Twitter is a “microblogging” application that limits posts to 140 characters — forcing users to be brief. Brian Person of Monster has referred to Twitter as “the gateway drug to social media” because it is easy and can be addictive.
Here’s how it works. Once you set up an account you’re able to post (or “tweet”) as often as you like. The posts are available for any registered user to see, but Twitter is based on the idea of “following” and “followers.” Users “follow” other users by subscribing to their “tweet” (you can read them on the Web, a mobile device or a phone). “Followers” are the users who follow you.
Now, if Twitter were limited to reading and being read it wouldn’t be that interesting. What makes the service worthwhile is the fact that Twitter posts often become full-blown discussions that connect large groups of unrelated people. You’ll find people posting questions, links and requests. These posts are often acted on very quickly by a collection of people.
Because it is fast and simple, people often use Twitter to post information about events as they are happening. During conferences there is often a large contingency of people providing real-time updates of what is happening or what is being said. During televised events you will find collective commentaries being shared. Twitter makes these formerly solitary events dynamic, real-time experiences.
So how can we use Twitter for our clients? There are a number of ways. Client accounts can be set up to push news and information out to the community (it is important to note that the Twitter community consists largely of active bloggers, podcasters, video bloggers, etc who are influential in the social media space). We can also use Twitter to conduct a quick poll or query or to test ideas. Finally, getting clients involved with Twitter helps to demonstrate their organization’s involvement with the social networking community.
And lest you think Twitter appeals only to the geekiest digerati, several established news outlets – CNN, the New York Times, ESPN, etc. – have a presence on Twitter. As do a growing number of journalists, analysts and other influencers.
Bottom line, Twitter is a fast, fun and easy way for people and organizations to connect and share information and is an option worth exploring to see if it could be useful for your clients.