching their heads yet again, what is social media? What does this mean? What does it do? What’s it all about? This will all be addressed in due time, as well as what the actual meaning of Twitter really is, and what is it used for? Some question if it can it be used by someone other than fourteen-year-old girls Tweeting about the new High School Musical movie, or can it actually provide something of real worth?

What is Twitter one might ask? Twitter is a service that consists of followers, people who follow the users account and get all of their live updates, and people the user is following, which are the updates they receive from friends, family, and co–workers which allows them to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing? (twitter.com). Simple, right? The whole point of Twitter is to be simple, Twitter achieves this by only allowing a maximum of a 140 character message transmitted through an array of mediums like sms, web, mobile web, instant message, or from third party API projects (twitter.com). To summarize, Twitter enables people to directly connect to their followers and the people whom they’re following to achieve a simple, continuous stream of communication.

One still may wonder where that term social media falls into place in the grand scheme of Twitter? But more importantly what exactly is social media? Social media is defined as “an umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words and pictures. This interaction, and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and “building” of shared meaning, as people share their stories, and understandings” (anvilmediainc.com). Social media can also be linked to the term social networking. “Social Media is a term that encompasses the platforms of New Media, but also implies the inclusion of systems like FriendFeed (FriendFeed reviews), Facebook, and other things typically thought of as social networking. The idea is that they are media platforms with social components and public communication channels” (mashable.com). As a whole with social media and social networking the very essence of the two terms is that content, media, input is all generated by the user (the consumer). This idea of new media is what is driving a site like Twitter to be so popular, because the user has all the control.

Individuals aren’t the only ones who are jumping on the Twitter bandwagon, companies like Dell computers are using Twitter, and news channels like CNN are getting on board as well, and so are celebrities like Lance Armstrong and Ashton Kutcher who some may argue are outright addicted to the site (mashable.com). One might ask themselves, why are these companies using Twitter and why are celebrities so obsessed with Tweeting? Both questions will be broken down respectively, but the ultimate overlying reason for such Tweeting is marketing. Companies, news stations, celebrities all Tweet to market themselves in one-way or another.

Dell, the computer hardware company has been using Twitter for selling personal computers and solving customer problems (statesman.com). But why is Dell, one of the largest computer companies in the world using Twitter, because Twitter can also be a solution for reaching users who are increasingly immune to traditional advertising (statesman.com). Twitter provides a personal, direct and intimate connection to consumers for a large corporation like Dell that traditionally isn’t achieved through magazine ads or television commercials. Twitter also allows Dell to promote new products and help customers with technical problems, one facet of Dell’s business are its outlet stores, who usually don’t have a large marketing budget are using Twitter to reach consumers (statesman.com). As quoted from Dell spokesman Richard Binhammer, “It occurred to them that they might be able to move their inventory quicker by offering deals on Twitter.” Dell has landed $1 million of sales using Twitter. Even though that’s a fraction of Dell’s $61 billion in annual sales, that amount cost almost nothing to procure (statesman.com). As one can see, even for a large corporation like Dell, they can effectively use Twitter to achieve direct contact with consumers, and the most lucrative part for a company using Twitter is that it is marketing generating sales that cost a company like Dell nothing.

As it was just mentioned Twitter is becoming an incredibly valuable asset to those with either small and zero marketing budgets and those who run a small business or startup. Much like the Dell Outlet store mentioned, Chris Savage, CEO of Wistia.com an online video sharing company is using Twitter to generate business (businessweek.com). Savage scours Twitter in search for more business for his 5 employee, $1 million company, and his search has been fruitful, landing him 12 new clients from Twitter alone (businessweek.com). He was quoted, “This is a no-cost way of marketing. You are building a reputation; people can go back and look at your Web site and the quality of your content, and you are becoming part of the community” (businessweek.com). This strongly reiterates the fact that Twitter, if used properly, can effectively get a companies name out there and actually generate real revenue, all at zero cost to the user proving it to currently be one of the greatest online marketing tools.

While companies are very focused in marketing and selling their product, as well as getting brand awareness for their company, they also want to know what their customers are thinking about their product or service. Twitter is a great customer service management and awareness tool, which at its core is the very essence of consumer behavior. There was an article in USA Today specifically on how companies are using Twitter to know what their customers are saying. As quoted from the article by Tablet Hotel co-founder Michael Davis, “We had one of our (frequent guest) members Twitter from the front desk when the hotel was giving her a hard time. We caught it within 30 seconds of posting, and our customer service called the hotel to resolve” (usatoday.com). As one can see Twitter is a gold mine for a company like Tablet Hotels, because it allows them to immediately stomp out small fires of unhappiness from its customers. Not only is this a valuable tool for service companies like this, it also garners them a great deal of respect and satisfaction from consumers because they know their voices are being immediately heard.

With many companies large and small alike using Twitter to generate sales, to get brand awareness, to promote sales and new product launches, and to get valuable customer feedback; Twitter also has another use in its arsenal of benefits: spreading the news. Twitter is quickly becoming one the most used mediums of breaking and delivering news, from eyewitnesses to companies like CNN. There are two monumental examples of Twitter users breaking news, the attacks in Mumbai, India and the US Airways flight that landed in the Hudson River. When the attacks in Mumbai occurred, an estimated 80 tweets were being sent via SMS to twitter.com every five seconds providing eyewitness accounts and updates (cnn.com). This event was being broadcasted via Twitter before major news stations could get on the scene (cnn.com). With Twitter, users are breaking news the very second it happens, because more times than not a Twitter user is there. As quoted from Neha Viswanathan, a former regional editor for Southeast Asia and a volunteer at Global Voices, “Even before I actually heard of it on the news I saw stuff about this on Twitter” (cnn.com). This situation directly illustrates how quickly news spreads now with Twitter, and the movement of social media as a whole.

The attacks in Mumbai wasn’t the only major event to be launched via Twitter, the plane in the Hudson literally broke from Janis Krums, on a ferry boat that went to pick up the passengers from the plane (usatoday.com). Krums sent the first tweet and picture from his iPhone, “There’s a plane in the Hudson. I’m on the ferry going to pick up the people. Crazy” (usatoday.com). His tweet received 40,000 views in only four hours and he was later interviewed by MSNBC about his photo and the rescue (usatoday.com). With examples like these Twitter is truly putting power in the users hands, and specifically the consumer. Twitter can turn anyone into a journalist or a marketing guru in just a brief 140 characters.

In summation Twitter isn’t the next big thing, it is the big thing and its here to stay. Twitter is one of the most powerful tools to hit off and on the Internet. Twitter allows the user to be in the driver seat and in complete control of their world and sometimes the world around them. It is the vessel through which this new idea of social media is traveling, and through all of its functionality is representing this new wave of media and marketing.

Twitter is truly a dream come true for consumers; through just a brief 140 characters it has a litany of uses and possibilities. It can be used as a sales tool, a marketing spearhead reaching endless numbers of users, a brand awareness medium, news breaking system, a personal promoter, an encyclopedia for endless and useless personal updates, a story book of someone’s life, or simply a way for friends and families to keep in touch. Twitter is there to make sure everyone knows What You Are Doing (twitter.com).

One can’t say if Twitter is used to its fullest potential then there will be countless benefits, because no one truly knows what Twitter’s full potential is. But one can say if Twitter is correctly as demonstrated thus far then the possibilities are endless. Twitter can make anyone an overnight celebrity if they are in the right place at the right time, it can put a small business over the edge and give them those sales they have needed to take their business to the next level. It can get that extra bit of awareness for that non-profit and get the word out about their cause. It can get that fan, one step closer to their favorite celebrity.

All in all Twitter is changing the world we live in. Its constantly making everyone aware of everything that is going on. Twitter is the simple answer to the simple question: What are you doing?

Resources

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Hopkins, Mark. “Just What is Social Media, Exactly?” Social Media News and Web Tips ? Mashable ? The Social Media Guide. 18 Nov. 2008. 22 Apr. 2009 .

Joseph, Joseph, and Ian King. “More corporations are finding business ways to use Twitter.” Austin American-Statesman | statesman.com. 04 Apr. 2009. 14 Apr. 2009 .

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